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Pen Pals #Super Special 1
Dream Holiday
Home for the holiday season, the girls of Suite 3-D eagerly await Maxie's super holiday party in the Big Apple
- GenresChildrens
167 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 26, 2021
Pen Pals Dream Holiday
Plot: Shannon, Amy, Max, Lisa, and Palmer decide to keep journals over Christmas break and the best one wins a prize.
Palmer spends Christmas Eve with her mother and Christmas Day with her Dad, stepmother Alicia, and adopted sister, Georgette. Anyways, her mom spends Christmas in her studio mostly depressed (understandable). At her Dad’s Georgette tries to manipulate the trip that Palmer asked for to Disney Land so that it includes Georgette and a mutual friend of theirs (Frankie). To get Palmer back for also adding a new sister to the list, Georgette gets their parents to get her a life-sized doll that she never asked for. Sam asks Palmer to be his girlfriend and she tries to tell Georgette but they just end up arguing. Palmer doesn’t have much fun at DL because Frankie and Georgette are getting close, but she bonds with Alicia. By the end of the trip, she and Georgette are getting along a little better and Palmer is grateful for Alicia and Georgette.
Max’s trip starts off rocky. Her Dad and brothers forget her when going skating and she and her mother don’t see eye to eye on a shopping trip (because they have different tastes). Amy also turns down her invite to go with her to the Hard Rock Café. She asks her Mom if the time she saw Santa wasn’t her Dad because she told her Pen Pal (Jose) there was a Santa and her mom says it wasn’t. Max worries (and hopes) that her father and brothers will behave themselves at the big party she’s inviting the Foxes to and about the menu.
Amy’s vacation isn’t off to a hot start either. She wasn’t allowed to get her ears pierced and she can’t go anywhere without her brother. But her brother (Alex) gets to do anything he damn well pleases. She decides she can’t let the rest of the Foxes read her journal and discover her parents treat her like a child. Alex has an accident and Amy gets punished out of a day out with her cousin. She gets mad at Alex, but they soon make up when they’re allowed out and bond over getting wild things their parents won’t approve of. But in the end, the parents lighten up and they end up taking a family photo.
Shannon’s vacation is up and down. Some of her family get ill and then her sister Doreen says she doesn’t want to go back to college and she and her parents have a big fight. Then Shannon finds out that Doreen and her parents have moved all her stuff into a smaller room. But eventually, she gets used to having her own room. She also gets her first period. Mars gives her a gift (and a new name Minerva) but she isn’t crazy about him calling her “a brain” At first Shannon’s parents tell her she can’t go to Max’s party, but after a fight with Doreen they makeup and she gives her the money. But then she finds out Lisa can’t come (but she has good news about Rob).
As Max’s household gets everything ready for the party, she gets a letter from Jose saying either Santa was too busy or just not interested in giving him and his brother and sister what they wanted for Christmas. Max then wonders why the world is like this (some people get everything and some get very little).
At the Schloss's party, too embarrassed to be seen with her brother, Amy tells everyone Alex is her “date”, Palmer tries to get the attention of a famous modeling agency owner (Faline) and she and Amy develop an instant attraction to Rain (Max’s gifted pianist cousin). But Rain only has eyes for Amy. He even gets her to sing a little of her new song for him. Then Faline isn’t interested in Palmer but approaches Shannon about modeling. Rain comes to Palmer’s “rescue” when she’s pranked by her brothers and trapped in the room with their frogs and gets to accompany him while he plays his next set. Shannon and Max discover the truth about Alex and Amy.
After the party, Palmer declares she’s in love with Rain but she’ll keep writing Sam. She wants Max to try to get them to hang out with him the next day (Although Max tells her he has a lot of girlfriends). Then they all have the idea to donate things (Palmer’s doll, ice skates, Shannon’s old books, Max’s microscope, and toys from Amy’s Dad’s company to Jose and his siblings and throw them a Christmas party (with Mr. Schloss as Santa Claus). Lisa doesn’t do a journal. She does a long letter and in it she talks about how different it is now that her parents have separated. Her Dad has a new girlfriend and she and Reggie spent Christmas with them. She doesn’t think much of the lady but Reggie does. She also is pissed at her Dad. So her Mom (who's also going through it) lets her invite Rob over to stay. They all have lunch -and take in some NY events the next day and Rain shows up with another girl. Palmer slips him her number anyway when she finds out he lives close to her. At home, Shannon gives Doreen the modeling agency card and tells her to call Faline. She’ll be working at her family’s store until she finds something else. Amy’s Dad eventually agrees to let her go back to school early after she tells him the reason and says he’ll try to give her a little more freedom. Palmer and her mom have one last day together before she heads back to school. The party is a success and Palmer wins the prize for best journal. They get her the black dress on her list. Then they all celebrate New Years and light sparklers with Maggie and Dan.
