Thoughts before reading:
Finally, one I have read before! This wasn't a big favorite, but I know I read it at least once. This book actually made me start to question whether I was adopted or not. I even went through a phase where I was convinced that I had to be, haha.
Not sure what to expect from re-reading this, since we obviously know Claudia isn't adopted. Might be one that feels really pointless, unless it's done well enough.
This cover is too cute though, one of my favorites so far! Claudia and her outfit are just like how I'd picture her. That baby with her has to be Emily Michelle, and she's beyond adorable. It makes sense that Claudia would be sitting for her in this book, since she was adopted. That's likely what gets her imagination off and running.
The basics:
Claudia starts feeling down after attending an awards ceremony for Janine, her older sister. Everyone's gushing about how smart she is, and how they can't believe her and Claudia are sisters because they look so different. Since Claudia's always been really sensitive about how smart her sister is, all the attention rubs her the wrong way. Her mood worsens further when she learns Janine will be featured in the local paper. They want to do a story called "A Day in the Life of a Genius".
After dealing with all this, Claudia can't concentrate on her homework, so she starts looking at old photo albums her parents keep in the den. There are tons of pictures of Janine as a baby, and all her birthdays, but hardly any of Claudia. She also notices she didn't look like anyone in her family, even when she was little. Her imagination starts working on possible explanations, and after finding a locked strongbox, she decides she has to be adopted. Despite being completely convinced this has to be true, she doesn't say anything to her parents, assuming they won't tell the truth. She confides her discoveries to Stacey, who suggests she search for her real parents to get some answers.
Kristy tells the BSC about how her sister, Emily Michelle (adopted by her family in #24), has been having some developmental problems. Her language skills are delayed, since she came from an orphanage in Vietnam and never heard English until recently. She's also having emotional problems like nightmares and separation anxiety. Kristy wishes she could spend more time helping her, but she's been busy with a steady job for the Papadakis family. Claudia and a few other BSC members end up sitting for her instead, and Claudia finds herself really relating to the little girl. They're both different from their families, and both having trouble learning. She ends up teaching Emily to match, and some color games. Mrs. Brewer is impressed, and asks her to take a job working with Emily twice a week. Claudia agrees, thrilled to be a tutor instead of a tutee.
In between sitting jobs, Claudia works tirelessly on her search for answers. She first looks for her birth certificate, with no luck. Then she tries going to her old pediatrician for information. That's another dead end, so she looks up birth announcements at the library (in old newspapers). There isn't one for her, so she tries tracking down the families that had baby girls the week she was born, thinking she must be one of those babies. Every family is a dead end though, as they all clearly still have those daughters.
Stacey convinces Claudia to finally talk to her parents about all of this. They immediately assure her that she was not adopted. Parents just take less pictures of children after the first, something completely normal. They also tell her lots of families don't look alike, but she actually does look a lot like Mimi did when she was young. Her parents give her a picture of Mimi at age 12, and Claudia's stunned to see they look like twins. She has the pictured matted and framed next to one of herself, to keep in her room.
Claudia's tutoring is really helping Emily, and the Brewers ask her to keep doing it. Thanks to her help, Emily is reevaluated, and will be allowed to start preschool on time, when she turns 3.
Timeline:
Time of year unknown, big surprise, I know. Sometime during the second run of 8th grade, and it's not winter.
My thoughts:
This book was pretty average, plot wise, but still a sweet story. I really liked the Emily Michelle parts. Her problems were extremely realistic, given the fact that she got a rough start in life. They even discuss how she would have been in an orphanage, and not have gotten much attention there. That combined with the language barrier would definitely lead her to be really behind. Compared with other 2 year old's, she's at more of an infant ability level. It was nice to see a harder reality discussed, since we don't have too many of those in these books. I also liked getting to see Claudia be the one who is able to help her, and how proud it made her of herself. (Kinda cheesy, I know, but trust me on this one.)
Claudia's search for answers about her past was more interesting than I expected, given we know it leads nowhere. It was frustrating that she didn't just ask her parents to begin with though, but I know plenty of kids that age wouldn't. The story was a relatable one for kids, since most have a phase where they wonder if/wish they were adopted. It was handled sensitively too, especially since the other storyline was about Emily, who is adjusting to a new life after an adoption.
The other thing I liked in here, even though it was a small part, was Stacey and Claudia's friendship. Theirs is definitely my favorite one in these books, because I think it's the most healthy and supportive. Stacey was a really good friend to Claudia during this storyline. She was never nosy or pushy, letting Claudia come to her with new information. Whenever she gave advice, it was very understanding and gentle, and she's the one who settles everything by getting Claudia to talk to her parents.
Misc:
*The newspaper story about Janine sounds insanely boring, and I highly doubt this would really happen over a High School award. The book doesn't even say what award she won, just that it was for science.
*Good advice from Dawn: Worrying doesn't solve problems, only taking action does.
*After reading this I really wonder how Emily Michelle turned out. Too bad we'll never know.
*The service Emily was adopted through is called Love Bundles, haha...
*The Brewers constantly need sitters in here, even though I thought that was why Nannie moved in with them?
*Did they really used to put birth announcements in the newspaper? I've never heard of this before.
*When Claudia called one of the families, the Ferguisons, they tell her their kids' names, ages, and schools over the phone! Insanely trusting, nobody would do that now.
*Stacey's super tired all the time and not feeling well in this book. Definitely setting up for something to happen.
Books mentioned:
*Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye, by Lois Lowry (It's about adoption, Stacey recommends it to Claudia)
*Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss
My rating:
3.5 stars, one of the sweeter books so far, and blissfully free of petty bickering!
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