Karen's Plane Trip

Baby-Sitters Little Sister Super Special #2

by Ann M. Martin

Super Special #2 takes Karen on her first plane trip, but this isn't just any plane trip. Karen is flying alone and she's going to visit her grandparents' farm in Nebraska for the first time.

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Friendship, Young Adult

101 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Ann 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...

Reviews

[koza]

The unsung hero of this novel is Karen's seatmate, to whom she talks for the entire flight.

[Renata · Rating 4 out of 5]

hell yeah Karen, way to learn about agriculture and defying gender norms

https://www.frowl.org/worstbestseller...

[ElsaMakotoRenge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg Lewis is so patient lol

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her grandparents seem pretty baller.

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy have times changed. Karen is off to Nebraska to visit stepfather Seth's parents. Not sure why Andrew didn't get to go or the rest of the family but I guess that's the premise of the book so oh well. The family walks onto the plane to say their goodbyes, there's actual meal service, that hasn't happened since the 80's or early 90's and I'm old enough to have gotten a hot meal on an airplane and kids getting to visit the cockpit. The rest of the book is Karen being an insufferable know it all very ungrateful. First off I'm sure they told her she was going to a farm so why did they let her pack her best clothes? She also tries wearing a dress to get out of chores and whines about having to work, get up early and no TV. She treats poor Tia awfully because she has short hair and wears overalls. Of course she eventually loves the farm and Tia. Then she annoys some poor man named Lewis on the flight home. It was a decent read but typical spoiled Karen who gets away with everything because she has a wild imagination and isn't a sociopath and possible future criminal. Always waved off as just oh Karen. At least these are quick reads.

[Em's Adventures · Rating 4 out of 5]

I realize that I am reading these books out of order to the rest of the series so Karen's character development hasn't taken place yet, but boy is she a pain in the beginning! I do like how she does seem to learn and grow as the series continues. I give it four stars for being a fun little book that I know I would've enjoyed when I was little.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

This should have been called Karen’s Farm Trip, but whatever.

Karen is annoying as usual, but it was cute to see her as a farmer. I can’t believe her mother didn’t oversee her packing, though. She brought nothing but fancy dresses to a farm!

Also, that poor man sitting next to her on the flight back! I would have excused myself to the “bathroom” and just never came back.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun story, but needs more farm animals.

[theperksofbeingmarissa ;) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Adorable

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this super special, but much of it was unrealistic. What 7 year old is allowed on a plane all by herself these days? Also, no one helped her pack, so she ended up taking fancy clothes with her on this trip to her grandparents farm. My favourite parts from memory were when Karen looked after the vegetable garden and made a salad, learned how to knit, learned making board games and potato print wrapping paper, and when the baby chicks were born. She and her new friend her age also had a vegetable sale, though it was pointless lol A refreshing story in the series. The activities in the back are also enjoyable and gives instructions for how to make the board games and potato paper, how to make a salad, and how to grow vegetables like carrots, so cool!

[Mellanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen gets to know her grandparents and learns about farm life in this outing in the Babysitters Little Sister series. Karen has some bratty moments, as usual, but she comes around in the end and has a fun time. I'm putting this book in my classroom library because the kids enjoy this character so much.

[Sally · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually not that bad. *aghast* I mean as far as the Karen books go, and let's face it they're pretty shit (just like Karen). Still, as an Australian, the whole trip to the plains aspect was interesting to read.

[Miri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Karen flies alone to Nebraska to visit Seth's parents on their farm.

[Tori]

"I keep rereading this book because I really like it." Written when I was seven years old. :)