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The Baby-Sitters Club #51
Stacey's Ex-Best Friend
Stacey can't wait! Her best friend from New York, Laine Cummings, is coming to Stoneybrook for a whole week. Laine can spend a day at SMS, attend club meetings, and maybe even go to the Valentine Dance.
But the minute Laine arrives, things don't go as planned. Laine thinks Stacey's sleepover with her friends is so childish. And she can't believe Stacey's still into baby-sitting. Laine's used to hanging out at high school parties. She even has a fifteen-year-old boyfriend!
Stacey doesn't want to lose her childhood friend. But Laine’s growing up way too fast for Stacey. Is this the end of their friendship?
But the minute Laine arrives, things don't go as planned. Laine thinks Stacey's sleepover with her friends is so childish. And she can't believe Stacey's still into baby-sitting. Laine's used to hanging out at high school parties. She even has a fifteen-year-old boyfriend!
Stacey doesn't want to lose her childhood friend. But Laine’s growing up way too fast for Stacey. Is this the end of their friendship?
160 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1992
79 people are currently reading
841 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,101 books3,045 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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November 8, 2010
this one opens with laine calling stacey from new york & gusuing about how much she's looking forward to her winter vacation. she gets a whole week off school & she doesn't know if she should go to florida or europe or hang around new york city or what. she is being really fucking obnoxious, calling stacey "anastasia" because she thinks it sounds more sophisticated, bragging about how she's allowed to fly alone, & describing her lame-sounding 15-year-old boyfriend king. first of all, his name is king. second of all, his hair is kind of long & he dyes the tips purple & then mousses it into a bedhead kind of look. i bet he also reads the "dragonlance" novels & dresses up like dr. who every halloween. what a nerd. but laine thinks he's cool because he's in high school. laine's staring down the barrel of a teen pregnancy, that's for sure.
for some reason, stacey thinks it would be "totally distant" if laine used her vacation to visit stoneybrook. stacey will have school that week, but she imagines that laine would just LOVE to go to school with her, go to babysitters club meetings, maybe even come on sitting jobs! because laine has showed so much enthusiasm in the past for visiting stoneybrook & hanging out with members of the babysitters club? the club & laine have interacted several times before, & it seems to always result in either huge fights or cold, indifferent tolerance. laine is clearly not pumped about this idea, but she caves to stacey's excitement & everything is arranged.
prior to laine's visit, stacey races around the house, organizing everything & hiding anything that laine might find childish. such as the china clown that stacey bought off a home shopping show. or the rag doll claudia left behind the last time she spent the night. or stacey's extensive collection of stuffed pigs. but no attempts at sophistication prevent stacey from wearing one of those tacky hair ornaments made out of shoelaces. i know they were popular in the early 90s, but surely laine wouldn't approve?
stacey gives laine a guided tour through stoneybrook on the way back to the house. laine asks where the town is & what people do for fun. stacey's feelings are hurt. but seriously. stoneybrook...new york city. they are kind of two completely different worlds. i am reminded of the vague depression i felt when i moved to kansas from boston. it's just kind of a letdown, you know?
anyway, laine continues to act snooty & superior. she doesn't seem to have too much fun at the BSC sleepover stacey arranges, asking what the girls are going to do for fun when they are clearly already having fun. she scoffs when claudia says she thinks a seventh grader is cute. when stacey brings laine to school, laine wants to leave campus & walk into town during lunch, which is against the rules. she asks why only one kid at a time is allowed to go to the bathroom. like these are completely crazy rules that just do not exist in new york city. at lunch, stacey arranges to sit with boys, thinking that will be more laine's speed, but the boys are playing with their food & laine is surely thinking about how king would never do this because he spends his lunchbreaks reapplying his nail polish & reading "the sandman" series. it makes him more mysterious. pete black inexplicably falls in love with laine & tells her that she has hair like gossamer. she laughs at him.
there's a valentine's day dance coming up at the end of the week, & all the babysitters have dates. stacey encourages laine to go to the dance with pete. laine says she can't, because pete is a dweeb, & what will all the other people at the dance think if they see her with him? plus, king might think she is being unfaithful. just then, king calls, probably to let laine know how his debut as dr. frankenfurter at the nightly live-action stage version of "the rocky horror picture show" went. laine shoos stacey out of the room & stacey goes. she overhears laine say something something about someone being "childish" & assumes that laine must be telling king about some of the BSC's charges. she smiles & is glad laine is there. because she's a fucking dumbass.
then pete black calls to ask laine to the dance. she accepts, without a lot of enthusiasm.
also, B plot: the babysitters are arranging a "valentine's day masquerade" for some of their charges. it's basically a big party in dawn's barn, & the kids are all making homemade valentines & signing them with code. the babysitters are all excited because nicky pike has a crush on a second grade girl, & carolyn arnold has a crush on an "older" (third grade) boy. the sitters realize they must like each other & they think it's really cute. these girls really do need to find lives. maybe king can introduce them to a local dungeonmaster or set them up with a vampire: the masquerade league.
laine is still being snooty & snobby. she makes fun of stacey for wanting to wear red to the dance. she mocks stacey when stacey admits that she bought her nail polish from a home shopping show. such forth & so on. also, some of the babysitters have been having issues with their dates (bart almost bailed on kristy to stay home & watch a game on TV, mallory & ben had their infamous argument over how to most efficiently utilize the library card catalogue, & mary anne's feelings were hurt by logan when he dared suggest that it might be fun to actually dance at the dance). stacey hopes everyone can pull it together & not embarrass her in front of laine.
the dance happens. pete is nervous around laine & drops the corsage he bought for her. it is trampled by other students. laine says the decorations are babyish & the refreshments (heart-shaped cookies, punch) seem more appropriate to a kindergarten snack time. pete steps on laine's feet while they dance, & then she blows him off to dance with a cuter boy. stacey loses her temper & pulls laine aside to confront her about her rudeness. laine is oblivious. stacey yells at her. laine says she wants to go home--to new york, tonight. stacey calls her mom to come pick them up. stacey & laine yell at each other, stacey's mom & laine's mom yell at each other, & laine is packed on to a train back to new york. stacey is sad but relieved.
she talks to claudia the next day, & claudia suggests that stacey might feel better if she writes laine a letter. so stacey does, letting laine know the friendship is over. she includes her half of their best friend necklace in the envelope. then she invites claudia, her REAL best friend, over to hang out. good riddance, laine!
oh, also, the babysitters discover at the party that nicky got mixed up & actually liked MARILYN arnold. & she likes him too. carolyn had a crush on one of the hobart boys, which is reciprocated. nicky & marilyn even hold hands for a minute, which does seem bold for eight-year-olds. what about cooties?
for some reason, stacey thinks it would be "totally distant" if laine used her vacation to visit stoneybrook. stacey will have school that week, but she imagines that laine would just LOVE to go to school with her, go to babysitters club meetings, maybe even come on sitting jobs! because laine has showed so much enthusiasm in the past for visiting stoneybrook & hanging out with members of the babysitters club? the club & laine have interacted several times before, & it seems to always result in either huge fights or cold, indifferent tolerance. laine is clearly not pumped about this idea, but she caves to stacey's excitement & everything is arranged.
prior to laine's visit, stacey races around the house, organizing everything & hiding anything that laine might find childish. such as the china clown that stacey bought off a home shopping show. or the rag doll claudia left behind the last time she spent the night. or stacey's extensive collection of stuffed pigs. but no attempts at sophistication prevent stacey from wearing one of those tacky hair ornaments made out of shoelaces. i know they were popular in the early 90s, but surely laine wouldn't approve?
stacey gives laine a guided tour through stoneybrook on the way back to the house. laine asks where the town is & what people do for fun. stacey's feelings are hurt. but seriously. stoneybrook...new york city. they are kind of two completely different worlds. i am reminded of the vague depression i felt when i moved to kansas from boston. it's just kind of a letdown, you know?
anyway, laine continues to act snooty & superior. she doesn't seem to have too much fun at the BSC sleepover stacey arranges, asking what the girls are going to do for fun when they are clearly already having fun. she scoffs when claudia says she thinks a seventh grader is cute. when stacey brings laine to school, laine wants to leave campus & walk into town during lunch, which is against the rules. she asks why only one kid at a time is allowed to go to the bathroom. like these are completely crazy rules that just do not exist in new york city. at lunch, stacey arranges to sit with boys, thinking that will be more laine's speed, but the boys are playing with their food & laine is surely thinking about how king would never do this because he spends his lunchbreaks reapplying his nail polish & reading "the sandman" series. it makes him more mysterious. pete black inexplicably falls in love with laine & tells her that she has hair like gossamer. she laughs at him.
there's a valentine's day dance coming up at the end of the week, & all the babysitters have dates. stacey encourages laine to go to the dance with pete. laine says she can't, because pete is a dweeb, & what will all the other people at the dance think if they see her with him? plus, king might think she is being unfaithful. just then, king calls, probably to let laine know how his debut as dr. frankenfurter at the nightly live-action stage version of "the rocky horror picture show" went. laine shoos stacey out of the room & stacey goes. she overhears laine say something something about someone being "childish" & assumes that laine must be telling king about some of the BSC's charges. she smiles & is glad laine is there. because she's a fucking dumbass.
then pete black calls to ask laine to the dance. she accepts, without a lot of enthusiasm.
also, B plot: the babysitters are arranging a "valentine's day masquerade" for some of their charges. it's basically a big party in dawn's barn, & the kids are all making homemade valentines & signing them with code. the babysitters are all excited because nicky pike has a crush on a second grade girl, & carolyn arnold has a crush on an "older" (third grade) boy. the sitters realize they must like each other & they think it's really cute. these girls really do need to find lives. maybe king can introduce them to a local dungeonmaster or set them up with a vampire: the masquerade league.
laine is still being snooty & snobby. she makes fun of stacey for wanting to wear red to the dance. she mocks stacey when stacey admits that she bought her nail polish from a home shopping show. such forth & so on. also, some of the babysitters have been having issues with their dates (bart almost bailed on kristy to stay home & watch a game on TV, mallory & ben had their infamous argument over how to most efficiently utilize the library card catalogue, & mary anne's feelings were hurt by logan when he dared suggest that it might be fun to actually dance at the dance). stacey hopes everyone can pull it together & not embarrass her in front of laine.
the dance happens. pete is nervous around laine & drops the corsage he bought for her. it is trampled by other students. laine says the decorations are babyish & the refreshments (heart-shaped cookies, punch) seem more appropriate to a kindergarten snack time. pete steps on laine's feet while they dance, & then she blows him off to dance with a cuter boy. stacey loses her temper & pulls laine aside to confront her about her rudeness. laine is oblivious. stacey yells at her. laine says she wants to go home--to new york, tonight. stacey calls her mom to come pick them up. stacey & laine yell at each other, stacey's mom & laine's mom yell at each other, & laine is packed on to a train back to new york. stacey is sad but relieved.
she talks to claudia the next day, & claudia suggests that stacey might feel better if she writes laine a letter. so stacey does, letting laine know the friendship is over. she includes her half of their best friend necklace in the envelope. then she invites claudia, her REAL best friend, over to hang out. good riddance, laine!
oh, also, the babysitters discover at the party that nicky got mixed up & actually liked MARILYN arnold. & she likes him too. carolyn had a crush on one of the hobart boys, which is reciprocated. nicky & marilyn even hold hands for a minute, which does seem bold for eight-year-olds. what about cooties?
May 18, 2016
this is my first time reading this book!
for laine's winter break (which for some reason comes around valentines day -- why do laine in this book and lewis in Dawn's Big Date have such strange vacation times?) she comes to stoneybrook to hang out with stacey, but she is way too big city cool kid to hang with lowly stoneybrookites. she is awful, and stacey doesn't really address it in any healthy kind of way and then blows up at her. laine goes home early and stacey writes her a letter basically saying she doesn't want to be friends anymore. meanwhile, the bsc throws the kids a valentines day party in which they sign their names on valentines in code, and some of the charges have some cute budding 2nd/3rd grade romances.
highlights:
-laine's super cool boyfriend king: "I met him at this party. his hair is kind of long and he wears it in a ponytail, which I think is awesome."
-they never explicitly say that jessi is black in this book. it might be the only one so far to do that? usually the books say, "mal and jessi are similar but mal is white and jessi is black." in this they don't play up the similarities and differences and instead just describe their physical appearances, and we can infer. very interesting and unusual for a bsc book.
-there's a mini-midsummer nights dream plotline in here, wherein nicky pike writes a card to carolyn arnold (his crush), marilyn arnold (carolyn's twin) writes to nicky pike (her crush) and carolyn arnold writes a card to james hobart (her crush). turns out nicky got the twins confused and actually likes marilyn. both couples end up liking each other.
-mal and stacey have a code: mal hangs color coded towels on her patio to indicate whether she wants to walk to school with stacey. laine thinks this is uncool but I think it's cute!
-king calls laine "babe" and she calls him "heart" -- this is really weird. she is thirteen. ugh.
-the valentines day dance at stoneybrook middle school is on friday the 13th. there's a dumb cute plotline where everyone thinks the dance is cursed because kristy and bart, mary anne and logan, and mallory and ben each fight and almost don't go to the dance together.
-stacey thinks she will never see laine again when she is watching her leave. she notes that this isn't about a changing friendship but is about the end of the friendship. I LOVE THIS. sometimes you have to end a relationship, even if you've had it for years. this is an important lesson that people don't seem to learn.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-another misinterpretation of global warming like in Snowbound. everyone thinks global warming means it will never be cold again.
-second book where we have seen the narrator of the book's bsc notebook entry (the other being Mallory and the Trouble With Twins)
-stacey feels like she has to make her room cool for laine, taking down kitten posters and hiding stuffed animals. if you feel that you have to change your room like that then she's not a real friend, dude.
-carolyn has a mullet. are they or aren't they cool in this universe? (because they're depicted as so uncool in Karen's Haircut)
-rick chow sticks pretzel sticks into prunes to make molecules and starts making chemical formulas in the cafeteria at lunch. this is something you do for a school project, not with your friends in the lunchroom.
-stacey keeps thinking laine isn't being a turd but she is. for instance, when she overhears her say the word childish over the phone to king, stacey thinks she's talking about some of the kids the bsc members sit for when she's obviously talking about stacey's friends.
-kristy's notebook entry talks about how dawn kept getting on her case but she totally didn't! dammit kristy!
stacey outfits:
-"This was the outfit I had chosen in which to meet Laine: a purple shirtwaist top over flowered leggings, my cowboy boots (cowgirl boots? cowwoman boots?), a purple hair ornament made from shoelaces, and long dangly silver earrings."
-"I was wearing red leggings, red ankle boots, a bulky red sweater, and red barrettes."
laine outfits:
-"She was hard to miss, considering she was wearing a jean coat with a fur collar (I sincerely hoped the fur was fake), black capri pants edged with lace, very chic black ankle boots, and on her head, a brilliant red oversized beret."
-"Laine was dressed in black from head to toe. Black leotard, long black jacket, black leggings over black stockings, black shoes. Her jewelry was silver, though. And big."
no claudia outfits. no snacks in claudia's room.
for laine's winter break (which for some reason comes around valentines day -- why do laine in this book and lewis in Dawn's Big Date have such strange vacation times?) she comes to stoneybrook to hang out with stacey, but she is way too big city cool kid to hang with lowly stoneybrookites. she is awful, and stacey doesn't really address it in any healthy kind of way and then blows up at her. laine goes home early and stacey writes her a letter basically saying she doesn't want to be friends anymore. meanwhile, the bsc throws the kids a valentines day party in which they sign their names on valentines in code, and some of the charges have some cute budding 2nd/3rd grade romances.
highlights:
-laine's super cool boyfriend king: "I met him at this party. his hair is kind of long and he wears it in a ponytail, which I think is awesome."
-they never explicitly say that jessi is black in this book. it might be the only one so far to do that? usually the books say, "mal and jessi are similar but mal is white and jessi is black." in this they don't play up the similarities and differences and instead just describe their physical appearances, and we can infer. very interesting and unusual for a bsc book.
-there's a mini-midsummer nights dream plotline in here, wherein nicky pike writes a card to carolyn arnold (his crush), marilyn arnold (carolyn's twin) writes to nicky pike (her crush) and carolyn arnold writes a card to james hobart (her crush). turns out nicky got the twins confused and actually likes marilyn. both couples end up liking each other.
-mal and stacey have a code: mal hangs color coded towels on her patio to indicate whether she wants to walk to school with stacey. laine thinks this is uncool but I think it's cute!
-king calls laine "babe" and she calls him "heart" -- this is really weird. she is thirteen. ugh.
-the valentines day dance at stoneybrook middle school is on friday the 13th. there's a dumb cute plotline where everyone thinks the dance is cursed because kristy and bart, mary anne and logan, and mallory and ben each fight and almost don't go to the dance together.
-stacey thinks she will never see laine again when she is watching her leave. she notes that this isn't about a changing friendship but is about the end of the friendship. I LOVE THIS. sometimes you have to end a relationship, even if you've had it for years. this is an important lesson that people don't seem to learn.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-another misinterpretation of global warming like in Snowbound. everyone thinks global warming means it will never be cold again.
-second book where we have seen the narrator of the book's bsc notebook entry (the other being Mallory and the Trouble With Twins)
-stacey feels like she has to make her room cool for laine, taking down kitten posters and hiding stuffed animals. if you feel that you have to change your room like that then she's not a real friend, dude.
-carolyn has a mullet. are they or aren't they cool in this universe? (because they're depicted as so uncool in Karen's Haircut)
-rick chow sticks pretzel sticks into prunes to make molecules and starts making chemical formulas in the cafeteria at lunch. this is something you do for a school project, not with your friends in the lunchroom.
-stacey keeps thinking laine isn't being a turd but she is. for instance, when she overhears her say the word childish over the phone to king, stacey thinks she's talking about some of the kids the bsc members sit for when she's obviously talking about stacey's friends.
-kristy's notebook entry talks about how dawn kept getting on her case but she totally didn't! dammit kristy!
stacey outfits:
-"This was the outfit I had chosen in which to meet Laine: a purple shirtwaist top over flowered leggings, my cowboy boots (cowgirl boots? cowwoman boots?), a purple hair ornament made from shoelaces, and long dangly silver earrings."
-"I was wearing red leggings, red ankle boots, a bulky red sweater, and red barrettes."
laine outfits:
-"She was hard to miss, considering she was wearing a jean coat with a fur collar (I sincerely hoped the fur was fake), black capri pants edged with lace, very chic black ankle boots, and on her head, a brilliant red oversized beret."
-"Laine was dressed in black from head to toe. Black leotard, long black jacket, black leggings over black stockings, black shoes. Her jewelry was silver, though. And big."
no claudia outfits. no snacks in claudia's room.
January 4, 2017
Stacey invites Laine to visit her in Stoneybrook for a week, only to discover that Laine has changed. She is now snobby and pretentious, and makes Stacey feel bad for the things she likes, and does.
Things I remember from reading this as a kid:
I remember Pete Black getting a massive crush on Laine, which I thought was very awkward considering he used to have a crush on Stacey and take her to lots of dances. I guess Stacey doesn't mind, and it's not like she ever obsessed much over Pete Black. . . but still. It was weird to read.
The baby sitters freaking out because their Valentine's dance was on Friday the 13th. I thought that was lame.
Laine dates an older boy named King, whom she calls Heart (as in King of Hearts, ha ha). I remember one of my friends saying that was a stupid nickname, but it made sense to me. I have always made up stupid nicknames for people even to this day, and I could totally see myself as a teen calling her boyfriend Heart. (Sadly, I never did this!) I was actually pretty intrigued by Laine's boyfriend when I was a kid because I wanted to be thirteen and date a high school boy and get invited to cool high school parties. I was nine or ten when I read this book. By the time I actually was thirteen I didn't want to go to high school parties, I wanted to go to college. Not because I wanted to learn anything, just because I wanted to live in a dorm and go to parties every night of the week.
Things I've considered since reading this as an adult:
There are red flags from the beginning of the book, when Laine calls Stacey to tell her about her winter vacation. When Stacey invites her to come to Stoneybrook, Laine never actually agrees to come. It sounds like she gets swept up in Stacey's excitement and probably thinks, "Oh why not? It won't be so bad." I don't understand why Laine couldn't come visit Stacey for a long weekend instead. She's just hanging around the house, doing nothing while Stacey is in school. Then Stacey has to rush around her house making sure it's up to Laine's standards. She removes all the tacky knickknacks, she hides her pig collection. If I'm going to that much trouble to impress my friend, then maybe I don't want her over in the first place. But this book does a great job of portraying the end of a friendship. Laine is a little snobby, a little mean, but she still gossips with Stacey, and there are times when she and Stacey get along just fine. Laine is not a monster, she's just changed into a person who doesn't have anything in common with Stacey anymore. When Stacey figures this out she knows they probably won't be friends anymore, but she's sad because she thinks of all the good times she's had with Laine. It's always hard to grow apart from a friend, especially when you can see glimmers of the person she used to be.
I love the Hobart boys so much. They are dying to wear suits and ties to their Valentine's Day party. When Jessi suggests that they wear jeans like everyone else, they are appalled. "I can't give flowers to my date if I'm wearing jeans," says James, who I think is eight years old. I just love their old-fashioned standards. James wouldn't dream of asking someone out if he couldn't get her flowers, and he wouldn't dream of giving her flowers looking like a mess. He's a young Cary Grant.
A lot of the things that Laine finds annoying about the BSC is stuff that I also find annoying about them. When the girls start having arguments with their boyfriends, they are fighting over the stupidest things. Mary Anne breaks down because Logan mentions dancing, even though they're going to a dance. If she's still afraid of kicking her shoes at the principal then she needs to get over it already. Ben and Mallory get into a fight over the best way to use a library (actually I thought that was funny). But they all make such a big deal about such ridiculous things. It's a very middle school thing to do, to invent drama where there isn't any, and I don't think Laine is in the wrong for calling them out on it. Later I agree with her when she's disgusted that the girls are sitting around discussing the possible secret romance of two of their eight year old charges. Also their dance does sound completely lame, but as an adult anything that doesn't feature an open bar sounds lame. I didn't like that Laine implied that baby sitting isn't a good job because you don't earn a regular paycheck. These girls are thirteen (and so is Laine) and there is no way for thirteen year olds to earn regular paychecks, so baby sitting is perfectly acceptable. The girls earn enough money for clothes, and trips to the mall, and other junk they want. Thirteen year olds don't need to contribute to 401ks. And while I don't think it's OK for Laine to treat Pete the way she does, the adult in me understands. She's trying to show him that she's not interested in him (maybe she's trying hard to convince herself that she's not interested in him) and the only way she knows how to do it is to be mean. If she were older and more mature she might have handled this situation better, but she's only thirteen so she has no clue how to explain to a boy she doesn't know that she has a boyfriend she really likes, and there is no way she's going to get involved with anyone else, even if he does have a massive crush on her.
Laine reads a book that sounds completely terrible called A Summer of Diamonds. I actually looked it up because it sounded exactly like the one Danielle Steel book I read years ago. But this must be a fictional book because I couldn't find the title anywhere. She tells Stacey all about it, and Stacey is so embarrassed by the book she is reading (Black Beauty that she borrowed from Mallory of course) that she almost lies and says that she's reading The Joy Luck Club. I don't know why she's embarrassed. Black Beauty, A Summer of Diamonds, and The Joy Luck Club are completely different books. Why is she trying to compare them?
Laine makes fun of Stacey for buying "junque" off the home shopping network, which was hilarious. I would never, ever have thought I'm-so-sophisticated Stacey from glamorous NYC would shop from HSN. That is such a Mary Anne thing to do. If I were Laine I would have made fun of Stacey also.
I do not understand why Stacey writes a letter to Laine. Claudia somehow convinces her to let go of Laine or some nonsense, and instead of calling her, or waiting until the next time she is New York to speak to her face to face, Stacey decides to write a letter. It's not really a mean letter, but it isn't very nice. She asks why Laine bothered to come to Stoneybrook if she didn't want to, and then she says that she wishes that they could have continued being friends. She says that Laine isn't nice to her anymore, and she doesn't "know what happened to that Laine, but she isn't around anymore." But she's the one who's being overly dramatic, and calling off the friendship, not Laine, so why is she acting like it's Laine's fault that they aren't going to be friends anymore? I have a feeling if Stacey had just let the situation chill for a little while, then she and Laine would have continued being friendly -- not good friends anymore, but people who still enjoyed bumping into each other now and then. But by sending the letter she was in a very passive aggressive way getting back at Laine for everything Stacey felt was "done" to her. And since she apologized in a backhanded way (since the fight was so clearly "not my fault") she gets to pretend she's the good girl, and Laine is the unreasonable bitch. And Laine was probably like, "Why do I need such a needy, whiny, drama queen in my life anyway?"
Things I remember from reading this as a kid:
I remember Pete Black getting a massive crush on Laine, which I thought was very awkward considering he used to have a crush on Stacey and take her to lots of dances. I guess Stacey doesn't mind, and it's not like she ever obsessed much over Pete Black. . . but still. It was weird to read.
The baby sitters freaking out because their Valentine's dance was on Friday the 13th. I thought that was lame.
Laine dates an older boy named King, whom she calls Heart (as in King of Hearts, ha ha). I remember one of my friends saying that was a stupid nickname, but it made sense to me. I have always made up stupid nicknames for people even to this day, and I could totally see myself as a teen calling her boyfriend Heart. (Sadly, I never did this!) I was actually pretty intrigued by Laine's boyfriend when I was a kid because I wanted to be thirteen and date a high school boy and get invited to cool high school parties. I was nine or ten when I read this book. By the time I actually was thirteen I didn't want to go to high school parties, I wanted to go to college. Not because I wanted to learn anything, just because I wanted to live in a dorm and go to parties every night of the week.
Things I've considered since reading this as an adult:
There are red flags from the beginning of the book, when Laine calls Stacey to tell her about her winter vacation. When Stacey invites her to come to Stoneybrook, Laine never actually agrees to come. It sounds like she gets swept up in Stacey's excitement and probably thinks, "Oh why not? It won't be so bad." I don't understand why Laine couldn't come visit Stacey for a long weekend instead. She's just hanging around the house, doing nothing while Stacey is in school. Then Stacey has to rush around her house making sure it's up to Laine's standards. She removes all the tacky knickknacks, she hides her pig collection. If I'm going to that much trouble to impress my friend, then maybe I don't want her over in the first place. But this book does a great job of portraying the end of a friendship. Laine is a little snobby, a little mean, but she still gossips with Stacey, and there are times when she and Stacey get along just fine. Laine is not a monster, she's just changed into a person who doesn't have anything in common with Stacey anymore. When Stacey figures this out she knows they probably won't be friends anymore, but she's sad because she thinks of all the good times she's had with Laine. It's always hard to grow apart from a friend, especially when you can see glimmers of the person she used to be.
I love the Hobart boys so much. They are dying to wear suits and ties to their Valentine's Day party. When Jessi suggests that they wear jeans like everyone else, they are appalled. "I can't give flowers to my date if I'm wearing jeans," says James, who I think is eight years old. I just love their old-fashioned standards. James wouldn't dream of asking someone out if he couldn't get her flowers, and he wouldn't dream of giving her flowers looking like a mess. He's a young Cary Grant.
A lot of the things that Laine finds annoying about the BSC is stuff that I also find annoying about them. When the girls start having arguments with their boyfriends, they are fighting over the stupidest things. Mary Anne breaks down because Logan mentions dancing, even though they're going to a dance. If she's still afraid of kicking her shoes at the principal then she needs to get over it already. Ben and Mallory get into a fight over the best way to use a library (actually I thought that was funny). But they all make such a big deal about such ridiculous things. It's a very middle school thing to do, to invent drama where there isn't any, and I don't think Laine is in the wrong for calling them out on it. Later I agree with her when she's disgusted that the girls are sitting around discussing the possible secret romance of two of their eight year old charges. Also their dance does sound completely lame, but as an adult anything that doesn't feature an open bar sounds lame. I didn't like that Laine implied that baby sitting isn't a good job because you don't earn a regular paycheck. These girls are thirteen (and so is Laine) and there is no way for thirteen year olds to earn regular paychecks, so baby sitting is perfectly acceptable. The girls earn enough money for clothes, and trips to the mall, and other junk they want. Thirteen year olds don't need to contribute to 401ks. And while I don't think it's OK for Laine to treat Pete the way she does, the adult in me understands. She's trying to show him that she's not interested in him (maybe she's trying hard to convince herself that she's not interested in him) and the only way she knows how to do it is to be mean. If she were older and more mature she might have handled this situation better, but she's only thirteen so she has no clue how to explain to a boy she doesn't know that she has a boyfriend she really likes, and there is no way she's going to get involved with anyone else, even if he does have a massive crush on her.
Laine reads a book that sounds completely terrible called A Summer of Diamonds. I actually looked it up because it sounded exactly like the one Danielle Steel book I read years ago. But this must be a fictional book because I couldn't find the title anywhere. She tells Stacey all about it, and Stacey is so embarrassed by the book she is reading (Black Beauty that she borrowed from Mallory of course) that she almost lies and says that she's reading The Joy Luck Club. I don't know why she's embarrassed. Black Beauty, A Summer of Diamonds, and The Joy Luck Club are completely different books. Why is she trying to compare them?
Laine makes fun of Stacey for buying "junque" off the home shopping network, which was hilarious. I would never, ever have thought I'm-so-sophisticated Stacey from glamorous NYC would shop from HSN. That is such a Mary Anne thing to do. If I were Laine I would have made fun of Stacey also.
I do not understand why Stacey writes a letter to Laine. Claudia somehow convinces her to let go of Laine or some nonsense, and instead of calling her, or waiting until the next time she is New York to speak to her face to face, Stacey decides to write a letter. It's not really a mean letter, but it isn't very nice. She asks why Laine bothered to come to Stoneybrook if she didn't want to, and then she says that she wishes that they could have continued being friends. She says that Laine isn't nice to her anymore, and she doesn't "know what happened to that Laine, but she isn't around anymore." But she's the one who's being overly dramatic, and calling off the friendship, not Laine, so why is she acting like it's Laine's fault that they aren't going to be friends anymore? I have a feeling if Stacey had just let the situation chill for a little while, then she and Laine would have continued being friendly -- not good friends anymore, but people who still enjoyed bumping into each other now and then. But by sending the letter she was in a very passive aggressive way getting back at Laine for everything Stacey felt was "done" to her. And since she apologized in a backhanded way (since the fight was so clearly "not my fault") she gets to pretend she's the good girl, and Laine is the unreasonable bitch. And Laine was probably like, "Why do I need such a needy, whiny, drama queen in my life anyway?"
March 2, 2021
When Laine (Stacey’s best friend from New York) gets a week long break from school , Stacey is thrilled and invites her to come stay with her in Stoneybrook!
However...Laine seems different now. She’s only 13 but acts so much older...she also makes fun of Stacey and the other BSC members for the things they do and like. Why is Laine acting like this? This isn’t the Laine that Stacey has been best friends with for 8 years.
As usual I looove the BSC books and the nostalgia. I will say though that I needed more closure at the end when it came to Laine and Stacey.
A reply to Stacey’s letter would have been a better ending in my opinion.
However...Laine seems different now. She’s only 13 but acts so much older...she also makes fun of Stacey and the other BSC members for the things they do and like. Why is Laine acting like this? This isn’t the Laine that Stacey has been best friends with for 8 years.
As usual I looove the BSC books and the nostalgia. I will say though that I needed more closure at the end when it came to Laine and Stacey.
A reply to Stacey’s letter would have been a better ending in my opinion.
September 19, 2021
In my imaginary BSC: All Grown Up television series follow-up, Mary Anne is running for Senate from the state of New York (as a progressive Democrat, she's gotten over her general shyness in spades and her personality has made her a powerful advocate for those in need in society) and Laine Cummings is the top aide to the older, male, incumbent Republican Senator. Dr. Stacey McGill, now an instructor in pediatrics at Columbia University, becomes an important advisor to Mary Anne's campaign (as has all the BSC, in their own ways--Kristy Thomas, an Olympic heroine and captain of a gold medal-winning softball team, is a regular surrogate; Claudia Kishi, a runway model-turned-fashion designer and activist, recently named to the Time 100 the same year as her sister, is a fundraiser and also dresses Mary Anne; Dawn Schafer, PhD., who works to fight climate change for the United Nations, is an important advisor; Jessi Ramsey, a Juilliard graduate and the principal ballerina for the American Ballet Theatre, and Mallory Pike, a Newbery Award-winning children's author, are both active surrogates, as is Karen "Kerry" Brewer, a successful pop musician). Stacey and Laine encounter one another backstage at a debate, and neither know how to respond, really, until Laine makes a snide comment about Stacey may have an impressive resume, but her reliance on her same group of friends demonstrates that she never really grew up. Stacey is at first unsure how to respond, but then just laughs. Laine gapes at her, demanding, "What?!" Stacey looks at her ex-best friend and says, "I hope you find peace, and meaning, in your life, Laine," and walks away. Laine has no idea how to respond at first, but then shouts, "Mary Anne is never going to be in the Senate!" (Mary Anne, of course, wins. Among those celebrating with her at her victory party, besides the core BSC, are Shannon Kilbourne; Matt Braddock (the first deaf Olympic gold medalist and activist); Haley Braddock (a sign language instructor); Dr. Charlotte Johansen (a surgeon with an MD from Harvard Medical School): Jack(ie) Rodowsky (who became much more coordinated after he reached puberty, and is now a successful NBA player); Marilyn Arnold (a concert pianist); Carolyn Arnold (a scientist at MIT); Jenny Prezzioso (a successful venture capitalist); the entire Barrett family (all happy and successful adults back in Stoneybrook); the rest of the Pikes (including Vanessa, who has become like another Rupi Kaur); Andrew Brewer and David Michael Thomas (both NASCAR drivers); Becca Ramsey (an activist); Janine Kishi (a scientist at Caltech and a start-up founder, recently named to the Time 100, the same year as her sister); Cam Newton (Mary Anne's celebrity crush, now an Oscar-winning producer and major Mary Anne supporter); and, of course, Logan Bruno (Mary Anne put their relationship on ice their sophomore year of college; he went on to earn a JD/EdD at Stanford and became a political operative; they reconnect at this party after a few years of not much interaction, and their attraction is still very much alive). Mary Anne dedicates her victory to the memory of her mother, the memory of Mimi, the memory of her grandparents, her father, her stepmother, and each of her best friends.)
NOTE: I haven't read beyond this book in the series!! I know I need to adjust my thoughts based on later books!! Please don't hate my idea, it's just a weird little daydream in my head!!
Anyway, farewell Laine. I won't miss you.
NOTE: I haven't read beyond this book in the series!! I know I need to adjust my thoughts based on later books!! Please don't hate my idea, it's just a weird little daydream in my head!!
Anyway, farewell Laine. I won't miss you.
December 16, 2022
I really enjoyed this book, because I've gone through a lot of the situations. I would highly recommend it for younger audiences, because it's a really easy read. It's about 137 pages long, so it's not a long book at all. The pages are a good font, not too small, not too big, and each of the notebook entries by the main characters are each in different handwriting, as well as each letter is different from the other. They all have great personalities (Besides Laine.).
I loved the entire book, but there were a few things that could've been a little better in my opinion. The characters could've been a little more mature in some situations, and the way Laine was acting was a bit unrealistic. She was being really snotty, and could've been better in a lot of ways. She was very nicely invited over to visit with her friends, and was not being nice about it. She could've talked to Stacey before going to Stoneybrook to tell her what was going on and that she didn't want to go so she didn't create all of that drama.
The theme of the book was Stacey realized that life in New York changed Laine for the worse. The reader learns that sometimes friendships change a lot. Sometimes people grow apart, and that is okay. Not all friendships are meant to be, and sometimes that's for the better. These lessons are important for the reader because it can be really difficult to accept that some friendships just aren't meant to be.
I loved the entire book, but there were a few things that could've been a little better in my opinion. The characters could've been a little more mature in some situations, and the way Laine was acting was a bit unrealistic. She was being really snotty, and could've been better in a lot of ways. She was very nicely invited over to visit with her friends, and was not being nice about it. She could've talked to Stacey before going to Stoneybrook to tell her what was going on and that she didn't want to go so she didn't create all of that drama.
The theme of the book was Stacey realized that life in New York changed Laine for the worse. The reader learns that sometimes friendships change a lot. Sometimes people grow apart, and that is okay. Not all friendships are meant to be, and sometimes that's for the better. These lessons are important for the reader because it can be really difficult to accept that some friendships just aren't meant to be.
November 9, 2024
Stacey's Ex-Best Friend
Stacey’s Ex-Best Friend (UPDATED)
Stacey and her mom are enjoying sitting by the fireplace. It’s snowing in Stoney-brooke. Stacey is about to do her homework with Laine calls. (She calls her Anastasia claiming it’s more grown up). Laine starts talking about the winter break coming up. Stacey asks what she’s going to do. Laine says she has so many choices but parties are among them. Laine mentions her 15 year old boyfriend King. She says they’ve been going out for a couple of weeks. She’s excited to be hanging around with some of his older friends. She says she can go on their school ski trip or stay with her aunt and uncle in Florida. Stacey says she could come there. She won’t be on vacation but she might could go to school with them or meet the kids they sit for. Laine says she doesn’t know. Stacey tells her to think on it and she’ll ask her mom. Her mom agrees to a week visit. When she tells Laine she doesn’t sound all that excited. Then she gets off the phone to go to a BSC meeting. Stacey starts to make plans of all the things they can do.
Stacey tells them her news. Maryanne says she’ll be there for the Valentine dance. It’ll be on the 13th. Mal says she has an announcement. Ben asked her to the dance. Kristy says Barts taking her. Logan’s taking Maryanne. Dawn, Claudia, and Stacey are going with guy friends. Jessi’s going with a guy named Curtis-that she seems to like-. Kristy says they should give the kids a Valentine party.
Stacey has a sitting job with Marllory. They’ve decided (the BSC0 to call their party “The Valentine Masquerade”. They’ll let the kids make anonymous cards and they’ll disguise their names. Then they’ll have the kids open the cards and guess who they’re from. The party will be for kids five and up. On this day, it’s rainy. When she gets there, the kids are doing water experiments in the tub. Nicky isn’t and has been quiet. Stacey suggests they make the invitations for the party. Claudia was supposed to be hadn’t gotten around to it. Nicky has barricaded himself in his room and Stacey finds out he’s been working on a Valentine for his “secret friend”. She’s younger and in the second grade, but he’s not telling her name. He tells Stacey she’d better not tell his brothers. She says she won’t.
Stacey makes sure her room well be “Laine approved”. Then she does the same to rest of the house. Then she makes sure everything will be perfect for the sleepover she’s throwing. Mrs. McGill and Stacey pick Laine up. She’s not at all impressed with quaint Stoneybrook’s library, pizza shop, and stores. Laine talks about King and asks Stacey if she has a boyfriend. Stacey says not yet. She wants one but he has to be right for her. When they all get together, they start to talk about boys. Laine is offensive to Kristy and Maryanne because their boyfriends aren’t older. Stacey invites her to the dance. Laine kinda pokes fun at Dawn using the word “dude” and Claudia snaps at her for saying no one said that word since the 60’s.
Laine then shows disinterest in the things the BSC normally do at sleepovers (eat, beautify themselves, etc). Stacey says she’s going to find her a date for the dance. Laine says she’ll have to check with King. Then they watch To Kill a Mockingbird (which Laine is cool with). Claudia has a sitting job for Marilyn and Carolyn. They want to work on their Valentine’s cards. They decide on 3-D cards. Caroline is going to make a pop up heart card for ..a boy she likes. She does say he’s older (third grade). Marilyn also likes someone but she says she won’t be making a goofy card for him. Marilyn will sign hers with a mare. Carolyn says she’s using a number code.
Laine stays home one day and goes to school with Stacey the next. Laine isn’t happy about it. She’s on vacation but Stacey uses emotional blackmail. Stacey reminds Laine of their code. When they wanted to walk to school they’d call and hang up. Now she tells Laine she and Mal have a code. A red towel means she’s walking with them. A while one means she’s walking with her brothers and sisters. Laine thinks this is dumb and asks why they don’t just call. Laine wants to ditch but they tell her they can’t leave campus. She also thinks it’s dumb that only one person can use the bathroom at a time. At lunch, Stacey arranges it so they can sit with some boys. Laine is dumbfounded at how immature the boys are. Pete can’t take his eyes off Laine. Kristy tells them Bart might not be able to go to the dance and she’s pissed about it (and lets everyone know until Dawn gives her a look). Pete tells Laine she has hair like gossamer.
Later, Stacey and Laine talk about Pete. Stacey tells her to invite him to the dance. Laine thinks he’s a geek. King calls her babe and she calls him heart. Stacey says she should still go with him. It’s just one night. Laine worries about what everyone will think. Rather she’s worried what King will think. Stacey tells her to just call him (King). Stacey tries to stick around for moral support, but Laine tells her she needs privacy. So Stacey goes back to try to do her homework, but she hears some of the conversation. She hears the word “childish” and thinks (dumbly) that Laine is talking about the children they sit for. Pete calls and asks Stacey to the dance. She wants Stacey to stay while she’s talking to Pete, but dismisses her when calling King back. Stacey notices she makes Pete sound like a fool to King. (He tells her she has eyes like a limpid pool).
Stacey doesn’t think it’s cool that she’s doing this to make King not feel threatened. Jessi sits for the Hobarts. They say they’ve never been to a Valentine’s party. They want to know what to wear. Then they all produce suits. Jessi suggest they wear jeans because there will be games, but both James and Matthew says they have dates. They don’t know who they’re asking yet but they’ll bring them flowers. Jessi says no one else will be dressed up and they get quiet. Jessi also says they won’t be so thoughtful and bring flowers. They won’t even have dates (the boys). They look disappointed to hear this. She’s about to help them with Valentine’s cards when Ben comes home mad. He says he and Mal got in a fight at the library. They might not even go to the dance.
Jessi leaves and lets Ben take over. She asks Mal what the fight was about and she says she and Ben were at the library and got into an argument about whose way was slower to look something up. Then she told him she hoped he’d have fun at the dance because she wasn’t going with him. Jessi says she’s worried that all these bad things are happening because the dance is on Friday the 13th. On Wednesday, there all in bad moods. Kristy is mad with Bart. Mal is mad at Ben and now Maryanne is mad at Logan.
Maryanne is mad because Logan wants to dance at the dance and he knows she doesn’t. She said he could dance with the others but .. Laine says they’re going to ruin the dance. She says they all need to grow up but Kristy cuts her off and starts the meeting. They decide to use the barn for the party. Cupcakes, candy hearts, cookies, and punch are the menu. All the kids have finished their Valentines. Stacey gets a job for the Marshall’s. The meeting is busy. Laine looks bored. Laie asks if they ever think about getting “REAL” jobs. Kristy says babysitting is a real job. Laine says she got a job for the summer. She says she got a job at Flowers and Bows. She’ll be earning a salary and getting a paycheck.
Jessi says what if Nickey and Caroline are the ones that have a crush on each other. Laine thinks it’s lame that they’re sitting around talking about the love lives of eight year olds. Stacey thinks she won’t be sad to see Laine go back to NY. The old Laine seems to be gone. But she makes a promise to herself to spend as much time with Laine as she can before she goes because she doesn’t want her to leave and she still have this feeling.
On the day of the dance, Kristy tells Maryanne she’s still going. Bart called before she can over to the barn with Nicky, Karen, and David Micheal to set up for the party. She’s still mad at him though for telling her the day of the dance. I FEEL KRISTY ON THAT ! MY FATHER DOES THIS ALL THE TIME! Maryanne is also still mad at Logan. Dawn tells them to chill out that night. Meanwhile, Stacey and Laine are getting ready. Stacey also has to tell Laine to be nice to Pete, but she gets emotional when she tells her she’s wearing the earrings she got her and she also wears the ones she told Claudia to make for her (tropical fish).
Before they even get to the party tho, they fall out. Laine thinks the boys should pink them up. Stacey tells them they don’t have cars and stop calling her Anastasia. Austin and Pete give Stacey and Laine carnations. Pete accidently drops and crushes Laine’s. Laine tells Stacey he’s a klutz. Laine thinks the all pink party is baby-ish (of course). Stacey and Austin dance. Laine and Pete dance. Stacey notices Pete has on sneakers and forgot that he always wears them. Laine notices, doesn’t say anything, but is horrified Pete then starts babbling on about the new addition added to his house. Then he steps on her foot.
During the dance, someone spills punch near Laine. Laine doesn’t like the music. She doesn’t like the food (and lets Pete know). She doesn’t date with Pete and tells him she’s tired. But when another guy asks she accepts. By this time Stacey is FED UP! Kristy’s laughing because the boy is a seventh grader. Stacey gets Laine alone and tells her off for being a bitch. Laine says she wants to go back to NY. Stacey calls her mom. Laine follows her out and says she wants to make sure Stacey doesn’t lie-which makes her even more mad-. Stacey tells her all the people Laine needs to apologize to while they wait. (She has no idea). Stacey goes back and apologizes to Austin. She says she’ll talk to Pete. Then she tells Claudia who says she’s not sorry Laine is going but she wishes Stacey wasn’t leaving.
Stacey is so pissed with Laine she won’t even go with her to get her coat. They don’t want to speak to each other but Mrs. McGill wants to know what happened. So, Stacey tells her how much of an ass Laine was ever since she got there. Laine said she was the one that asked her there. Stacey said she didn’t want *this* Laine. She wanted the old one. Laine’s mother must have called Stacey unreasonable because Mrs. McGill says she can leave *this* night. They take her to the station and put her on the train. Stacey’s sure she’ll never see Laine again.
The next day she makes her apologizes. She feels like crying but nothing comes. Stacey goes to the party in all red-despite Laine saying no one wears red on V-Day anymore. First there’s a relay race. Then they eat. Then they open their Valentines. Nickey accidently gives Caroline the card meant for Marilyn. James is the boy Caroline likes. On Vday Stacey gets roses from her dad and dangly earrings from her mom. Claudia encourages Stacey to talk to Laine (for closure). She can’t bring herself to so she writes her a letter.
MY THOUGHTS:
*In a few books I've read it seems ok to have a visitor spend maybe a week or so with you at school. Is this really a thing. I don't remember seeing anyone else but the ones who were supposed to be there. You couldn't just bring your cousin or friend from another city or who-ever you wanted.
*And then I'm with Layne. I didn't want to be at school when I had to be when I was in school. It was kind of inconsiderate of Stacey not to have at least thought of that. She could have just invited Layne on a holiday.
*"You have hair like gossamer?" Gossamer? This just does not sound like a line a 13 year old guy would say. Not even back when these books were written.
*Ok so I don't really think I blame James and Matthew for the confusion because when I read "Valentine Masquerade Party", the first thing that came to MY mind was a party with formal attire and masks, not with games and cookies. If it were going to be informal then why couldn't the BSC just said Valentine PARTY. Using Masquerade makes it sound like a ball. And I'm from America. I have an Australian friend and I don't think this has anything to do with James and Matt being Australian.
*Stacey doesn't seem to get (as many boyfriends as she's had in this series) that a guy might not be to cool with letting his girlfriend go to a dance with another guy that likes her. But if the tables were turned, would she want a boyfriend of hers in NY to go with another girl if she couldn't go.
*Bay, babe, they're all the same. None of them are that bad. Trust me I've been called a worse nickname.
*Let's not take into account my feelings on Valentine's and get into these couple fights. Kristy is mad at Bart because he'd rather stay home and watch a game. Um since when does Kristy care about dances? She doesn't even like to dress up and wear makeup. Wouldn't she understand this? Wouldn't it make sense for them both to stay home and watch the game?
*Logan is disappointed because Mary Anne doesn't want to do something she NEVER does? I do NOT understand why he's acting like this is new. Mary Anne is a introvert. Typical extrovert (which I'm assuming Logan is) to not see the logic in that or understand that. Logan is lucky Maryanne is going to this dance at all. Because didn't I remember reading she wasn't comfortable in situations like this? Or maybe the ones that just called attention to her. But dances seem just as much a Maryanne thing as it does a Kristy thing.
*With Mallory and Ben, stupid arguments happen in relationships. Fact of life. I bet they'll be over this by the end of the book.
*Layne sounds like a jerk. Not because of how she's acting in this book but if she's the kind of friend that isn't tolerant of a friend having an illness, that's sign number one, and a early one at that. I have diabetes and if anyone didn't want to be my friend because of that. Sayonara!
*Hmm so Stacey and Aria have something in common!
*Whose middle school lets them leave campus?
RATING: 6 This book was blah. It was centered around a holiday I DESPISE! And it showed how crazy it makes people because of it and all the pressure it puts on people. All over a STUPID dance! And it was ironically nice to see everything went down around that day. As for Layne I say GOOD RIDANCE! She was a jerk from the first minute she called. But people change. Which is the lesson here. People that have been there for you (seemingly) for years, that you "think" you know and have grown close to, you could turn around tomorrow and they could be someone entirely different. I know what it's like to be in Stacey's shoes and sometimes it's hard to accept but when people change like that all you can do is just let them go. And I think Stacey was right to let go of her friendship with Layne when she saw there was nothing else there to hold on too, because that would have been the worst thing for her to do.
Stacey’s Ex-Best Friend (UPDATED)
Stacey and her mom are enjoying sitting by the fireplace. It’s snowing in Stoney-brooke. Stacey is about to do her homework with Laine calls. (She calls her Anastasia claiming it’s more grown up). Laine starts talking about the winter break coming up. Stacey asks what she’s going to do. Laine says she has so many choices but parties are among them. Laine mentions her 15 year old boyfriend King. She says they’ve been going out for a couple of weeks. She’s excited to be hanging around with some of his older friends. She says she can go on their school ski trip or stay with her aunt and uncle in Florida. Stacey says she could come there. She won’t be on vacation but she might could go to school with them or meet the kids they sit for. Laine says she doesn’t know. Stacey tells her to think on it and she’ll ask her mom. Her mom agrees to a week visit. When she tells Laine she doesn’t sound all that excited. Then she gets off the phone to go to a BSC meeting. Stacey starts to make plans of all the things they can do.
Stacey tells them her news. Maryanne says she’ll be there for the Valentine dance. It’ll be on the 13th. Mal says she has an announcement. Ben asked her to the dance. Kristy says Barts taking her. Logan’s taking Maryanne. Dawn, Claudia, and Stacey are going with guy friends. Jessi’s going with a guy named Curtis-that she seems to like-. Kristy says they should give the kids a Valentine party.
Stacey has a sitting job with Marllory. They’ve decided (the BSC0 to call their party “The Valentine Masquerade”. They’ll let the kids make anonymous cards and they’ll disguise their names. Then they’ll have the kids open the cards and guess who they’re from. The party will be for kids five and up. On this day, it’s rainy. When she gets there, the kids are doing water experiments in the tub. Nicky isn’t and has been quiet. Stacey suggests they make the invitations for the party. Claudia was supposed to be hadn’t gotten around to it. Nicky has barricaded himself in his room and Stacey finds out he’s been working on a Valentine for his “secret friend”. She’s younger and in the second grade, but he’s not telling her name. He tells Stacey she’d better not tell his brothers. She says she won’t.
Stacey makes sure her room well be “Laine approved”. Then she does the same to rest of the house. Then she makes sure everything will be perfect for the sleepover she’s throwing. Mrs. McGill and Stacey pick Laine up. She’s not at all impressed with quaint Stoneybrook’s library, pizza shop, and stores. Laine talks about King and asks Stacey if she has a boyfriend. Stacey says not yet. She wants one but he has to be right for her. When they all get together, they start to talk about boys. Laine is offensive to Kristy and Maryanne because their boyfriends aren’t older. Stacey invites her to the dance. Laine kinda pokes fun at Dawn using the word “dude” and Claudia snaps at her for saying no one said that word since the 60’s.
Laine then shows disinterest in the things the BSC normally do at sleepovers (eat, beautify themselves, etc). Stacey says she’s going to find her a date for the dance. Laine says she’ll have to check with King. Then they watch To Kill a Mockingbird (which Laine is cool with). Claudia has a sitting job for Marilyn and Carolyn. They want to work on their Valentine’s cards. They decide on 3-D cards. Caroline is going to make a pop up heart card for ..a boy she likes. She does say he’s older (third grade). Marilyn also likes someone but she says she won’t be making a goofy card for him. Marilyn will sign hers with a mare. Carolyn says she’s using a number code.
Laine stays home one day and goes to school with Stacey the next. Laine isn’t happy about it. She’s on vacation but Stacey uses emotional blackmail. Stacey reminds Laine of their code. When they wanted to walk to school they’d call and hang up. Now she tells Laine she and Mal have a code. A red towel means she’s walking with them. A while one means she’s walking with her brothers and sisters. Laine thinks this is dumb and asks why they don’t just call. Laine wants to ditch but they tell her they can’t leave campus. She also thinks it’s dumb that only one person can use the bathroom at a time. At lunch, Stacey arranges it so they can sit with some boys. Laine is dumbfounded at how immature the boys are. Pete can’t take his eyes off Laine. Kristy tells them Bart might not be able to go to the dance and she’s pissed about it (and lets everyone know until Dawn gives her a look). Pete tells Laine she has hair like gossamer.
Later, Stacey and Laine talk about Pete. Stacey tells her to invite him to the dance. Laine thinks he’s a geek. King calls her babe and she calls him heart. Stacey says she should still go with him. It’s just one night. Laine worries about what everyone will think. Rather she’s worried what King will think. Stacey tells her to just call him (King). Stacey tries to stick around for moral support, but Laine tells her she needs privacy. So Stacey goes back to try to do her homework, but she hears some of the conversation. She hears the word “childish” and thinks (dumbly) that Laine is talking about the children they sit for. Pete calls and asks Stacey to the dance. She wants Stacey to stay while she’s talking to Pete, but dismisses her when calling King back. Stacey notices she makes Pete sound like a fool to King. (He tells her she has eyes like a limpid pool).
Stacey doesn’t think it’s cool that she’s doing this to make King not feel threatened. Jessi sits for the Hobarts. They say they’ve never been to a Valentine’s party. They want to know what to wear. Then they all produce suits. Jessi suggest they wear jeans because there will be games, but both James and Matthew says they have dates. They don’t know who they’re asking yet but they’ll bring them flowers. Jessi says no one else will be dressed up and they get quiet. Jessi also says they won’t be so thoughtful and bring flowers. They won’t even have dates (the boys). They look disappointed to hear this. She’s about to help them with Valentine’s cards when Ben comes home mad. He says he and Mal got in a fight at the library. They might not even go to the dance.
Jessi leaves and lets Ben take over. She asks Mal what the fight was about and she says she and Ben were at the library and got into an argument about whose way was slower to look something up. Then she told him she hoped he’d have fun at the dance because she wasn’t going with him. Jessi says she’s worried that all these bad things are happening because the dance is on Friday the 13th. On Wednesday, there all in bad moods. Kristy is mad with Bart. Mal is mad at Ben and now Maryanne is mad at Logan.
Maryanne is mad because Logan wants to dance at the dance and he knows she doesn’t. She said he could dance with the others but .. Laine says they’re going to ruin the dance. She says they all need to grow up but Kristy cuts her off and starts the meeting. They decide to use the barn for the party. Cupcakes, candy hearts, cookies, and punch are the menu. All the kids have finished their Valentines. Stacey gets a job for the Marshall’s. The meeting is busy. Laine looks bored. Laie asks if they ever think about getting “REAL” jobs. Kristy says babysitting is a real job. Laine says she got a job for the summer. She says she got a job at Flowers and Bows. She’ll be earning a salary and getting a paycheck.
Jessi says what if Nickey and Caroline are the ones that have a crush on each other. Laine thinks it’s lame that they’re sitting around talking about the love lives of eight year olds. Stacey thinks she won’t be sad to see Laine go back to NY. The old Laine seems to be gone. But she makes a promise to herself to spend as much time with Laine as she can before she goes because she doesn’t want her to leave and she still have this feeling.
On the day of the dance, Kristy tells Maryanne she’s still going. Bart called before she can over to the barn with Nicky, Karen, and David Micheal to set up for the party. She’s still mad at him though for telling her the day of the dance. I FEEL KRISTY ON THAT ! MY FATHER DOES THIS ALL THE TIME! Maryanne is also still mad at Logan. Dawn tells them to chill out that night. Meanwhile, Stacey and Laine are getting ready. Stacey also has to tell Laine to be nice to Pete, but she gets emotional when she tells her she’s wearing the earrings she got her and she also wears the ones she told Claudia to make for her (tropical fish).
Before they even get to the party tho, they fall out. Laine thinks the boys should pink them up. Stacey tells them they don’t have cars and stop calling her Anastasia. Austin and Pete give Stacey and Laine carnations. Pete accidently drops and crushes Laine’s. Laine tells Stacey he’s a klutz. Laine thinks the all pink party is baby-ish (of course). Stacey and Austin dance. Laine and Pete dance. Stacey notices Pete has on sneakers and forgot that he always wears them. Laine notices, doesn’t say anything, but is horrified Pete then starts babbling on about the new addition added to his house. Then he steps on her foot.
During the dance, someone spills punch near Laine. Laine doesn’t like the music. She doesn’t like the food (and lets Pete know). She doesn’t date with Pete and tells him she’s tired. But when another guy asks she accepts. By this time Stacey is FED UP! Kristy’s laughing because the boy is a seventh grader. Stacey gets Laine alone and tells her off for being a bitch. Laine says she wants to go back to NY. Stacey calls her mom. Laine follows her out and says she wants to make sure Stacey doesn’t lie-which makes her even more mad-. Stacey tells her all the people Laine needs to apologize to while they wait. (She has no idea). Stacey goes back and apologizes to Austin. She says she’ll talk to Pete. Then she tells Claudia who says she’s not sorry Laine is going but she wishes Stacey wasn’t leaving.
Stacey is so pissed with Laine she won’t even go with her to get her coat. They don’t want to speak to each other but Mrs. McGill wants to know what happened. So, Stacey tells her how much of an ass Laine was ever since she got there. Laine said she was the one that asked her there. Stacey said she didn’t want *this* Laine. She wanted the old one. Laine’s mother must have called Stacey unreasonable because Mrs. McGill says she can leave *this* night. They take her to the station and put her on the train. Stacey’s sure she’ll never see Laine again.
The next day she makes her apologizes. She feels like crying but nothing comes. Stacey goes to the party in all red-despite Laine saying no one wears red on V-Day anymore. First there’s a relay race. Then they eat. Then they open their Valentines. Nickey accidently gives Caroline the card meant for Marilyn. James is the boy Caroline likes. On Vday Stacey gets roses from her dad and dangly earrings from her mom. Claudia encourages Stacey to talk to Laine (for closure). She can’t bring herself to so she writes her a letter.
MY THOUGHTS:
*In a few books I've read it seems ok to have a visitor spend maybe a week or so with you at school. Is this really a thing. I don't remember seeing anyone else but the ones who were supposed to be there. You couldn't just bring your cousin or friend from another city or who-ever you wanted.
*And then I'm with Layne. I didn't want to be at school when I had to be when I was in school. It was kind of inconsiderate of Stacey not to have at least thought of that. She could have just invited Layne on a holiday.
*"You have hair like gossamer?" Gossamer? This just does not sound like a line a 13 year old guy would say. Not even back when these books were written.
*Ok so I don't really think I blame James and Matthew for the confusion because when I read "Valentine Masquerade Party", the first thing that came to MY mind was a party with formal attire and masks, not with games and cookies. If it were going to be informal then why couldn't the BSC just said Valentine PARTY. Using Masquerade makes it sound like a ball. And I'm from America. I have an Australian friend and I don't think this has anything to do with James and Matt being Australian.
*Stacey doesn't seem to get (as many boyfriends as she's had in this series) that a guy might not be to cool with letting his girlfriend go to a dance with another guy that likes her. But if the tables were turned, would she want a boyfriend of hers in NY to go with another girl if she couldn't go.
*Bay, babe, they're all the same. None of them are that bad. Trust me I've been called a worse nickname.
*Let's not take into account my feelings on Valentine's and get into these couple fights. Kristy is mad at Bart because he'd rather stay home and watch a game. Um since when does Kristy care about dances? She doesn't even like to dress up and wear makeup. Wouldn't she understand this? Wouldn't it make sense for them both to stay home and watch the game?
*Logan is disappointed because Mary Anne doesn't want to do something she NEVER does? I do NOT understand why he's acting like this is new. Mary Anne is a introvert. Typical extrovert (which I'm assuming Logan is) to not see the logic in that or understand that. Logan is lucky Maryanne is going to this dance at all. Because didn't I remember reading she wasn't comfortable in situations like this? Or maybe the ones that just called attention to her. But dances seem just as much a Maryanne thing as it does a Kristy thing.
*With Mallory and Ben, stupid arguments happen in relationships. Fact of life. I bet they'll be over this by the end of the book.
*Layne sounds like a jerk. Not because of how she's acting in this book but if she's the kind of friend that isn't tolerant of a friend having an illness, that's sign number one, and a early one at that. I have diabetes and if anyone didn't want to be my friend because of that. Sayonara!
*Hmm so Stacey and Aria have something in common!
*Whose middle school lets them leave campus?
RATING: 6 This book was blah. It was centered around a holiday I DESPISE! And it showed how crazy it makes people because of it and all the pressure it puts on people. All over a STUPID dance! And it was ironically nice to see everything went down around that day. As for Layne I say GOOD RIDANCE! She was a jerk from the first minute she called. But people change. Which is the lesson here. People that have been there for you (seemingly) for years, that you "think" you know and have grown close to, you could turn around tomorrow and they could be someone entirely different. I know what it's like to be in Stacey's shoes and sometimes it's hard to accept but when people change like that all you can do is just let them go. And I think Stacey was right to let go of her friendship with Layne when she saw there was nothing else there to hold on too, because that would have been the worst thing for her to do.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2021
Laine, Stacey's New York City bestie, visits Stacey during a random school break in February. Maybe Laine switched schools and attends a year-round school now. Laine thinks she is too sophisticated for Stacey and her friends in the Baby-Sitters Club because she lives in New York City and is dating a high school boy. She spends the whole trip acting snooty. Stacey acts like this is brand new behavior, but literally everyone else knew Laine was trouble. I recently finished reading The Summer Before in which Stacey was ready to leave New York City after having a miserable sixth grade year and subsequent summer. In Stacey's Ex-Best Friend, Stacey states that the reason for their fight was that "Laine was not tolerant of [Stacey's] illness".
However, in The Summer Before, Stacey provides a more plausible explanation for the girls' fight.
However, in The Summer Before, Stacey provides a more plausible explanation for the girls' fight.
I didn't know how things had gone so wrong, but I was pretty sure that my diabetes was not the cause. It was more of a symptom. Which was kind of ironic — a disease being a symptom of a non-medical problem. Sometimes I tried to blame the diabetes for what had happened between Laine and me, since that was easier to believe than what had actually happened — that Laine had turned on me. My best friend. Turned. On me.Lastly, on the topic of dumping girls, I have a theory that Kristy only likes Bart as a friend but feels societal pressure to date him or go to dances with him because he's a boy friend. Stacey "guesses that you could call [Kristy and Bart] girlfriend and boyfriend. (But don't let Kristy hear you!)". I wonder why Kristy has such an opposition to the term if she is indeed dating Bart. Later on in the book, there's a plot about how the BSC members believe the dance is cursed because it's on Friday the 13th and the girls are fighting with their dates, like Mallory's fight with her boyfriend about the fastest way to use the card catalog. However, Kristy does not believe that the dance is cursed. "'It's not an omen,' Kristy spoke up. 'It's boys. They are only trouble.'" I am surprised that Kristy wants to date Bart even though she thinks he is a troublemaker.
