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Sleepover Friends #7
Stephanie Strikes Back
There’s a new video club at school, and Stephanie and Kate can’t wait to join . . . until Wendy Rodwin gets elected president. She doesn’t want any fifth-graders—especially the Sleepover Friends—in the club. Plus, the school only has one video camera, and Wendy’s sure to keep it to herself.
Kate wants to quit the club. Why should they be members when they’ll never get to make videos? Stephanie, however, never gives up at anything—whether it’s a disaster in the kitchen or a snobby sixth-grader. Watch out, Wendy, Stephanie’s striking back!
Kate wants to quit the club. Why should they be members when they’ll never get to make videos? Stephanie, however, never gives up at anything—whether it’s a disaster in the kitchen or a snobby sixth-grader. Watch out, Wendy, Stephanie’s striking back!
88 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 14, 2025
The only thing I remember about this one was the cover (the original one not the weird generic kindle one) and the cake they made that cracked.
Two plots go on in this book. One is the girls being invited to join a video club at school and the other they form a party planning business accidentally and they both come together in the end. The girls are invited to a video club only to find they are not wanted as they are 5th graders and their nemesis Wendy doesn't like 5th graders cause there's a huge difference between 5th and 6th grade. The girls vow to make a video to wow everyone but have to access to a camera. Stephanie buys one for a huge sum of money somehow not telling her parents? I guess in those days they would have to wait til the bill arrived, no online banking back then, but I'd still feel guilty if I did that. They have to pay 30 bucks a month to pay it off so learn all about credit which I'm sure Stephanie will love. This ties into the b plot where the girls end up starting a party planning business that they get paid for. Patti's little brother's birthday is coming up and everything is falling apart. The girls bake a cake which cracks and they turn it into a dinosaur themed cake which is a genius way to include the mistake. Then they dress up as clowns and are a hit, which brings us back to the main plot. They film themselves at the second party and are a big hit in the video club. So I did remember a bit of this one not much. I do find I enjoy these more than the BSC. One we only have a couple paragraphs introducing the girls vs 1-2 chapters and the girls are good friends who support and care about each other and also don't get jealous when one of them hangs out with people outside the club unless the other friend is an enemy of the other girls. Also these girls act more their age where the BSC act older and also have a more know it all air about them, well Kristy does at least. I can see why I loved them so much as a kid.
Two plots go on in this book. One is the girls being invited to join a video club at school and the other they form a party planning business accidentally and they both come together in the end. The girls are invited to a video club only to find they are not wanted as they are 5th graders and their nemesis Wendy doesn't like 5th graders cause there's a huge difference between 5th and 6th grade. The girls vow to make a video to wow everyone but have to access to a camera. Stephanie buys one for a huge sum of money somehow not telling her parents? I guess in those days they would have to wait til the bill arrived, no online banking back then, but I'd still feel guilty if I did that. They have to pay 30 bucks a month to pay it off so learn all about credit which I'm sure Stephanie will love. This ties into the b plot where the girls end up starting a party planning business that they get paid for. Patti's little brother's birthday is coming up and everything is falling apart. The girls bake a cake which cracks and they turn it into a dinosaur themed cake which is a genius way to include the mistake. Then they dress up as clowns and are a hit, which brings us back to the main plot. They film themselves at the second party and are a big hit in the video club. So I did remember a bit of this one not much. I do find I enjoy these more than the BSC. One we only have a couple paragraphs introducing the girls vs 1-2 chapters and the girls are good friends who support and care about each other and also don't get jealous when one of them hangs out with people outside the club unless the other friend is an enemy of the other girls. Also these girls act more their age where the BSC act older and also have a more know it all air about them, well Kristy does at least. I can see why I loved them so much as a kid.
September 10, 2022
The start of Sparkly and Barkly, another Sleepover Friends staple!
One thing I do enjoy about these books, and I mean no disrespect to my beloved Baby-sitters Club, is that it takes, like, two paragraphs to tell about the girls and the history of their sleepovers, instead of the two chapters needed to explain each girl and their role in the BSC and how the Club works. So I find that I don't ever need to skip parts of Sleepover Friends books, because it's just a quick aside. Also, I'm sure there are books narrated by the other girls, but so far we're seven books in and they've all been narrated by Lauren. Which is okay with me, because she might be my favourite Sleepover Friend.
