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The Baby-Sitters Club Mysteries #6
The Mystery at Claudia's House
Something odd is going on at the Kishis'. First Claudia's room is ransacked. Then she discovers some of her things missing. What would someone want with Claudia's old stuff?
Weird things have been happening with Claudia's sister, Janine, too. Janine has been getting suspicious packages in the mail, and she even got caught lying to their parents! Claudia doesn't know what's going on at her house, but things are going to change with the BSC on the case!
Weird things have been happening with Claudia's sister, Janine, too. Janine has been getting suspicious packages in the mail, and she even got caught lying to their parents! Claudia doesn't know what's going on at her house, but things are going to change with the BSC on the case!
107 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 1992
37 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,120 books3,073 followersAnn Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
June 13, 2016
this is my first time reading this book!
in another non-mystery mystery (like the last one, Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic) by ghostwriter ellen miles, claudia's sister janine starts acting strangely. she is wearing makeup, missing dinner, and lying about going to the library. for some reason claudia doesn't get that she has a boyfriend and feels the need to spy on her and solicit derek masters (tv star/bsc charge from Jessi and the Superbrat, in town while his show isn't filming) to help her be a detective, since he appeared on a show about detectives and is now somehow an expert on detectives. don't ask. in a derek-related subplot, he finds out he will have to kiss a girl on his tv show, leading the boys of stoneybrook to tease him. to get them off his case, he says that he's a kissing expert, and then the boys wants him to demonstrate that. eventually he comes clean and all is well (if not a little boring).
highlights:
-janine is really cute at first. she keeps trying to wear makeup and cute outfits but has no idea how and ends up looking like miss geist or something.
-claudia narrates that she thinks becca probably has a crush on lamont (from derek's show) because he's black and she doesn't have a lot of black friends in stoneybrook so she relates to him. I like this, but they don't really address it in most books. it's the "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?": A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity phenomenon (though I have never read that book): barely anybody in stoneybrook can relate to becca's experience as a black girl in a town full of racist white people, and of course she is stoked on seeing black kids on tv!
-claud says "gag me" about math. really? what year is it? is valspeak really still cool in 1992? this sounds like a lowlight but really it made me chuckle.
-claudia keeps offering to help out with housework because she wants to be the good kid. interesting weird psychological phenomenon here, similar to that of separate vocations.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-kristy says she "used to" baby-sit the masterses. no she didn't. jessi and claud were the only ones who sat for them in Jessi and the Superbrat, and there haven't been any other books that had the masterses in stoneybrook (the only other book they appeared in was California Girls!)
-janine said she would be home late and miss dinner. when she arrives at 8:30 everyone freaks out. EIGHT-THIRTY. that is NOT late, dude. she is fifteen. I think a fifteen year old can stay out until eight-thirty when she already said she was going to miss dinner.
-claudia convinces herself janine could be in trouble so she snitches on janine. janine is mad about the snitching. yeah that's fair but claud also has a right be mad because janine had no right to use claudia's room and phone and stuff without asking her.
-jerry (janine's boyfriend) said he liked janine in spite of the way she looks. uh, that's not really a good thing, janine. I think you mean that he liked you regardless of your looks, not in spite of your looks. that means he thinks you're ugly.
claudia outfits:
-"I was...checking that day's outfit (lace leggings, purple tie-dyed T-shirt dress, and purple high-tops) in the mirror."
-"I knew I wanted to wear this pair of black-and-white-checked stretch pants I just bought...Next I started to look around for my red belt, since it would look perfect with the black and white...Next I needed a blouse...I checked the closet again and found a black shirt with white polka dots...I pulled on my red ankle boots, put my hair into a ponytail on the side of my head (fastened with a black-and-white barrette), stuck on my favorite red heart-shaped earrings, and I was ready to go."
janine outfit:
"I pulled a green-and-blue patterned sweater out of my bottom drawer, and a white oxford shirt out of the closet, then found a short black wool skirt I hardly ever wear...I tossed her a pair of short black boots, and she put them on."
snack in claudia's room:
-yodels (n.s.)
in another non-mystery mystery (like the last one, Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic) by ghostwriter ellen miles, claudia's sister janine starts acting strangely. she is wearing makeup, missing dinner, and lying about going to the library. for some reason claudia doesn't get that she has a boyfriend and feels the need to spy on her and solicit derek masters (tv star/bsc charge from Jessi and the Superbrat, in town while his show isn't filming) to help her be a detective, since he appeared on a show about detectives and is now somehow an expert on detectives. don't ask. in a derek-related subplot, he finds out he will have to kiss a girl on his tv show, leading the boys of stoneybrook to tease him. to get them off his case, he says that he's a kissing expert, and then the boys wants him to demonstrate that. eventually he comes clean and all is well (if not a little boring).
highlights:
-janine is really cute at first. she keeps trying to wear makeup and cute outfits but has no idea how and ends up looking like miss geist or something.
