Review: "Claudia & Mean Janine: The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novel #4"

Claudia & Mean Janine: The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novel #4 by Raina Telgemeier
5 out of 5 stars

This was probably my favorite of the graphic novels so far, even though it is one of the saddest books in the series. I'm just saying it now: if they do Claudia & The Sad Goodbye, I don't know if I'll be able to read it!

Okay, so the story starts off in the last week of school. Claudia has a big math test and Janine is trying to tutor her (which is obviously not working, because she doesn't know her basic times table!?) They get in an argument and Janine storms off; Mimi comes in and helps Claudia. Claudia doesn't know what she or her family would do without Mimi.

At the BSC meeting the next day, Stacey has a chic new haircut and Pete Black held her hand, Kristy thinks boys are gross and still doesn't like Dawn, and they come up with the idea for a summer playgroup as soon as school lets out. Because they can't spend even one week just chilling and watching Price is Right or whatever. Claudia and Janine continue to fight and cause Mimi to have a stroke. (Not really, but that's what Claudia thinks.) It's really scary and sad and well-done for younger people.

The playgroup goes well: Andrew makes Prissy Jenny Prezzioso wear her art smock because he's a monster, the kids give Louie the dog a bath, they make lots of money. Kristy & Dawn spend some time together alone and come to a friendly understanding of sorts. Mimi comes home and starts her recuperation, learning words again and how to use her motor skills. Jamie Newton loves his new little sister, Lucy, but gets upset when she gets all the attention and almost pours the punch bowl over her head. Claudia realizes she and Janine are acting like Jamie. They finally talk and both realize they're jealous of the other. They make up and Janine even admits that she hides candy in her room too. The book ends towards the end of summer and the girls realizing they've been the official Baby-Sitters Club for one year.

Now let's talk about the artwork. Overall, very good and in line with the descriptions. Claudia's room looks a lot better in this one. Plenty of art supplies and stuff on the walls, snacks hidden away, and we even get to see inside her closet! Her fashion was very on-point throughout the book too.

We see Jeff in this one and Dawn's house and the old spooky barn. And more of the neighborhood kids in the playgroup. Andrew and Karen are so cute. Also, there's apparently at least one other black family in Stoneybrook (at least in Raina's world), before the Ramsey's show up, because their kid is at the playgroup. He never gets named though. I wonder if they'll talk about that when Jessi finally shows up, if she does.

After the end of the book, Raina talks us through how the graphic novel is formed and it was really interesting to read. I can't wait to read the next one!

Review: "Starring the Baby-Sitters Club! The Baby-Sitters Club Super Special #9"

Starring the Baby-Sitters Club! The Baby-Sitters Club Super Special #9 by Ann M Martin
3 out of 5 stars

I was kind of ambivalent about this one at first, mostly because it was Jessi narrating and her handwriting is the worst to read. And in the very first paragraph, she's already talking about being the only black people in Stoneybrook. I wish they would have shown it being "not easy" more, because the way Jessi talks, every single person in Stoneybrook is a racist jerk. Anyway.

The Stoneybrook school district is putting on a play, Peter Pan, and the entire BSC is determined to be a part of it in some way or the other. Jessi, of course, is positive that she will be the lead. I mean obviously right? She's the only person in the entire school with any talent and the teachers would be stupid not to cast her as Peter. Spoiler: she doesn't get the part. And she's super bitter the whole time. Even when she gets asked to help teach the little kids the dances because she's so aaaamazing. Jessi is annoying in this one so I'm going to stop talking about her.

Let's talk about the Stoneybrook lunches. Somebody needs to do something about them. "What is this goo?" asked Kristy. She was holding up something from her lunch tray. It was gray and stringy. "It looks like what Watson's cat might bring in --" Gross. I'm with Dawn. Bring your own lunch.

So Claudia decides she wants to do scenery for the play (obviously) and we don't really get much from her, not even an outfit. Which means we I get to make up a What Claudia Should Have Been Wearing. Claud was ready to paint scenery. She had on a purple tank top under baggy white overalls that she had pre-painted with splotches all over. She also had a matching painter's hat. Her overalls were cuffed at the ankles and showed off her rainbow striped socks and galaxy hightops (that she'd painted herself of course). Her hair was pulled back in a loose braid off her face and she was wearing paint bucket & brush earrings that she had found at the mall.

Mallory helps out with costumes and gets totally embarrassed about measuring the guys, Mary Anne becomes the backstage baby-sitter, which basically means keeping Jackie Rodowsky from injuring himself and everyone around him. Kristy wants to be Nana, the dog. Weirdo. Stacey and Logan want to be in the play but don't care how and Dawn really wants to be Tiger Lily, the Indian princess. But so does Cokie Mason, so there's bound to be some drama there. And we even get a chapter or two from Cokie's point of view! That's a first.

Karen Brewer wants to be Tinker Bell and wants twinkle sounds when she's onstage and glittery lights and throws a big huge tantrum when she doesn't get her way. Kind of like Jessi. Especially after Kristy gets the part of Peter Pan. Which I can totally see. She's small and flat-chested lol. Dawn's audition went so well that she got the part of Wendy, which she is excited about at first. But then when she starts reading the lines and realizing that Wendy was taken to Neverland to be the Lost Boys' mother, she flips out. She tries to change the lines, which messes up Kristy and pisses off the director. Even Logan, who is a pirate named Noodler, has something to say about it. He also gets kicked off the play for the afternoon for playing around with the other pirates and swords. I am so over Logan.

Stacey and Sam, Kristy's older brother, get cast as Mr & Mrs Darling
and they're both embarrassed about it, especially Stacey. They've been casually dating for awhile but Sam hasn't really introduced her to any of his high school friends. Because, you know, he's in the 10th grade and dating an 8th grader. It's kinda weird. Sam jokes around most of the time, in front of his friends, just to show how cool Stacey is but she thinks he's just being annoying.

"Mother, you look divine," said Sam. He thought for a moment. Then he added, "Mrs Darling, you look darling." He burst out laughing.

It's finally opening day for the play. Jackie is still scared of the crocodile, Kristy forgets her first line, Claudia is scared her scenery is going to fall on someone, Pete Black (who was going to play Nana & the crocodile) breaks his nose so Jessi grudgingly agrees to take his place and is in the play after all, Cokie's dressing room is the janitor's closet, Dawn nearly faints because she didn't eat all day, and overall everything goes well and the play is a success.

The end.

The Baby-Sitters Club tv show episode 1: Mary Anne & the Brunettes

It's 1990. The Baby-Sitters Club books have been out for roughly 4 years and you've bought and devoured each one. B Daltons and Waldenbooks are your hangout on Saturday afternoons. Then you see the HBO commercial. Your favorite sitters are coming to live television. You are beyond excited. You tell your parents and little sister to get out and don't bother you when the show airs. You analyze every episode, critiquing the actresses, making your first comparisons of book vs movie, wondering why they changed Cokie Mason's character to some girl called Marci. And you are devastated when the show only runs for 13 episodes. Even if it totally wasn't the same as the books. And 19 years later, when you are way too old to even be thinking about these children's books, you get that same excited feeling when you find out Netflix is bringing back your beloved Baby-Sitters Club series. So you decide to revisit the original series on Hulu. And here we are.

OMG the beginning of the song...the actresses all look their actual age. That's nice. The only one I'd say is slightly off is Stacey; her hair isn't quite right. Oh and Mary Anne is quite a bit taller than she should be. "You can always count on me...say hello to your friends!" Claudia's earring is a pair of bright yellow children's sunglasses. :) Kristy's voice is so familiar to me, I had to look her up but she hasn't been in anything else. I guess it's just ingrained in my brain from 19 years ago lol.

Ew...Logan is wrong wrong wrong. Fake Cokie Marci and her bad girl friends are the best 80s fashionistas ever. Okay, the store they're in has: sports supplies, earrings, makeup, and art supplies. Where are they?? Mary Anne is an even bigger wimp in the tv show than the books ugh. Go get your man! Kristy and Dawn banding together to help her is nice. This is after Dawn & Mary Anne's parents get married and also Jessi & Mallory are in the club already.

All the other BSC members decide to spy on Logan & Marci but they really suck at it. Knocking over books in the library, letting their science experiments overflow, etc...Mary Anne finally decides to confront Logan and practises in the mirror. It's cringe-worthy and totally honest.

Oh there's a Stoneybrook Middle School fair! Logan is blowing up the most pathetic looking balloons ever. Instead of talking to Logan about her problems, Mary Anne blows up at him and basically pushes him into Marci's arms. Smart. Hahahaaha...Mary Anne nails Marci in the face with a pie. I wish that was in the books!

Pause for IMDB-ing. Oh hey, Jackie Rodowsky was the kid in Pete & Pete. Jessi is the only sitter to have a semi-successful career afterwards. Kelly Bishop (Emily Gilmore) is in a later episode! And Zach Braff. I think I knew that one.

Okay, unpause. It's time for the costume party. The mean girls are dressed as hippies. The BSC-ers are football players? "At least we're in costume." What does that even mean? "I didn't steal him. He came to me." Did he though? Cause Logan shows back up at the Rodowsky's looking for MA, but she's already left, looking for him. Then they bump into each other and they both apologize and it's totally sweet and romantic. Hey, where's Tigger? "You're never mean, Mary Anne. That's why I like you." That's why I can walk all over you.

"You guys might be great baby-sitters, but you sure are rotten detectives." Truth, Logan. Aw it's already over. That was so good, you guys! I hope you enjoyed my recap and maybe it'll make you want to go watch them too!

