5 out of 5 stars
I've been looking forward to this book for awhile now. How many of us young 90s kids/preteens wanted to get mononucleosis after reading this book? Just me?? No!!! Okay, well that's the only reason I gave it 5 stars, it's really not that great a book lol. Also, I think this is one of the last ones I really remember reading as a kid. Which makes sense because I was probably close to 13 years old when this one came out.
The book opens on the day before Halloween and the Pike kids are all trying to pick out costumes. They have a whole trunk full, which is pretty cool. Mrs Pike announces big news to the family: her cousins have invited them to come to New York City ("The City") for Thanksgiving and go to the Macy's Parade. Everyone is excited naturally, though the parents are a little worried about finding a hotel and restaurant reservations for all 10 of them. Also, Mallory is still super tired. But she makes it her mission to get the family there.
Next day, Halloween, finds Vanessa practicing her different waves for the parade cameras: "the windshield wiper, screwing in the light bulb, and the flap." Can you picture each one? The kids get ready for trick-or-treating and Mallory is supposed to go with them, with Jessi, but....she's too tired. Yeah, this bit goes on and on for awhile. Let's skip to the B plot, Kristy's next big idea.
They decide to do something special for the elderly people at Stoneybrook Manor for Thanksgiving, because they may not have any family around anymore. They mention several old people and act like we should know them already, like Mallory's Uncle Joe who apparently lived with them for a few weeks and developed Alzheimer's. Of course, they get their sitting charges involved. They want to make goody baskets for all the residents and have a carnival. They also want to do a fundraiser for the money. And apparently don't start doing all this until 12 days before Thanksgiving yikes. Of course they pull it off and the old people are very happy.
Back to Mallory. She wakes up one morning super sick. Everything hurts, she has a fever, glands swollen, etc. Tries to make it to school but mom is like "yeah, no." They go to the doctor, who tells her "you have the distinction of having one of the worst looking throats I've ever seen." They test her for strep, a bacterial infection, and mono. Surprise, she has mono! And she has to stay in bed for at least a week but possibly a month! Her siblings immediately start teasing her that she has the "kissing disease", cooties, that Ben Hobart gave it to her, and more.
After just a week in bed, she's sick of her pajamas, soap operas, and all the kids' teasing. Claire & Margo are very sweet though. They play Nurse & Doctor with her and bring her whatever she wants, read to her, and take her temperature. At the end of the week, Mallory tries to play it off that she's feeling loads better but her parents aren't buying it. In fact, they've decided to restrict her activity even more: no school, no archery team, and no Baby-Sitters Club. Mal is devastated and so is the rest of the Club when they find out. Logan even suggests they protest outside her house with "Free Mallory!" signs. But they just decide to make Mallory an honorary member for now. I'm not sure why they had to change it at all, but whatevs. At her next doctor appointment, Dr Dellenkamp tells her it could be up to 3 months now and she may have to go to summer school. Wow, great bedside manner Doc!
Since Mal is stuck in bed, she has plenty of time to think of ideas for the Thanksgiving project. But soon she starts thinking the BSC should have just replaced her after all. She knows they won't, so she decides to make them kick her out. By being a jerk and not helping out where she can. Sigh...luckily that doesn't last too long before the girls see right thru her plan and call her out. She starts helping out again, trying to raise the last bit of money they need for the carnival. Vanessa comes up with the brilliant idea of selling promises, ie: I'll do something for you later, if you pay me today. And they get the extra money. The kids and healthy sitters go shopping at CostClub or something and pick out gifts, fruit, sweets, books, toys for the old people.
Mallory's parents decide to cancel the New York trip and Mallory has officially ruined Thanksgiving. Not really. Everyone rallies and makes it a nice day, dressing up and watching the parade on TV and eating all the yummy food. I'm hungry now lol. We didn't have a Claudia outfit this book, so we'll end with Mallory's special occasion outfit: It's a blue velvet skirt with a matching bolero jacket and a white silk blouse. I pulled my hair into a pony tail and tied a white satin ribbon around it. The book ends with the BSC girls coming over for pie and Dawn calls from California. And Mallory is not better, at all, and decides to step away from the club semi-permanently for now. Sad face.
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