My Thoughts:
Palmer: It’s funny I have this book but all I remembered about it on this read *was* Palmer’s list. I’m not gonna lie it was a good list. Although, it was just odd to me that one of the things on the list was tickets to a concert for Perfect Gentleman. Perfect Gentleman (the ones that I know) were a 90;s boy band (RNB). They probably had 2 cassettes and 2 popular songs (Oh La La and One More Chance) and while the lead singer was kinda fine, I just don’t see Palmer being into RNB. So either there was another group by this name or it was a made-up name. I can’t really say I blame Palmer for not liking her sister. And you know what I really liked her parents did *not* seem to push this. Her mother didn’t. She said, “You all have never had chemistry.” Palmer’s mom gets big points for me on understanding that just because someone is your sibling does not mean you have to have love for them. And a 5-dollar dress? Palmer’s journal kinda was the best but I wouldn’t tell her it was 5 dollars. Not that I’m knocking thrift stores *at all* but well it’s Palmer. Poor Poor Sam! Somehow I don’t think they gone make it to the end of this series.
*Amy: Yes, I can definitely relate to feeling stifled by parents who treat you like your younger than you are.
*Shannon: Don’t really have too much to say for Shannon except that I thought she was crazy to turn down the modeling contract. The whole book she was moping about no one thinking she was pretty and then when she does meet someone that sees her potential and can help *transform* her so that Mars and everyone else will see her just like they do Doreen, what does she do? Turn it down. So I never wanna hear this complaint from Shannon again
*Max: Max, I can tell you why some people get more than others. It’s not a mystery. It’s really very simple. Because LIFE SUCKS and that’s just the way it is. But Max really had the best story because hers gives her something to contemplate and I loved what she did for Jose.
Rating: 6
Plot: Shannon, Amy, Max, Lisa, and Palmer decide to keep journals over Christmas break and the best one wins a prize.
Palmer spends Christmas Eve with her mother and Christmas Day with her Dad, stepmother Alicia, and adopted sister, Georgette. Anyways, her mom spends Christmas in her studio mostly depressed (understandable). At her Dad’s Georgette tries to manipulate the trip that Palmer asked for to Disney Land so that it includes Georgette and a mutual friend of theirs (Frankie). To get Palmer back for also adding a new sister to the list, Georgette gets their parents to get her a life-sized doll that she never asked for. Sam asks Palmer to be his girlfriend and she tries to tell Georgette but they just end up arguing. Palmer doesn’t have much fun at DL because Frankie and Georgette are getting close, but she bonds with Alicia. By the end of the trip, she and Georgette are getting along a little better and Palmer is grateful for Alicia and Georgette.
Max’s trip starts off rocky. Her Dad and brothers forget her when going skating and she and her mother don’t see eye to eye on a shopping trip (because they have different tastes). Amy also turns down her invite to go with her to the Hard Rock Café. She asks her Mom if the time she saw Santa wasn’t her Dad because she told her Pen Pal (Jose) there was a Santa and her mom says it wasn’t. Max worries (and hopes) that her father and brothers will behave themselves at the big party she’s inviting the Foxes to and about the menu.
Amy’s vacation isn’t off to a hot start either. She wasn’t allowed to get her ears pierced and she can’t go anywhere without her brother. But her brother (Alex) gets to do anything he damn well pleases. She decides she can’t let the rest of the Foxes read her journal and discover her parents treat her like a child. Alex has an accident and Amy gets punished out of a day out with her cousin. She gets mad at Alex, but they soon make up when they’re allowed out and bond over getting wild things their parents won’t approve of. But in the end, the parents lighten up and they end up taking a family photo.
Shannon’s vacation is up and down. Some of her family get ill and then her sister Doreen says she doesn’t want to go back to college and she and her parents have a big fight. Then Shannon finds out that Doreen and her parents have moved all her stuff into a smaller room. But eventually, she gets used to having her own room. She also gets her first period. Mars gives her a gift (and a new name Minerva) but she isn’t crazy about him calling her “a brain” At first Shannon’s parents tell her she can’t go to Max’s party, but after a fight with Doreen they makeup and she gives her the money. But then she finds out Lisa can’t come (but she has good news about Rob).
As Max’s household gets everything ready for the party, she gets a letter from Jose saying either Santa was too busy or just not interested in giving him and his brother and sister what they wanted for Christmas. Max then wonders why the world is like this (some people get everything and some get very little).