July 23, 2023
Good grief middle school drama is terrible. But it also makes me glad those years are far behind me. In this book there's plenty of childish drama. For some reason Laine has a school break. Does America just give their students random weeks off? Who knows. Stacey begs her to come to Stoneybrook for the week even though she'll be at school. Laine agrees which I don't get. Come on a Friday leave on a Sunday? I don't know. City girl Laine is too sophisticated for Stacey and her crowd. She's got an older boyfriend named King. She's rude to Stacey, and the others of course and bored in sleepy Stoneybrook. She insists on calling Stacey Anastasia which she hates. Since it's my great grandmother's name I don't know why I love that name. It's hilarious when Laine asks what they do for fun Stacey says go to New York. It's also Valentines Day and a big dance is coming up. It's being held on Friday the 13th which the girls think is a curse and have petty stupid teenaged fights with their dates. Laine goes to the dance with Pete Black and is rude and leaves for New York before the night is over nearly causing a fight between Mrs. McGill and Mrs. Cummings. The side plot involves a valentine's party for the kids which was the only part I kind of remembered because they signed their cards in code. The b plot is cute with possible love triangles and the Hobarts wanting to wear suits to the party. The main plot should've happened long ago. Why Stacey forgave Laine after she was diagnosed with diabetes I don't know. That would've been enough for me, but Stacey and the BSC are both better off without her. This one was entertaining mostly for the drama that made me forever grateful I'll never be a teenager again although it would be nice if the worst problem I had was who to take to a dance and if my friend is a bit of a jerk or not.
July 24, 2017
I think what always messed with me about this one, was how much Lane changed in such a short period of time. It's natural sometimes for friends to drift apart, but she went from fairly normal with a little hint of snobby to full on bitch pretty quickly. Also I can't believe her well to-do parents would let her date a fifteen year old named King with purple hair.
I dunno, it was weird. Ultimately I was glad that Stacey stood her ground, called her out, and put her on the next train back to New York. Good call, Stacey!
I dunno, it was weird. Ultimately I was glad that Stacey stood her ground, called her out, and put her on the next train back to New York. Good call, Stacey!
January 15, 2020
Have always found Laine to be conceited, and in this one, she acts like she's just above it all. So good for Stacey for cutting her out of her life. Sometimes, people just have to let other go, especially when the connection is no longer there.
I loved the BSC growing up, and have decided to re-read (or read for the first time) some of the books in the series. Which of the members are you most like? :)
I loved the BSC growing up, and have decided to re-read (or read for the first time) some of the books in the series. Which of the members are you most like? :)
January 15, 2022
I enjoyed this book, but Laine didn't fit in when visiting Stoneybrook and acted like a snob. It was foreshadowed in the beginning that she really didn't want to visit Stacey during her school break, and was talking about her boyfriend and going to parties. Anyways, it just shows their differences and they end the friendship after the school dance they went to.
February 15, 2021
Stacey's best friend from New York (Laine) is visiting Stoneybrook. Stacey thinks it's going to be a great time, but Laine thinks Stacey and her friends are immature. Stacey learns that she and Laine are growing apart.
December 13, 2020
(LL)
This books does a good job tackling: growing apart from friends and accepting that sometimes you don’t stay best friends forever. There was a ton of over the top drama, but the message was still good.
This books does a good job tackling: growing apart from friends and accepting that sometimes you don’t stay best friends forever. There was a ton of over the top drama, but the message was still good.
March 21, 2021
I wish!
I like the book but I wish she (Ann,the author of the book) wrote how Laine responds to Stacey! I really want to know what happens!
I like the book but I wish she (Ann,the author of the book) wrote how Laine responds to Stacey! I really want to know what happens!
April 13, 2021
Kids book-reading to fill my childhood fantasies of reading all the BSC
5 stars because younger me would of loved this book, and I'm not gonna lie Laine hating everything was sort of amusing
5 stars because younger me would of loved this book, and I'm not gonna lie Laine hating everything was sort of amusing
November 21, 2021
Good riddance to one of the worst characters in the series.
March 10, 2020
Laine seemed mature at first, but she was mostly rude and wrong when she tried to act mature. (I don’t even think she really knows what being mature means because she says certain things are babyish when they’re not.) Stacey had every right to be angry with her, and Kristy was hilarious when she dealt with Laine. Also, the subplot was adorably surprising.
My Favorite Book Outfits
pg. 35: purple shirtwaist, flowered leggings, cowboy boots, purple shoelace hair ornament (who says that?), and long dangly silver earrings (Stacey)
pg. 36: jean coat with fur collar, black capris edged with lace, black ankle boots, and oversized bright red beret (Laine)
pg. 86: red blouse and jean miniskirt (Stacey)
pg. 98: black leotard, long black jacket, black leggings over black stockings (is that even a fashion combination?), black shoes, silver jewelry, and silver earrings (I think) (Laine)
pg. 123: red leggings, red ankle boots, bulky red sweater, and red barrettes (Stacey)
P.S. Adding “que” to words and saying “distant” is like “fetch” from Mean Girls. “Stop trying to make fetch happen.”- Regina George 😆
P.P.S: Saying a girl’s hair is like gossamer isn’t romantic because the word means cobweb. (I looked it up.)
My Favorite Book Outfits
pg. 35: purple shirtwaist, flowered leggings, cowboy boots, purple shoelace hair ornament (who says that?), and long dangly silver earrings (Stacey)
pg. 36: jean coat with fur collar, black capris edged with lace, black ankle boots, and oversized bright red beret (Laine)
pg. 86: red blouse and jean miniskirt (Stacey)
pg. 98: black leotard, long black jacket, black leggings over black stockings (is that even a fashion combination?), black shoes, silver jewelry, and silver earrings (I think) (Laine)
pg. 123: red leggings, red ankle boots, bulky red sweater, and red barrettes (Stacey)
P.S. Adding “que” to words and saying “distant” is like “fetch” from Mean Girls. “Stop trying to make fetch happen.”- Regina George 😆
P.P.S: Saying a girl’s hair is like gossamer isn’t romantic because the word means cobweb. (I looked it up.)
June 22, 2023
Oh the heternormativity. I am really tired of the sexualization of children, the presumption that boys and girls pair off romantically basically from birth. Not only are many people not hetero, this kind of messaging hammers home the idea that kids can't just be friends with kids of other genders. Or that they only way they can is by "dating." That if you like someone, it means you LIKE like them. Ugh. However, the main plot, Stacey and Laine's relationship, is pretty good. I think that's well done. But also, I really wish there had been more discussion of how Laine is growing up and who she's dating (and she's "making a regular salary? lol) and the fact that she seems to be completely subsumed by her relationship and her boyfriend. Sure, she's presented as snobby, but she's not really ever shown to NOT just be more grown up, and so I don't like that this kind of relationship isn't ever shown to be NOT grown up, not to mention downright harmful.
September 10, 2025
Probably one of the most mature plotlines this series has taken on, especially since it wasn’t wrapped up in a happy little bow at the end. While the way Laine acts toward Stacey in this book initially seems to come out of nowhere, I think it made a lot of sense when I reflected more on Laine and Stacey’s history together, and other less than savory ways Laine has acted before (especially in the prequel book).
I think friendship breakups in general are way underexplored and diminished in favor of romantic breakups, and I loved the seriousness with which the friendship breakup was treated here. (Especially putting it on the same level of sadness and importance as Stacey’s parents divorcing for their differences—that made my little relationship anarchist heart happy.)
I think friendship breakups in general are way underexplored and diminished in favor of romantic breakups, and I loved the seriousness with which the friendship breakup was treated here. (Especially putting it on the same level of sadness and importance as Stacey’s parents divorcing for their differences—that made my little relationship anarchist heart happy.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
July 29, 2020As 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.
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.
January 30, 2024
Could've told Stacey from the first conversation with Laine that this was NOT going to go well. Seems like Stacey, who grew up in New York City, would know that Stoneybrook isn't really comparable.
But I've had situations very similar to this, with different friend groups not meshing, and with discovering you no longer fit with the same people. And I've had to say good-bye to friendships when I realized that we were no longer good for each other. It's hard, and relatable.
But I've had situations very similar to this, with different friend groups not meshing, and with discovering you no longer fit with the same people. And I've had to say good-bye to friendships when I realized that we were no longer good for each other. It's hard, and relatable.
September 17, 2018
As irritating as this book is, the story line is so real and relatable. EVERYONE has fights with people they’re close to, not just friends. I loved how this book really shows young girls how they can work through their problems without letting your emotions get the best of you. Great read with a great message.
November 17, 2019
It's been so long since I read this series (and truthfully I have now forgot why rereading all the books in order became a goal of my 40s a couple years ago) that I forgot how much I wanted to smack Laine for being an enormous pill in this book. It wasn't a bad book! just, ugh! children stop being children.
March 5, 2023
When I was 10 I joined a readers club/group where we got a new book every week. I chose The babysitters club.
The books are fantastic! So enjoyable. I loved getting the book every week. They are super quick reads and I was able to read it in one day.
Highly recommend for young teenagers to read or even younger if they are able too read well.
The books are fantastic! So enjoyable. I loved getting the book every week. They are super quick reads and I was able to read it in one day.
Highly recommend for young teenagers to read or even younger if they are able too read well.
March 12, 2023
3 stars. A fine installment but not a favorite. I liked the plot of Stacey’s best friend from New York coming to visit and having some tension but the resolution was lackluster. Lainey was incredibly rude and unpleasant the entire time to Stacey and all the other girls so there should’ve been a big moment but there wasn’t. Other than that missed opportunity this was just okay.
December 4, 2018
Book 4 in my #bscbinge. Stacey discovers sometimes you just outgrow your oldest friends. Sad but true.
September 27, 2019
Review on www.Audible.com please listen to this book
December 13, 2019
I mean, Laine was a snot, but going to school and BSC meetings on my week off doesn't really sound like a vacation...
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