(taken from the movie, but it has the lyrics!)

Review: "Jessi and the Awful Secret: The Baby-Sitters Club #61"

Jessi and the Awful Secret: The Baby-Sitters Club #61 by Ann M Martin
2.5 out of 5 stars

Jessi gets alllll the After School Special books. So much that it makes me wonder why they're giving the "only black person in Stoneybrook" all these sensitive topics. I'm sure this was interesting and thought-provoking as a kid, but as an adult it's torture lol. And while I'm complaining, this cover is bad. Jessi looks totally different from her other books and Mary, who is supposed to be super thin, barely looks smaller than Jessi, if at all. She just looks like a robot.

Okay, starting the actual book. Jessi is in ballet class and Mme Noelle tells them about a volunteer opportunity to help under-privileged kids learn dance. Jessi volunteers immediately along with a few other kids, even though they'll be missing some of their own classes in the meantime. [Jessi] wasn't worried about falling behind in my work [though]. As it is, I'm the youngest in class. And - though I wouldn't say this to anyone else - I'm one of the best. I don't mean to sound conceited. It's just true. Sorry Jessi, that does sound conceited. The other girl to volunteer is Mary, which surprises Jessi because she's very focused on her own work. Oh! Jessi calls her robot-like; I was right about the cover! In the locker room after class, Mary is complaining about not jumping high enough and another girl tells her it's because she needs to lose 10 pounds. And thus, Mary's story begins.

Time for a BSC meeting and introductions! Jessi is right on time so doesn't get Kristy's Look; Mallory is pretty once you get to know her; Stacey has diabetes, Mary Anne and Dawn are BFF sisters, Claudia is a trendy dresser and hello What Claudia Is Wearing!

Today she was wearing a neon green tank top under a white oversized man's shirt and fuschia pink sitrrup pants. The shirt was rolled at the sleeves and belted with a colorful woven belt. Claud finished the outfit with dangly ceramic-bead earrings she'd made herself in pottery class. (Earrings are on Etsy!)

The club is busy right now, so they have to call Shannon for a job. Kristy doesn't want to do it at first, because she's been blowing Shannon off lately. Shannon wants to hang out because her super regimented schedule is slightly open but Kristy is too busy now and feels bad for telling her no. The other BSCers are like "tell her to call us! We could hang out. I want to get to know her better." And Kristy is like "great!" But then later on, when they actually do start hanging out with Shannon, Kristy gets super jealous and it's honestly annoying and I'm not wasting time on it.

In the kids' ballet class, Jessi has lots of fun volunteering but is getting more and more worried about Mary. There are a few stand-out kids: Martha, a young black girl whose mom is very interested in Jessi each time she picks up her daughter. Turns out it's because she'd never seen a black ballet dancer and that's why she never let her daughter take classes, even though she's got great raw talent. And Devon, who jokes around the first few classes but starts taking it seriously and is really good. Mary however is not doing good. She's getting weaker and weaker in class and actually faints at one point.

Jessi does a bit of her own research, with the BSC, and decides she must be anorexic. She tries to talk to Mary several times, but it doesn't go well. Finally, Jessi threatens to tell Mme Noelle if Mary doesn't and that does the trick. What I want to know though, is why didn't the teachers see this themselves? They're watching these kids like a hawk, they see Mary faint and get sick, but they don't think anything is seriously wrong? Mme Noelle "suspects" something but just tells Mary to go see her doctor. Doesn't talk to her parents or anything until it's nearly too late.

There's a few baby-sitting plots but they're not very big or interesting. Karen plays a rousing game of Let's All Come In, Emily Michelle learns a new game called Put Away which consists of putting the tv remotes in impossible-to-find places.

The dance class goes well, Watson Brewer agrees to his company sponsoring 2 scholarships, they have a recital in the end, and everyone is happy. Oh and there's a bonus What Jessi is Wearing Ballet Edition. They get to wear more casual clothes to the volunteer classes and Jessi takes this very seriously. After a lot of thought, I settled on a neon-green leotard and a pair of deep blue work-out pants with heavy yellow slouchy socks. It was important to me not to look babyish. What about clownish?

Review: "Mary Anne's Makeover: The Baby-Sitters Club #60"

Mary Anne's Makeover: The Baby-Sitters Club #60 by Ann M Martin
4 out of 5 stars

As someone who totally identifies with Mary Anne on a deep and spiritual level, I absolutely love this book. You go, girl! Sorry. I had that exact haircut in 6th-7th grade. I wish I had that outfit today. Okay, so this book starts off with Mary Anne baby-sitting the Arnold twins and something about a flummp caterpillar (flux capicitator). Mary Anne has made a New Year's resolution: to be the best person [she] could be, in all possible ways. And that meant being the best possible baby-sitter, along with everything else. Yeah, that's gonna work. The sciencey twin is making a time machine, a la Back to the Future. And the musicy twin is practicing the piano. She was playing this dainty classical piece that made me think of people with powdered faces dancing around in wigs and dresses with big bustles.