At the Schloss's party, too embarrassed to be seen with her brother, Amy tells everyone Alex is her “date”, Palmer tries to get the attention of a famous modeling agency owner (Faline) and she and Amy develop an instant attraction to Rain (Max’s gifted pianist cousin). But Rain only has eyes for Amy. He even gets her to sing a little of her new song for him. Then Faline isn’t interested in Palmer but approaches Shannon about modeling. Rain comes to Palmer’s “rescue” when she’s pranked by her brothers and trapped in the room with their frogs and gets to accompany him while he plays his next set. Shannon and Max discover the truth about Alex and Amy.
After the party, Palmer declares she’s in love with Rain but she’ll keep writing Sam. She wants Max to try to get them to hang out with him the next day (Although Max tells her he has a lot of girlfriends). Then they all have the idea to donate things (Palmer’s doll, ice skates, Shannon’s old books, Max’s microscope, and toys from Amy’s Dad’s company to Jose and his siblings and throw them a Christmas party (with Mr. Schloss as Santa Claus). Lisa doesn’t do a journal. She does a long letter and in it she talks about how different it is now that her parents have separated. Her Dad has a new girlfriend and she and Reggie spent Christmas with them. She doesn’t think much of the lady but Reggie does. She also is pissed at her Dad. So her Mom (who's also going through it) lets her invite Rob over to stay. They all have lunch -and take in some NY events the next day and Rain shows up with another girl. Palmer slips him her number anyway when she finds out he lives close to her. At home, Shannon gives Doreen the modeling agency card and tells her to call Faline. She’ll be working at her family’s store until she finds something else. Amy’s Dad eventually agrees to let her go back to school early after she tells him the reason and says he’ll try to give her a little more freedom. Palmer and her mom have one last day together before she heads back to school. The party is a success and Palmer wins the prize for best journal. They get her the black dress on her list. Then they all celebrate New Years and light sparklers with Maggie and Dan.
My Thoughts:
Palmer: It’s funny I have this book but all I remembered about it on this read *was* Palmer’s list. I’m not gonna lie it was a good list. Although, it was just odd to me that one of the things on the list was tickets to a concert for Perfect Gentleman. Perfect Gentleman (the ones that I know) were a 90;s boy band (RNB). They probably had 2 cassettes and 2 popular songs (Oh La La and One More Chance) and while the lead singer was kinda fine, I just don’t see Palmer being into RNB. So either there was another group by this name or it was a made-up name. I can’t really say I blame Palmer for not liking her sister. And you know what I really liked her parents did *not* seem to push this. Her mother didn’t. She said, “You all have never had chemistry.” Palmer’s mom gets big points for me on understanding that just because someone is your sibling does not mean you have to have love for them. And a 5-dollar dress? Palmer’s journal kinda was the best but I wouldn’t tell her it was 5 dollars. Not that I’m knocking thrift stores *at all* but well it’s Palmer. Poor Poor Sam! Somehow I don’t think they gone make it to the end of this series.
*Amy: Yes, I can definitely relate to feeling stifled by parents who treat you like your younger than you are.
*Shannon: Don’t really have too much to say for Shannon except that I thought she was crazy to turn down the modeling contract. The whole book she was moping about no one thinking she was pretty and then when she does meet someone that sees her potential and can help *transform* her so that Mars and everyone else will see her just like they do Doreen, what does she do? Turn it down. So I never wanna hear this complaint from Shannon again
*Max: Max, I can tell you why some people get more than others. It’s not a mystery. It’s really very simple. Because LIFE SUCKS and that’s just the way it is. But Max really had the best story because hers gives her something to contemplate and I loved what she did for Jose.
Rating: 6
November 23, 2016
I think this is supposed to be a YA novel, but... it feels really immature to me. Like the author actually wrote in one character's 20+ Christmas list. Maybe just because of how far YA novels have come since 1990, IDK.
I... kind of remember it? Again, never really was a realistic fiction fan as much as other genres. It was okay, but I don't think it's one I picked up more than twice (if that) to read.
I... kind of remember it? Again, never really was a realistic fiction fan as much as other genres. It was okay, but I don't think it's one I picked up more than twice (if that) to read.
January 30, 2016
I loved this series when I was young - can't remember the age that I was - perhaps 11-13. I just know I loved these books!
May 12, 2021
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the other books in the series. I found it so hard to get into and kept putting it aside for something more interesting.
February 22, 2024
Five stars because NOSTALGIA! I remember reading this when I was about ten, so my inner child was having a "rad" time revisiting Alma and NYC with the Foxes of the Third Dimension!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews