Thoughts before reading:
I honestly don't think I ever read this as a kid, making it one of the few Stacey books I missed. Of course I picked up on the events of this book from reading later ones, and I know I read the one where she moves back to Stoneybrook AGAIN. If this poor kid only went through 8th grade once, her parents would have really messed up her school year. Then again, since the series was most likely not intended to last 200-ish books, this was a good storyline to teach kids about moving.
This cover is pretty generic, and Claudia's outfit is too tame again. The banner in the background is terrible though. Isn't Claudia an artist? That's not how that would really look if the BSC made her one, c'mon now...
The basics:
Stacey gets the news that her father's company is transferring him back to the New York office, so her family is moving again. She takes the news surprisingly well, until she hears they are leaving in just about a month. Then she starts to remember all the problems she had with her NYC classmates before moving to Stoneybrook. After a brief phone call to Laine (old best friend) reminds her of these old problems, she calls Claudia with the news. They both end up crying. The next day at lunch, she tells the rest of the club.
Unknown to Stacey, the BSC starts planning her a surprise going away party. They decide to invite their sitting charges too, and when Stacey's mom lets them throw a yard sale and keep the money, everyone agrees to pool their earnings to use. There's also discussion about who to replace Stacey with in the club, and Mallory is considered.
The yard sale is a big success, and so is the party. Lots of kids end up coming, and they are entertained with games, races, and prizes. Afterward Stacey attends her last BSC meeting, where it's officially decided to make Mallory a junior officer. Stacey calls to give her the good news, and Mallory is thrilled.
On the morning of the big move, the BSC surprises Stacey outside her window with a goodbye banner. Stacey shows them business cards her parents got for her to be the NYC branch of the BSC. Everyone says final goodbyes, and the McGills leave. Claudia gives Stacey a 13 page letter to read on the way, saying she will always be her best best friend.
Timeline:
The events in this book span a month, but it doesn't say which time of year this is. I'm guessing it's fall or winter of 8th grade, although no holidays have been mentioned since school started.
My thoughts:
I was surprised by Stacey taking the news about the move so well, when we are told how eager she was to leave NYC before. After the events of 6th grade and finding out about her diabetes, she had no friends left and was miserable. Stoneybrook was a fresh start for her, and she was really happy there. I wondered if the change in attitude was just due to her making up with Laine? Or if it was more to comfort child readers who might be facing similar situations?
There was a nice scene in here where Mary Anne was sitting for Jeff, and she told him about how Stacey was moving. Jeff was really interested, and ended up opening up to her about how he's been feeling. Remember, he's been really struggling and longing to move back to California. I really feel bad for him and Dawn in this situation. I don't remember giving it a second thought as a kid, but this time around, it's pretty horrible that they were taken so far away from their dad AND the only home they'd ever known. Just so their mom could be back in her old home, and near her parents? It seems really immature of her, and definitely putting her needs before her children. I bet she regretted her selfishness later on, when she ended up in Connecticut without either of her children. By then she's put down roots and gotten married, so she can't move back to CA to be with her kids without breaking up another family. What a huge mess. I'm surprised there wasn't any legal action Mr. Schafer could have taken to prevent her from moving so far away with his kids in the first place.
It seemed like only Claudia and Mary Anne really cared that Stacey was leaving, and that they would hardly ever see her again. Everyone else was mainly just concerned about the club. It made me wonder if the club broke up on good terms, would some of them even talk anymore? Despite the books telling us they are all great friends, it doesn't seem like there is a lot of independent, strong friendships being formed here. Are they only friends as a group? Would Stacey and Kristy ever just hang out for fun, just the two of them? Would Claudia and Dawn? I can't picture it.
Misc:
*Stacey's dad says the end of the school year is months away and they can't wait for her to graduate with Claudia. Good call, that would be a really long wait!
*Dawn says people in CA don't have yard sales. Uhm what? All of the information about California in these books is so bizarre. I'm getting very curious to read one of the ones set in CA now...
*There's ANOTHER Karen/Andrew/Morbidda Destiny babysitting chapter. Yawn. Just once, I would like to read one of these chapters where Andrew is the focus.
*I can't help but think the party the BSC threw for Stacey was really lame. It was basically a big, unpaid babysitting job. You can't tell me she wouldn't have way rather had a boy girl party of kids her own age.
*Claudia's letter was sweet, but I feel bad for Stacey trying to read 13 pages of Claudia's spelling and handwriting. That sounds like torture, I barely get through her one page entries.
*Here's the poem Claudia comes up with for the yard sale flier:
Need a toaster?
Need a coaster?
Never fuss--
Come see us!
Need a pail?
Need a snail?
Then be hasty--
Come see Stacey!
Just, wow. Thank god everyone else vetoed this pretty quickly. It did make me laugh though. She clearly should have asked Vanessa Pike for help.
*I still think it's funny that they never tell us any details about the adults' jobs. I guess they all seem the same when you're a kid.
Books mentioned:
*Stacey and Charlotte read The Borrowers, by Mary Norton, on past sitting jobs.
*Stacey uses Iggy's House, by Judy Blume, to explain her moving away to Charlotte.
*Before the yard sale Stacey gives Charlotte A Cricket in Times Square, by George Selden, and writes an inscription in it for her.
My rating:
3.5 stars, not very eventful but still an entertaining read
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