Mary Anne is feeling very blah because it's winter and cold and grey and she has to repeat the same old boring stuff about all the members of the BSC and everything they do. But we do get an early What Mary Anne is Wearing outfit, pre-makeover. That day I was wearing teal-colored stirrup pants and a bulky ski sweater with a colorful snowflake print, over a pink turtleneck.

At the BSC meeting, the girls are looking at fashion magazines and Mary Anne finds a really cool haircut she likes, but all the other girls just laugh at her and tell it's not her at all. MA kind of shrugs it off, but doesn't forget about it. Later that night, she finds an even better haircut and she really thinks it will look good on her, so she decides to talk to her dad about it. You know, the dad who made her wear pigtail braids til she was 52. But he's surprisingly chill about it and even takes her to the mall to get it AND lets her get some makeup and new clothes. Marrying Sharon has REALLY mellowed him out. I bet she gives him special brownies for dessert.

I couldn't take my eyes off this outfit. It was a fiery red, off-the-shoulder crepe dress, with shirred sleeves, a fitted bodice, and a skirt that flared to mid-calf. It was the kind of dress the old me would never have dreamed of wearing. But the New Mary Anne would look great in it for the January Jamboree! Do you think there's a committee at the school that just thinks up dumb names for the dances? (See below for the dress, this was so hard to find the right one!) She also got an oversized, indigo cable-knit sweater; and a pair of floral paisley print Lycra leggings with a French terry top.

Back at the Arnold's house, Jessi is baby-sitting this time and the time machine is the center of the conversation. Carolyn wants to go back in time to when her mom and dad were kids, so she can baby-sit them. That's sweet. But she seems to be taking it all a little too seriously and Jessi is worried Carolyn really thinks she can go back in time. Especially when she starts charging kids a dollar for reservations.

On her face was a snorkel mask, complete with pipe. A pair of fluffy earmuffs was on her head, and a big wool scarf around her neck. Between the mask and the muffs, her hair was sticking out every which way.

So Mary Anne gets this super awesome makeover, but she keeps it a secret from all her friends. When she reveals her new look, it does not go well. Honestly, the other BSCers are downright rude in this one. Dawn is jealous that MA went without her and that Mr Spier spent all that money on her and such. And she tells Logan and the other girls about it all before Mary Anne can surprise them. Logan loves it, of course, because he's not totally stupid. The other girls' reactions are:

"It's shorter than I thought." 
"Mary Anne, you knucklehead...we said that cut wasn't you."
"It's okay."
"It'll grow out."

I mean, seriously? First of all, Kristy has NO room to talk. She's probably still got a dent in her hair from her ponytail holder. Then they start spreading rumors around that some high school guy likes her. Which isn't too surprising. Everyone at school think she looks great. Even Cokie Mason, that skank who loves Logan Bruno and tried to steal him away, says she looks fantastic. Mary Anne makes some new friends, with some of the "popular snobby" girls and she realizes that maybe the BSCers are the ones who are snobby. I'm not saying they are but...it is an elitist club that they hardly let anyone join and they always sit together at lunch and never let anyone help with any of their special events and...yeah.

There's another rumor that some dude named Carlos is going to ask Mary Anne to the Winter Dance at the high school (not to be confused with the January Jamboree) and Logan hears about it and gets his feelers hurt for a bit. But they get it sorted out quickly and he doesn't have to go beat up the guy or anything. Mary Anne finally decides she needs to sort things out with her friends and starts with Dawn. You're always telling me to stand up for myself and be independent. Then, when I finally do something independent, you treat me like a traitor. They talk and hug and cry and laugh and everything is all good and then we get to go to the January Jamboree which is apparently as fancy as the senior prom.

[Dawn's dress] was made of black velvet, with a sheer bodice trimmed with beading and lace, and a flared, above-knee skirt. With black stockings and shoes, and her hair pulled up in a French braid, Dawn looked absolutely breathtaking. There were other spectacular sights, too. Like Kristy trying to walk with heels in a long dress (she kicked them off about two minutes after she got to the gym.) And Claudia, wearing a lamé outfit that was all sharp angles and flashy colors. And Stacey, looking as if she had stepped out of a Hollywood movie in a slinky silk gown that belonged to her mother. Her date was Sam Thomas, Kristy's older brother. 

(A brief note about my outfit collages: I was using Polyvore previously and loved it and was obviously very upset when they suddenly closed/changed last year. I'm currently using good old Google images and creating my own collages in Word. I'm not sure how well it will work going forward, but I'm going to do my best. If you have any suggestions for a replacement site, please let me know!)