One thing I do enjoy about these books, and I mean no disrespect to my beloved Baby-sitters Club, is that it takes, like, two paragraphs to tell about the girls and the history of their sleepovers, instead of the two chapters needed to explain each girl and their role in the BSC and how the Club works. So I find that I don't ever need to skip parts of Sleepover Friends books, because it's just a quick aside. Also, I'm sure there are books narrated by the other girls, but so far we're seven books in and they've all been narrated by Lauren. Which is okay with me, because she might be my favourite Sleepover Friend.
January 21, 2013
read one children's series books from the late 80s/early 90s, you've read them all. Seriously, even the character names are the same. Also, none of these books age well. Do kids even read Sleepover Friends anymore?
November 3, 2023
The girls join a video club but the bossy 6th graders won't let anyone help or use the fancy equipment. To get some of their own video time, Stephanie orders a camcorder from a tv shopping ad (holy cow, those things were expensive,) and they keep it a secret while recording their own footage.
I just can't fathom the fact that the girls got away with ordering something so expensive and their parents weren't even that mad. The camera was refurbished so less money than a new one, but it was still a couple hundred dollars!
This is also the origin of their side business as party planners and entertainment when they step in to help Patti's family do a birthday party by baking a cake and dressing up as clowns.
Sleepover snacks: Chips and dip, cherry coke floats with fudge ripple ice cream plus there's also a mall outing for pepperoni pizza and ice cream sundaes.
I just can't fathom the fact that the girls got away with ordering something so expensive and their parents weren't even that mad. The camera was refurbished so less money than a new one, but it was still a couple hundred dollars!
This is also the origin of their side business as party planners and entertainment when they step in to help Patti's family do a birthday party by baking a cake and dressing up as clowns.
Sleepover snacks: Chips and dip, cherry coke floats with fudge ripple ice cream plus there's also a mall outing for pepperoni pizza and ice cream sundaes.
March 23, 2019
Stephanie Strikes Back
Plot: Kate get’s invited to join a video club-because of her interest in movies and movie making-, and she get’s Stephanie to join. Lauren and Patti aren’t interested. But they need to have some fifth graders join so it won’t be just sixth graders. And a couple of popular sixth grade girls are already in charge. During one of their Friday night sleepovers, they learn that Patti’s mom is struggling with throwing Patti’s little brother Horace a birthday party. So they decide to make the cake and provide the entertainment. Patti and Lauren call themselves “Sparkly and Barkly” and tell corny jokes and because their little kid’s they’re a hit. And they soon get a call from another parent. This marks the beginning of their party service. Stephanie orders a video camera from the home shopping channel, in order to get revenge on the sixth-grade girls, who never really intended to include the fifth graders. Patti and Lauren just intended Sparkly and Barkly to be a onetime thing, but decided to keep doing the parties to help Stephanie pay off the camera. There’ s also a video competition and the SOF win with a entry of one of the parties they video-taped.
My Thoughts: I think the Party Line did it better. They did the whole theme thing minus the lame clown get up. I guess all these teen books need a *gimmick*. There really wasn’t too many other things you could say about this one. Other than I thought it was clever to use the crack in the cake as part of the dinosaur theme.
Rating: 5.
Plot: Kate get’s invited to join a video club-because of her interest in movies and movie making-, and she get’s Stephanie to join. Lauren and Patti aren’t interested. But they need to have some fifth graders join so it won’t be just sixth graders. And a couple of popular sixth grade girls are already in charge. During one of their Friday night sleepovers, they learn that Patti’s mom is struggling with throwing Patti’s little brother Horace a birthday party. So they decide to make the cake and provide the entertainment. Patti and Lauren call themselves “Sparkly and Barkly” and tell corny jokes and because their little kid’s they’re a hit. And they soon get a call from another parent. This marks the beginning of their party service. Stephanie orders a video camera from the home shopping channel, in order to get revenge on the sixth-grade girls, who never really intended to include the fifth graders. Patti and Lauren just intended Sparkly and Barkly to be a onetime thing, but decided to keep doing the parties to help Stephanie pay off the camera. There’ s also a video competition and the SOF win with a entry of one of the parties they video-taped.
My Thoughts: I think the Party Line did it better. They did the whole theme thing minus the lame clown get up. I guess all these teen books need a *gimmick*. There really wasn’t too many other things you could say about this one. Other than I thought it was clever to use the crack in the cake as part of the dinosaur theme.
Rating: 5.
October 2, 2025
These books are so adorable!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews