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.