-claudia narrates that she thinks becca probably has a crush on lamont (from derek's show) because he's black and she doesn't have a lot of black friends in stoneybrook so she relates to him. I like this, but they don't really address it in most books. it's the "Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?": A Psychologist Explains the Development of Racial Identity phenomenon (though I have never read that book): barely anybody in stoneybrook can relate to becca's experience as a black girl in a town full of racist white people, and of course she is stoked on seeing black kids on tv!
-claud says "gag me" about math. really? what year is it? is valspeak really still cool in 1992? this sounds like a lowlight but really it made me chuckle.
-claudia keeps offering to help out with housework because she wants to be the good kid. interesting weird psychological phenomenon here, similar to that of separate vocations.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-kristy says she "used to" baby-sit the masterses. no she didn't. jessi and claud were the only ones who sat for them in Jessi and the Superbrat, and there haven't been any other books that had the masterses in stoneybrook (the only other book they appeared in was California Girls!)
-janine said she would be home late and miss dinner. when she arrives at 8:30 everyone freaks out. EIGHT-THIRTY. that is NOT late, dude. she is fifteen. I think a fifteen year old can stay out until eight-thirty when she already said she was going to miss dinner.
-claudia convinces herself janine could be in trouble so she snitches on janine. janine is mad about the snitching. yeah that's fair but claud also has a right be mad because janine had no right to use claudia's room and phone and stuff without asking her.
-jerry (janine's boyfriend) said he liked janine in spite of the way she looks. uh, that's not really a good thing, janine. I think you mean that he liked you regardless of your looks, not in spite of your looks. that means he thinks you're ugly.
claudia outfits:
-"I was...checking that day's outfit (lace leggings, purple tie-dyed T-shirt dress, and purple high-tops) in the mirror."
-"I knew I wanted to wear this pair of black-and-white-checked stretch pants I just bought...Next I started to look around for my red belt, since it would look perfect with the black and white...Next I needed a blouse...I checked the closet again and found a black shirt with white polka dots...I pulled on my red ankle boots, put my hair into a ponytail on the side of my head (fastened with a black-and-white barrette), stuck on my favorite red heart-shaped earrings, and I was ready to go."
janine outfit:
"I pulled a green-and-blue patterned sweater out of my bottom drawer, and a white oxford shirt out of the closet, then found a short black wool skirt I hardly ever wear...I tossed her a pair of short black boots, and she put them on."
snack in claudia's room:
-yodels (n.s.)
July 7, 2020
While I actually started reading around age 3 (thank you, my Granny's Dick and Jane books!), this series is what I remember most about loving to read during my childhood. My sister and I drank these books up like they were oxygen. I truly think we owned just about every single one from every one of the series. We even got the privilege of meeting Ann M. Martin at a book signing, but of course little starstruck me froze and could not speak a word to my biggest hero at that time. Once in awhile if I come across these at a yard sale, I will pick them up for a couple hour trip down memory lane, and I declare nearly nothing centers and relaxes me more!
February 23, 2017
Claudia notices things out of place in her room, her things missing, etc. Meanwhile Janine is acting strangely, even lying about her activities. For some reason Claudia can't draw a conclusion on this fairly silly premise. Also, Derek Masters is back in town, ready to help Claudia spy on Janine, and teach the young kids of Stoneybrook how to kiss like they do in Hollywood.
Things I remember from reading this as a kid:
I borrowed this from my obnoxious BSC-spoiled friend when we were in third grade, and I remember the two of us gushing about the novelty of a dark purple cover. I also remember thinking that Claudia was really stupid. It was totally obvious that Janine had a boyfriend, and that she was trying to look good for him. Someone even says early in the book, "Hey, Janine probably has a new boyfriend," and Claudia dies laughing, but it made sense to me.
Things I've considered since reading this as an adult:
I am really disappointed that Jessi and Derek's special friendship is not mentioned in this book. It's not even alluded to. There's a tiny mention that Derek was "friendly" to Jessi when she visited him in California, and that she was his "main" baby sitter when he came back to Stoneybrook the first time, but that's it. I loved the friendship that developed between Jessi and Derek, and I don't like that it's dismissed in this book. I feel like people who are driven to performing arts the way Jessi and Derek are have interesting interactions, and I would have liked to see more of that. Instead, there's a big deal made about how Derek's character is going to kiss another character on his TV show in the upcoming season. Considering Derek (and presumably his co-star) is eight years old, it doesn't seem terribly appropriate that elementary school kids would have a romance that involved kissing. Luckily, the producers of the show come to their senses and realize that.
Claudia gets dressed in the morning exactly the way I do, by following her mood, and then racing around trying to get put together before she's late. She kind of wishes she was like goody-goody Mary Anne who puts out all her clothes the night before, but she ultimately feels that having to rush around makes her outfits better. I wish I could convince my husband of this since I drive him crazy nearly every morning by trying to find an outfit (and shoes, and make-up, and jewelry) without being late to work. I always ask him what I should wear, and his standard answer is just, "Black" because I veto almost every suggestion he has. It's hard being married to me.
As a kid I could not understand why Claudia was so freaked out by Janine's new behaviors. She wears hideous make-up, and is late to breakfast. In my childhood mind, where breakfast was a eat-something-and-get-out-to-the-car-so-you're-not-late affair I could not understand why the Kishi girls were expected to be on time for breakfast. I mean, who cares that early in the morning? As an adult I am still mystified by this, but I can understand why Claudia is weirded out by Janine's behavior. Janine is so perfect and predictable all the time, so any tiny little deviation from her normal behavior makes me think she has to be on drugs or something. And then Janine, the most perfect sister in the universe gets grounded? For lying to grown-ups? It's like the world has stopped spinning. I like that Claudia instantly knows that something is up with Janine, even though her parents seem pretty clueless. I can see the tiger Kishis just being bewildered that their perfect daughter is no longer falling into line with their rules and expectations. They don't care what the underlying problem is, they just want her to start behaving again. But Claudia is more concerned with WHY Janine is acting strangely, and she's concerned when she realizes that Janine has been hanging out with a boy she doesn't know, and lying to everyone about it. It's a good thing Janine has Claudia because her parents (like all tiger parents) have no clue how to handle a daughter who doesn't act exactly the way they want her to. It's also nice to see that Claudia and Janine have developed some kind of closeness, even though they see things so differently. However, I feel bad for Janine, who is smart enough to know if she puts one toe out of line people will freak out. She is unsure if her strict, academic parents will understand about her having a boyfriend, and she feels the need to act like a typical teen girl with a boyfriend by wearing makeup and nail polish. She has no idea how to tell anyone about this unexpected turn in her life, and so she tries to carry on as usual. She tells everyone she is studying, she is working at the college lab, etc. because she knows that's what they want her to do. Claudia thinks Janine's boyfriend is hot, and is glad to talk to Janine about kissing, and makeup, and all the "normal" details of dating, which helps Janine accept that a cute boy likes her, and that it's OK to act like a teenager with a boyfriend. Claudia's matter-of-fact handling of the situation helps normalize it's oddness for Janine, since for Claudia going out with boys you like, and wearing makeup is business as usual. Claudia and Janine balance each other very nicely in this story.
Claudia mentions to her mother that they should just let their lawn grow like a meadow, and encourage wildflowers. She likes the idea of the untamed beauty of nature. Her mother seems to like the idea also, but she tells Claudia her father wouldn't like it, and "The neighbors would be furious with us." WHY? God, I hate suburbia and its stupid, creepy rules. The world will end if the Kishis don't keep their lawn perfectly mowed. I am so glad that these days people are starting to rip out their lawns and grow food and natural landscaping instead.
The Kishis are so anti junk food that Claudia has to hide candy and chips all over her room, yet they feed her cinnamon rolls and waffles for breakfast. When I was a kid I was never allowed to eat sugar for breakfast, and my mother didn't make sanctimonious speeches about how kids should never eat junk food. Stupid Kishi parents, with their tiger parenting, and their hypocrisy. Both their daughters will end up resenting them in therapy.
Things I remember from reading this as a kid:
I borrowed this from my obnoxious BSC-spoiled friend when we were in third grade, and I remember the two of us gushing about the novelty of a dark purple cover. I also remember thinking that Claudia was really stupid. It was totally obvious that Janine had a boyfriend, and that she was trying to look good for him. Someone even says early in the book, "Hey, Janine probably has a new boyfriend," and Claudia dies laughing, but it made sense to me.
Things I've considered since reading this as an adult:
I am really disappointed that Jessi and Derek's special friendship is not mentioned in this book. It's not even alluded to. There's a tiny mention that Derek was "friendly" to Jessi when she visited him in California, and that she was his "main" baby sitter when he came back to Stoneybrook the first time, but that's it. I loved the friendship that developed between Jessi and Derek, and I don't like that it's dismissed in this book. I feel like people who are driven to performing arts the way Jessi and Derek are have interesting interactions, and I would have liked to see more of that. Instead, there's a big deal made about how Derek's character is going to kiss another character on his TV show in the upcoming season. Considering Derek (and presumably his co-star) is eight years old, it doesn't seem terribly appropriate that elementary school kids would have a romance that involved kissing. Luckily, the producers of the show come to their senses and realize that.
Claudia gets dressed in the morning exactly the way I do, by following her mood, and then racing around trying to get put together before she's late. She kind of wishes she was like goody-goody Mary Anne who puts out all her clothes the night before, but she ultimately feels that having to rush around makes her outfits better. I wish I could convince my husband of this since I drive him crazy nearly every morning by trying to find an outfit (and shoes, and make-up, and jewelry) without being late to work. I always ask him what I should wear, and his standard answer is just, "Black" because I veto almost every suggestion he has. It's hard being married to me.
As a kid I could not understand why Claudia was so freaked out by Janine's new behaviors. She wears hideous make-up, and is late to breakfast. In my childhood mind, where breakfast was a eat-something-and-get-out-to-the-car-so-you're-not-late affair I could not understand why the Kishi girls were expected to be on time for breakfast. I mean, who cares that early in the morning? As an adult I am still mystified by this, but I can understand why Claudia is weirded out by Janine's behavior. Janine is so perfect and predictable all the time, so any tiny little deviation from her normal behavior makes me think she has to be on drugs or something. And then Janine, the most perfect sister in the universe gets grounded? For lying to grown-ups? It's like the world has stopped spinning. I like that Claudia instantly knows that something is up with Janine, even though her parents seem pretty clueless. I can see the tiger Kishis just being bewildered that their perfect daughter is no longer falling into line with their rules and expectations. They don't care what the underlying problem is, they just want her to start behaving again. But Claudia is more concerned with WHY Janine is acting strangely, and she's concerned when she realizes that Janine has been hanging out with a boy she doesn't know, and lying to everyone about it. It's a good thing Janine has Claudia because her parents (like all tiger parents) have no clue how to handle a daughter who doesn't act exactly the way they want her to. It's also nice to see that Claudia and Janine have developed some kind of closeness, even though they see things so differently. However, I feel bad for Janine, who is smart enough to know if she puts one toe out of line people will freak out. She is unsure if her strict, academic parents will understand about her having a boyfriend, and she feels the need to act like a typical teen girl with a boyfriend by wearing makeup and nail polish. She has no idea how to tell anyone about this unexpected turn in her life, and so she tries to carry on as usual. She tells everyone she is studying, she is working at the college lab, etc. because she knows that's what they want her to do. Claudia thinks Janine's boyfriend is hot, and is glad to talk to Janine about kissing, and makeup, and all the "normal" details of dating, which helps Janine accept that a cute boy likes her, and that it's OK to act like a teenager with a boyfriend. Claudia's matter-of-fact handling of the situation helps normalize it's oddness for Janine, since for Claudia going out with boys you like, and wearing makeup is business as usual. Claudia and Janine balance each other very nicely in this story.
Claudia mentions to her mother that they should just let their lawn grow like a meadow, and encourage wildflowers. She likes the idea of the untamed beauty of nature. Her mother seems to like the idea also, but she tells Claudia her father wouldn't like it, and "The neighbors would be furious with us." WHY? God, I hate suburbia and its stupid, creepy rules. The world will end if the Kishis don't keep their lawn perfectly mowed. I am so glad that these days people are starting to rip out their lawns and grow food and natural landscaping instead.
The Kishis are so anti junk food that Claudia has to hide candy and chips all over her room, yet they feed her cinnamon rolls and waffles for breakfast. When I was a kid I was never allowed to eat sugar for breakfast, and my mother didn't make sanctimonious speeches about how kids should never eat junk food. Stupid Kishi parents, with their tiger parenting, and their hypocrisy. Both their daughters will end up resenting them in therapy.
June 26, 2021
3 stars. Based on the title I thought the plot was going to be something else but really it’s just that Janine has been acting weird and Claudia wants to know what’s going on. It was fine. Very easy from the start to realize it was just that Janine had a man and was trying to keep him a secret but it was cute. I loved seeing Janine be so carefree and in love. Fun read but it felt like it could've been apart of the main BSC series as it's really not a mystery at all.
December 29, 2020
claudia is mostly wonderful but she’s actually kind of a tattle tale in this one and if i were janine, i would also not forgive her quickly. janine’s just trying to get her groove on with some hot nerdy guy who drives a RED CAR and takes her to pizza express! as with most bsc mysteries, there was very little intrigue here, but i always love a kishi family story so four stars it is.
December 1, 2010
the mystery is that claudia's favorite red sweater is missing & her room is kind of messy--but messy in a different way than she usually leaves it. it looks as though someone has been pawing through her make-up. but what burglar would be interested in claudia's make-up?
it actually doesn't take claudia long to solve the basic mystery. janine has been sneaking around in claudia's room, borrowing clothes & sneaking make-up. this becomes obvious when she starts showing up at the breakfast table with an inexpertly applied face--like she used homer simpson's make-up gun & accidentally set it to whore. she finally breaks down & approaches claudia to ask for help with clothes & make-up. claudia is very helpful & chooses some items from her own wardrobe that allow janine to keep her usual preppy style, while looking a little more interesting. claudia understands she needs to keep the makeover simple if it's really going to help janine. but she still wonders why janine wants a makeover in the first place.
meanwhile, in our babysitting B-plot, derek masters is back in town because his TV show is on hiatus. he is having some trouble with the other boys in town because they found out that his TV character is supposed to kiss a girl in the coming season. derek is embarrassed & worried about the kiss, & to cover up his insecurities, he told his friends that he was a kissing expert who has kissed tons of girls. now they want him to prove it by kissing a local girl & showing them all how it's done. it is immediately apparent to claudia that derek is lying about his experience with the ladies, but she decides to keep his secret & let him come clean to his friends in his own time.
derek also thinks he knows a lot about solving mysteries, so claudia recruits him to help solve the mystery of why janine wants a makeover. derek suggests following her one afternoon, so she, derek, derek's little brother todd, & mary anne do just that one day. they tail janine to the high school, where she meets an incredibly good-looking dude, but then the detectives have to go home because mrs. masters is due home soon. another time, claudia follows janine solo & sees her getting into the car of the very good-looking dude. janine is also busted for lying. mrs. braddock spills the beans about seeing her at pizza express one evening when she told her parents that she was at the library studying. she is grounded. on the day that claudia sees her get into the car with the handsome stranger, janine comes home & tells her family that she'd spent the afternoon at the chem lab.
this makes claudia think. she begins to worry that janine is in real trouble--maybe mixed up with drugs or something. i think the more obvious narrative is that handsome dude is janine's secret boyfriend, & obviously she's been trying to dress up & look pretty for his benefit. DUH. this much has been anvil-licious from the very first chapter. but this is claudia we're talking about, so she tells her parents that janine was lying about the chem lab & is mixed up with some strange dude with a car. they confront janine, who explains that handsome dude is her secret boyfriend. like i just said. his name is jerry & they met in one of her advanced college physics classes. he is also a high school student taking college courses. mr. & mrs. kishi ground janine for another two days for lying about the chem lab, but they also invite jerry over for dinner. they understand janine's desire for privacy, but they tell her not to cross the line into dishonesty.
&...that's pretty much it. why did i give this book four stars? i think it's just because i have a bit of a soft spot for janine/claudia storylines. those two crazy kids. why can't they just get along?
it actually doesn't take claudia long to solve the basic mystery. janine has been sneaking around in claudia's room, borrowing clothes & sneaking make-up. this becomes obvious when she starts showing up at the breakfast table with an inexpertly applied face--like she used homer simpson's make-up gun & accidentally set it to whore. she finally breaks down & approaches claudia to ask for help with clothes & make-up. claudia is very helpful & chooses some items from her own wardrobe that allow janine to keep her usual preppy style, while looking a little more interesting. claudia understands she needs to keep the makeover simple if it's really going to help janine. but she still wonders why janine wants a makeover in the first place.
meanwhile, in our babysitting B-plot, derek masters is back in town because his TV show is on hiatus. he is having some trouble with the other boys in town because they found out that his TV character is supposed to kiss a girl in the coming season. derek is embarrassed & worried about the kiss, & to cover up his insecurities, he told his friends that he was a kissing expert who has kissed tons of girls. now they want him to prove it by kissing a local girl & showing them all how it's done. it is immediately apparent to claudia that derek is lying about his experience with the ladies, but she decides to keep his secret & let him come clean to his friends in his own time.
derek also thinks he knows a lot about solving mysteries, so claudia recruits him to help solve the mystery of why janine wants a makeover. derek suggests following her one afternoon, so she, derek, derek's little brother todd, & mary anne do just that one day. they tail janine to the high school, where she meets an incredibly good-looking dude, but then the detectives have to go home because mrs. masters is due home soon. another time, claudia follows janine solo & sees her getting into the car of the very good-looking dude. janine is also busted for lying. mrs. braddock spills the beans about seeing her at pizza express one evening when she told her parents that she was at the library studying. she is grounded. on the day that claudia sees her get into the car with the handsome stranger, janine comes home & tells her family that she'd spent the afternoon at the chem lab.
this makes claudia think. she begins to worry that janine is in real trouble--maybe mixed up with drugs or something. i think the more obvious narrative is that handsome dude is janine's secret boyfriend, & obviously she's been trying to dress up & look pretty for his benefit. DUH. this much has been anvil-licious from the very first chapter. but this is claudia we're talking about, so she tells her parents that janine was lying about the chem lab & is mixed up with some strange dude with a car. they confront janine, who explains that handsome dude is her secret boyfriend. like i just said. his name is jerry & they met in one of her advanced college physics classes. he is also a high school student taking college courses. mr. & mrs. kishi ground janine for another two days for lying about the chem lab, but they also invite jerry over for dinner. they understand janine's desire for privacy, but they tell her not to cross the line into dishonesty.
&...that's pretty much it. why did i give this book four stars? i think it's just because i have a bit of a soft spot for janine/claudia storylines. those two crazy kids. why can't they just get along?
October 23, 2023
I knew the solution to the "mystery" just from reading the back cover. This would have been fine as a regular BSC story, not a mystery.
Spoiler from book and Netflix Series: But I guess it would be too progressive for 1992.
Spoiler from book and Netflix Series: But I guess it would be too progressive for 1992.
August 19, 2023
Some of this was a little farfetched, like how long it took Claudia to believe Janine had a boyfriend. But other things were so realistic, like the way the kids acted about Derek's kissing scene. Which was also really troubling for that reason - a group of boys trying to practice kissing on one or two girls... shudder. Also, girls whom they're paying. Then they decide to blackmail one of them with the threat of showing embarrassing photos of her to everyone at school. Puts revenge porn into some context. Especially to see that play out among generally "nice" characters, it really illustrates the broader cultural expectations and behaviors.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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July 29, 2020CLAUDIAAAA
As a kid my best friends sister had the whole BSC series on a book shelf in her room. I thought she was so grown up. And I envied this bookshelf. And would often poke my head into that room just to look at it.
And when I read BSC, I felt like such a grown up.
And while I might have still been a little too young to understand some of the issues dealt with in these books, I do appreciated that Ann M. Martin tackled age appropriate issues, some being deeper than others, but still important.
As a kid my best friends sister had the whole BSC series on a book shelf in her room. I thought she was so grown up. And I envied this bookshelf. And would often poke my head into that room just to look at it.
And when I read BSC, I felt like such a grown up.
And while I might have still been a little too young to understand some of the issues dealt with in these books, I do appreciated that Ann M. Martin tackled age appropriate issues, some being deeper than others, but still important.
August 6, 2021
A Claudia book is like a breath of fresh air after what feels like a century of Dawn and Mallory (who I actually thought were great at the beginning of the series, so why do the writers make them so annoying now?) This book didn't follow the formula for explanations as closely as a lot of the books, either, which was nice.
