Thoughts before reading:
I don't think I read this as a kid. It doesn't look familiar, but it's one of the few books I really have no memory of either way. So far I haven't been impressed by the mysteries, so hopefully this one will be a little better.
The basics:
Kristy's sitting for the Kuhn kids, who have been going through a hard time lately. Their parents are getting a divorce, and Jake is upset because his dad wanted to take him on a trip, but his mom said no. He's recently moved to Dallas, so the kids haven't seen him much, and it's been really hard on them. Patsy does mention that she saw their dad's car recently though, which everyone deems impossible. Jake's birthday is also coming up soon, and his mom is planning a big party to cheer him up.
After a Krushers game a few days later, Jake tells Kristy he's allowed to walk home alone, because his mom had to take his sisters to the dentist. She agrees, and walks home herself with David Michael. Later that day, Mrs. Kuhn calls to tell her Jake hasn't made it home, and she's worried his father has taken him. This is further confirmed for her when she learns that Patsy saw his car recently. The BSC calls an emergency meeting to discuss what to do, and Kristy's talked to by the police.
Kristy feels really guilty that she let Jake walk home, and decides she must help find him. She thinks he might have gotten lost or hurt on the way home, so she can help by organizing a search party. The next day after school, the BSC starts organizing kids to go out searching in groups. They have a huge turn out, but no luck finding anything. Leads as to Mr. Kuhn's whereabouts are also going nowhere.
The kids go out searching again the next day, by which point Jake has been missing for 48 hours. Matt Braddock wants to search a local construction site, because some of the other boys have been curious about it. No one has searched there yet because it's in the opposite direction of Jake's route home, but Kristy figures it can't hurt and agrees. Almost immediately, the kids find a piece of Jake's shirt, then hear his voice nearby. Turns out, he fell into the basement of a house that's being built. Kristy locates him, and Bart runs to call the police.
Once rescued, Jake explains that he and Matt were planning to start building a treehouse that weekend, so he went by the site to look for nails. When it started to rain, he ducked into the partial house, then fell through the floor and got trapped.
The kids go out searching again the next day, by which point Jake has been missing for 48 hours. Matt Braddock wants to search a local construction site, because some of the other boys have been curious about it. No one has searched there yet because it's in the opposite direction of Jake's route home, but Kristy figures it can't hurt and agrees. Almost immediately, the kids find a piece of Jake's shirt, then hear his voice nearby. Turns out, he fell into the basement of a house that's being built. Kristy locates him, and Bart runs to call the police.
Once rescued, Jake explains that he and Matt were planning to start building a treehouse that weekend, so he went by the site to look for nails. When it started to rain, he ducked into the partial house, then fell through the floor and got trapped.
The 8th graders at SMS have an award night, and Kristy wins an award for finding Jake.
In other news, Mary Anne is failing home ec because she's terrible at sewing. By the end of the book, she wins an award for "most improved home ec student".
Timeline:
The rainy weather plus the Krushers practice imply that it's spring, but we never hear for sure.
Misc thoughts:
*We're told right away that the Kuhns are divorcing, and so Mrs. Kuhn has started working and hiring sitters much more often. The mystery books always have the solution basically handed to the reader in chapter one, so I was pleasantly surprised by this one having a red herring.
*WHY is Claudia always the one in charge of making signs? She can't even spell find, spelling it "finde" in here. You'd think the other girls would be embarrassed and do it themselves.
*Kristy and Bart almost have their first kiss, but then Karen interrupts.
*Apparently Mary Anne can't even make jello properly, but this makes no sense. In early books she was always helping her dad cook dinner. The sewing thing also came out of nowhere. I swear she can sew later on just fine...
*This teaches kids about safety and stranger danger, when Karen, Andrew, and David Michael all become scared of being kidnapped. Honestly I think this book would have freaked me out a bit as a kid, so now I definitely don't think I ever read it.
*This book was a bit dark and sad for a BSC book. This storyline was a big leap from the missing kittens and hamsters we've had before.
*Kristy makes a comment in the narration about Bart being the perfect boy for her, "if I have to have a boyfriend". Uh, what now? Has she just convinced herself that she likes Bart because all of her friends like boys and she felt left out? Or they made her feel like it was just time to start liking them? Plus Bart has a lot in common with her, is cute, and easy to talk to (from what we've been told). He also doesn't care how she dresses. Seems like a clear choice...this remark could definitely be a clue for the Kristy is gay theory.
*Mary Anne thinks she invented jello jigglers, LOL
*Ghostwritten by Ellen Miles
*The About the Author section says if you stacked up all the BSC books in print, it would be 21,245 miles high! This is only by the early 90s too, damn...
Books mentioned:
*The Indian in the Cupboard, by Lynn Reid Banks
*Charlotte's Web, by E. B. White
My rating:
3.5 stars, this was much better than the other mysteries so far, and it actually broke the formula! A good, if serious, read.
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