Review: "Dawn & Whitney, Friends Forever: The Baby-Sitters Club #77"

Dawn & Whitney, Friends Forever: The Baby-Sitters Club #77 by Ann Martin
3.5 out of 5 stars

Let's get the cringe part out of the way first: this book uses the word "r*tarded" several times to describe new character, Whitney, who has Down Syndrome. Luckily, it is only used as a medical description and not an insult or derogatory phrase. Aside from that, I think this was one of the better Dawn books I've read in awhile, especially with her being in "Sunny California" (SC). Dawn goes into all the long, selfish details of her move back to SC and how she basically wrecked her dad's relationship so he's now "playing the field", which means he eventually gets to the "date me, date my kids".  Dawn & Jeff are lukewarm, at best, about these dates but at least they get a yummy meal from Mrs Bruen: "Endive salad, three-cheese macaroni, asparagus, and raspberry crisp".  Dawn's SC bff Sunshine Daydream Willow comes over for dinner. That is something I would have 100% named my future child as a teenager. (Freedom Jack & Poppy Corn were legit on the list at one point.) 

Skip ahead to the We <3 Kids Club, with the SC members: Sunny, Dawn, Maggie Blume, and Jill Henderson. We don't get any Claudia outfits in this book, so we'll have to settle for Maggie, who is pretty cool. Maggie keeps her hair short and punkish [with purple raccoon streaks over each ear] with clothes to match, like a favorite leather bomber jacket that she wears rain, shine, hot, cold. She'd brought it with her today, over a black cropped tank top, leopard leggings, and lace-up black boots. 

The girls get a new client calling about a long-term job for 12 year old Whitney, who has Down Syndrome, and Dawn agrees to take the job. Whitney's parents tell her that Dawn is a "new friend" not a baby-sitter and they really messed up on that, but we'll get to it later. Whitney is a sweet girl who loves to swim, look at cute boys in magazines, and go shopping. She's also trying to show her parents that she can be more grown-up, by doing chores and keeping her room clean, just like any 12 year old. Dawn and Whitney become fast friends, enjoying their afternoons together, and Dawn starts to feel more and more conflicted about not telling Whitney she's her baby-sitter. She does tell her she is A baby-sitter and they go visit Sunny on a sitting job for Clover & Daffodil. Whitney loves them and wants to become a baby-sitter too. 

One afternoon, Dawn accidentally blurts out that she's the baby-sitter. Whitney is understandably upset because she thinks she's a grown-up and wants nothing to do with Dawn for awhile. Unfortunately, she takes being a "grown-up" a little too far one afternoon and takes off with Clover & Daffodil to a local fair without telling anyone. Nothing happens but there's a big freak-out of course. Eventually they do make up and become close friends again. The We <3 Kids Club also makes Whitney an Honorary Member and Special Helper.

Mr Schafer goes on one bad date after another: boring, the suit lady, treats the kids like "kids", mom of an annoying girl from school, this..."Schaf, I don't know what you were thinking of, letting Dawn go buy a bra on her own. It clearly isn't the proper fit. You need a woman's touch for that sort of thing."  And then there's the woman who is "repulsed and embarrassed" by Whitney when they see her at a concert. "It's just that the scenery [Whitney dancing] has made me lose my appetite." Like wow, lady. Go sit on a fire ant pile. 

All these horrible dates make Jeff & Dawn realize that they actually miss nice, normal Carol and they decide they have to get dad & Carol back together. Dawn runs into Carol when she's searching for Whitney, Clover, & Daffodil at the fair and mentions to her dad that maybe he should give her a call. He does and they start dating again and eventually have a family dinner, where Jeff accidentally proposes to Carol for Mr Schafer. It's pretty sweet, definitely best Jeff moment of the series lol. 

Over in Stoneybrook, Mrs Barrett and Mr DeWitt finally get engaged and their huge group of kids is not happy about it, until they start looking at houses and take the kids along with them. The kids start bonding over the best sidewalks for skateboarding, treehouses, sharing bedrooms, etc. and think maybe this blended family thing won't be so bad after all. So we've got 2 weddings to look forward to in the future!