Sadly, though, not much babysitter friendships (although it was made up for by some sisterly bonding) and the mystery was obvious from the first page, so not a full five stars. One of the most enjoyable that I've read for a while, still, though.
Sadly, though, not much babysitter friendships (although it was made up for by some sisterly bonding) and the mystery was obvious from the first page, so not a full five stars. One of the most enjoyable that I've read for a while, still, though.
September 16, 2023
Awww this is a sweet mystery. Nice to see this side of Janine, and I only feel sad that Claudia never even considered But then given how mean Claudia can be to Janine in other books, it's kinda nice to see her here actually caring so much about Janine and being so concerned about Janine's welfare.
The subplot about Derek being nervous about an upcoming kissing scene he has to film, and also trying to mask his fear with bravado in front of his friends, is really sweet.
The subplot about Derek being nervous about an upcoming kissing scene he has to film, and also trying to mask his fear with bravado in front of his friends, is really sweet.
July 2, 2017
I really loved this one! I vaguely remembered the premise from when I was a kid, but it was nice to read it again and be a little bit surprised. The initial "mystery" of who was in Claudia's room was solved pretty fast, but oh that sweet Janine mystery!
I loved (and still do) that Janine got herself a hot nerdy boyfriend. You go, girl! Just as long as you eventually married Charlie Thomas. Childhood power couple shit right there!
I loved (and still do) that Janine got herself a hot nerdy boyfriend. You go, girl! Just as long as you eventually married Charlie Thomas. Childhood power couple shit right there!
January 22, 2020
I know I said I enjoy the earlier Mystery books because they're actually believable mysteries, things that could actually happen to regular thirteen year old baby-sitters - but this book was such a non-mystery! Though I quite enjoyed seeing Janine go through some changes, and love whenever she and Claudia positively interact (their makeover and gossip session were two high points of this book, for sure!) as far as the "mystery" is concerned, this book is kind of a bummer. I'm almost at the point where I'm yearning for the outlandish stories to come.
January 4, 2018
Not much of a mystery, but . Why does Claudia need Derek's help though? With all the Nancy Drews she reads, she should already have a pretty good idea of what's involved in detective work.
October 29, 2021
I really like these books and even though I’m not the target audience they really help me get out of reading slumps if I find myself in one. They are awesome if I just want a quick mystery book to read. I highly recommend these books.
September 30, 2017
This is another BSC book that I love primarily because it's so Janine-centric.
Also, Claudia's ridiculous theories behind what's going on with Janine still make me laugh to this day.
Also, Claudia's ridiculous theories behind what's going on with Janine still make me laugh to this day.
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August 28, 2020Read my recap at A Year with the BSC via Stoneybrook Forever: https://www.livethemovies.com/bsc-blo...
January 24, 2021
(LL)
I mean...this was so obvious it’s unreal. I know I’m not the target audience and should be able to figure it out, but come on. I’m sure for the younger reader this would be a fun book though.
I mean...this was so obvious it’s unreal. I know I’m not the target audience and should be able to figure it out, but come on. I’m sure for the younger reader this would be a fun book though.
December 10, 2021
This book was super fun. I love Janine and Claudia books, and I’m glad Janine bagged a stone cold nineties hunk.
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December 15, 2023This should have been called "Claudia and the Mystery of Why TV Producers Thought Getting Eight-Year-Olds to Kiss Onscreen Was a Good Idea."
November 5, 2024
Some of these books do not age well.
March 4, 2022
This was another non-mystery mystery, but it was entertaining enough.
September 5, 2020
This review was originally posted on Once Upon a Chapter
This really wasn't a mystery at all but I still really enjoyed it. I loved seeing Janine and Claudia start to bond. I missed so much of this with my own sister. (Don't worry! We're besties now!) I really liked seeing a different dimension to Janine. I also appreciated that Claudia wasn't the one in trouble this round!
There seems to be a trend through this stretch where Martin wants us to realize the BSC isn't perfect and it's annoying. Just let me have fiction! :) Jessi was a brat in this one. She couldn't see beyond herself and she was pretty awful towards her friends. Also I feel like Dawn was creating problems where there were none. Of course in the end all of the BSC pulled together to make it all work.
