Thoughts before reading:
I know I've never read this before, but the plot sounds really familiar? I think this was the subject of an episode of the old 90s BSC series. I absolutely adored that show as a kid, watching the re-runs on the Disney Channel whenever I could. At some point I want to watch it again and write about it on here.
Honestly though, I can't work up a lot of enthusiasm for this book. It sounds boring. I'm sure that after the last book they wanted something more light hearted, but every single kids show or book series has a storyline like this. Even 90210 has one.
The basics:
Jessi's family is watching PS 162 together, a popular show about an inner-city elementary school. Becca adores it, and tells Jessi about how one of the kids is from Stoneybrook. Mal confirms it: his name is Derek Masters, and he was in her brother Nicky's class. Jessi's immediately star struck. Of course, at the very next BSC meeting, Mrs. Masters calls! They are back in town and need a sitter. Kristy's professional about it, despite Jessi completely fangirling out. Jessi also ends up getting the job.
Meanwhile, Jessi's ballet teacher announces that the Stoneybrook Civic Center will be holding auditions for Swan Lake. Jessi doesn't think she's good enough to try out, but her teacher encourages it. She decides to at least give it a chance.
Right away at her sitting job, Jessi's wondering where Derek's glasses are because his character Waldo wears them, and asking about the show/LA. The poor kid keeps trying to change the subject, but it takes her forever to get the hint. She also brings Becca to another sitting job for the Masters "so Derek can make friends", but it's really because Becca begged her. They don't hit it off at all, since he gets sick of answering all Becca's questions. Jessi decides to try getting him together with some boys instead, so she takes him to the Pikes'. Mallory acts formal and super awkward though, and the triplets are jealous and nasty to him when he beats them at badminton. Derek ends up yelling at them and storming off.
The sitting jobs become a regular thing despite all this, and Jessi becomes friendly with Derek. He tells her all about his miserable first day back at school, how all the girls follow him around like puppies and the boys tease him, calling him lover boy. A reporter even showed up, and his teacher made him talk to his whole class about the show. A kid named John threw his lunch out the window and tied his shoelaces together. Jessi's horrified and starts referring to John as a "superbrat".
Jessi's audition day arrives, and she's extra nervous because of all the professional looking dancers from New York. Despite this, she gets a callback, but will have to pass two more auditions to get a role.
Derek continues to have trouble adjusting to Stoneybrook. Mal hears from Nicky that he threw his food all over a kid in the cafeteria. Jessi protests that Derek would never do that, and it must be something John did to him. Claudia takes a sitting job for the Masters, and ends up inviting some boys from the playground over to play with Derek. They have fun, and in one afternoon she ends up helping him make friends. Unfortunately, soon after he gets the news that he's gotten a role in a TV movie, so his family is going back to LA. Jessi has the idea to throw him a surprise going away party, and so the BSC ends up hosting a Good Morning themed event to say goodbye. Derek also mentions to Jessi that she could probably do modeling work, and she gets really into the idea.
After researching a bunch of modeling agencies, Jessi ends up getting a part in Swan Lake as one of the swan maidens. She realizes that was all she wanted all along, she was just afraid to want it too much and then fail. Derek's bummed about this news, because he was hoping she would also move to LA. He ends up admitting that he was John all along. When the other kids were picking on him, he did mean things in retaliation. Then when he made friends, John disappeared. Jessi's understanding, and they share a nice goodbye. He gives her a signed head shot, and then she goes home to throw away her modeling info.
Timeline:
It's during the school year obviously, but nothing else is mentioned specifically.
My thoughts:
This wasn't nearly as dull as I'd feared it would be, but the books that are all about a certain babysitting client are my least favorite kind. They are the most formulaic, all including some client problem that's neatly resolved by the end. Oftentimes, a family has some sort of big problem that is magically solved by them having hired a specific BSC member. We rarely hear about any of it again. This book has all of that, plus the set up I absolutely hate, where the BSC gets countless jobs for one client to advance the plot, then after the book it mostly stops. (The Masters' need a sitter CONSTANTLY here.) I am definitely preferring the character centered plots, where one of the girls goes through some kind of life change and as a result, gets some character development. I've read enough of these now to notice how they all fall into certain categories when it comes to the storylines, so I kind of know ahead of time which books I'll like more.
I was very surprised that Kristy even let Jessi take the sitting job for Derek that started this book off. Jessi wouldn't even call the poor kid by anything other than his character's name during that meeting. From there she gets even worse, wondering if he will help her with her science homework because his character is a science nerd. She's 11, and can't tell fiction from reality? How pathetic is that? Up until now, she's always been very practical and level headed. Then she gets annoyed when Mallory is excited over Derek, even though she's been doing the exact same thing the entire book! Her behavior about the entire situation was beyond annoying. Sadly, everyone being so dumb and ridiculous about Derek is probably exactly what would happen in reality. I think Derek was justified in everything he did. I'm not sure I would have had nearly as much patience as he did.
Misc:
*Kristy acts like they've sat for the Masters' all the time, but none of this has ever been mentioned before.
*What kind of parents would trust their celebrity son to a preteen babysitter? What could possibly go wrong?
*I found it hard to believe that kids from NYC would come to Stoneybrook to be in a local production. Isn't it supposed to be a small town? How would they have even heard about it?
*I found it hilarious that after Jessi's sat for Derek countless times, Claudia solves all his problems in one afternoon, by simply inviting some random boys his age to come over.
Books mentioned:
None
My rating:
3 stars, an average, very predictable BSC plot.
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