Martin continues to cover tough stuff. Installments like this remind me show important the BSC books were back then. I was reading these in 4th grade and Martin handled a pretty serious subject like anorexia at a level 10 year old me could handle. I assure you I wouldn't have learned it anywhere else. Jessi's thoughtful personality shone in this book.
This is more the kind of mystery I expect from this line. I also loved how by the end of the book Dawn was a little more accepting of people and their pets. I was actually sort of surprised that Dawn wasn't a pet lover considering how eco-friendly she is. I guess vegetarian doesn't automatically equate to animal enthusiast.
This really wasn't a mystery at all but I still really enjoyed it. I loved seeing Janine and Claudia start to bond. I missed so much of this with my own sister. (Don't worry! We're besties now!) I really liked seeing a different dimension to Janine. I also appreciated that Claudia wasn't the one in trouble this round!
There seems to be a trend through this stretch where Martin wants us to realize the BSC isn't perfect and it's annoying. Just let me have fiction! :) Jessi was a brat in this one. She couldn't see beyond herself and she was pretty awful towards her friends. Also I feel like Dawn was creating problems where there were none. Of course in the end all of the BSC pulled together to make it all work.
Martin continues to cover tough stuff. Installments like this remind me show important the BSC books were back then. I was reading these in 4th grade and Martin handled a pretty serious subject like anorexia at a level 10 year old me could handle. I assure you I wouldn't have learned it anywhere else. Jessi's thoughtful personality shone in this book.
This is more the kind of mystery I expect from this line. I also loved how by the end of the book Dawn was a little more accepting of people and their pets. I was actually sort of surprised that Dawn wasn't a pet lover considering how eco-friendly she is. I guess vegetarian doesn't automatically equate to animal enthusiast.
September 22, 2023
This one was amusing and a lot more fitting for a mystery series about kids than later ones when they deal with homicidal maniacs. It starts when Claudia begins to notice things are moved around in her room. Then she notices Janine is wearing make up and borrowing her clothes. Recruiting Derek Masters who's in town for a while Claudia and the gang head out to find out what's happening with Janine. She's lying, staying out later than she said and even gets grounded twice. As an adult I relate a lot to Janine especially the part where she pulls out a book to wait for her ride to come get hercand Claudia doesn't get why she can't just daydream or something. Don't knock it til you try it Claudia. A book is your best friend. Anyway they figure out what's going on, there's a confrontation the sisters fight a bit but not for long. I love how Claudia and Janine got closer after Mimi got sick. It's like my own brother and I after our family went through a bad time and shows family relationships are complicated but you can still be there for each other. The b plot involves Derek Masters having to do a kissing scene in his show and being afraid. He lies and says he's an expert kisser. The Pike boys try to get him to kiss Vanessa he tells the truth and Vanessa skips off with her brother's money. You go girl! This was a cute little mystery. Much better than a few of the others I've read that were so boring. I'm happy to see some growth in both Claudia and Janine in this book too. I like the complicated relationships that siblings often have. Very realistic.
April 18, 2011
Mystery at Claudia's House is less Mystery at Casa Kishi and more "why is Janine acting so weird?" But because she's Janine, everyone laughs at Mallory when she chooses the simplest explanation: That Janine has a boyfriend, or at least has a crush on some guy and wants him to notice her.
Silly Mallory, boys are for Claudia and Stacey, not 16 year old Janine.
Except, you know, she's right.
While not exactly a mystery, and certainly not one I'd really think should have been in the "mystery" series, the book is very good for what it is. Bonus points are handed out like candy for it being so Janine centric.
Silly Mallory, boys are for Claudia and Stacey, not 16 year old Janine.
Except, you know, she's right.
While not exactly a mystery, and certainly not one I'd really think should have been in the "mystery" series, the book is very good for what it is. Bonus points are handed out like candy for it being so Janine centric.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2016
This is one of my favorite BSC Mysteries. Claudia's room is always messy so why does a bigger mess bother her? This is full of character development and a side of Janine we've never seen before. It's a fun book to read and one of the best in the Mysteries.
October 15, 2023
I enjoyed this book, especially when Claudia gave Janine a makeover. But I thought it was unrealistic how Claudia didn't conclude that Janine had a secret boyfriend, even after spying on her and seeing her get in his car.
October 19, 2011
Oh no, Claudia's room has been ransacked! Wait, isn't it always that messy?
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