CLAUDIA'S SISTER IS AN IMPOSSIBLE PERSON TO LIVE WITH!
Welcome to the discussion post for Claudia and Mean Janine! This post doesn't have an expiry date on it, so just comment whenever you're ready.
What was your favourite part? What was your least favourite part? Any memorable quotes you'd like to share? What had you forgotten about since the last time this book was read? If someone wrote a fic set during the timeline of this fic, what should they write?
There are no mandatory questions or points of discussion for this - anything you want to talk about in relation to this week's book, go ahead!
Claud has turned thirteen! I think she's our first thirteen-year-old. I almost missed it, except for the fact that she remarks on it. And she admits she can be a pain sometimes. I'm very charmed by Claudia on this go-round. She was never one of my particular favorites, but I love her now. She's very mature but also very age-appropriate.
LOL at Claud giving Janine's old clothes to Kristy and Mary Anne. I guess they wear them? At least, did wear them. Maybe not MA after her mini-makeover, but those might be the "school clothes" Kristy wears. (Which I think are going to get dropped pretty soon. I don't think she's worn a turtleneck yet, but she hasn't worn a kilt in several books.)
I think I knew this, but this might be our first confirmation that Mimi is Rioko's mother.
I had no idea this book was set pre-move. Interesting. I forgot that, and I think it shows in my writeup of Kristy's Big Day. Oops. I guess Mimi distracts from it, but it's kind of interesting that Kristy moves without fanfare. She's just there one day and gone the next. I guess it'll get a lot more coverage in the next Kristy book (or the next MA book). See, look how much I (don't) remember!
By now, Kristy has pretty much taken over the director's chair. The visor is a regular thing, too. She's settling in to being the president she was born to be!
Interesting that the notebook and record book stay in Claudia's room, but Stacey takes the treasury home with her. Does she think Claud is going to go on a sugar-crazed midnight Ho-Ho run with the treasury money?
In case anyone wants to compare Charlie's rates with US gas prices, in July of 1987, gas was 94 cents/gallon.
Oh, this is only a week after the wedding. This is really early. I thought they went on a two-week honeymoon???
Claudia thinks the Barretts are a handful but nice, but Jenny is a brat. :-/ And Karen's not a brat, of course not.
Poor Janine. No wonder she feels left out. They forget about her all the time!
I forgot Mimi has her stroke right after that horrible game. Ugh. Poor Claudia. I can't blame her for thinking she caused it. But Janine and Claudia really come through here. This is the second time Claudia has proven herself in an emergency (after the Phantom Phone Caller). I'm impressed.
Somehow Claudia telling the girls breaks my heart more than it happening. Mary Anne! Dawn grabbing her hand!
Mean Janine! Janine is NOT mean! Claudia's the mean one.
That's really smart of Claudia to figure out about Mimi being able to hear her and the blinking! She is way smarter than anyone gives her credit for.
Oh, Louie. :( I get so sad about Louie in these early books, since he won't be around much longer. This is a cute sequence. Poor David Michael worried about what people will think of Louie.
I love the other girls coming to visit Mimi. I just love that they all love her. But poor Mary Anne! I'm sure she just wanted to stay with Mimi because she misses her. But they end up having tea! Oh, I love that so much. (I'm thinking about the revelation that Mary Anne doesn't actually like tea all that much and I'm deciding she develops a taste for it, especially after Mimi dies. And that she and Claudia have tea. WITH JANINE.)
Aw, Claudia's revelation about her and Janine. I don't think the B-plot of this book (Jamie and Lucy and the day camp) is as strong, which is probably why my notes are so short. But I do like the Claudia and Janine stuff and that kind of makes up for it. And Janine revealing how it looks from her point of view is nice. And Mimi and Janine one-on-one time. It's so easy to forget about Janine but I'm really liking her on this re-read. She always seems to show up at the right moment, even if Claudia doesn't totally appreciate her.
Interesting that the notebook and record book stay in Claudia's room, but Stacey takes the treasury home with her. Does she think Claud is going to go on a sugar-crazed midnight Ho-Ho run with the treasury money?
Oh my god can somebody please write a fic where Claud suddenly starts pilfering money from the treasury and has to come up with this elaborate scheme and second job to cover her tracks. Kind of like Mary Anne in The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier, only instead of paying off her dad's credit card, Claudia is funding her sugar habit and trying to disguise the fact she's skimming BSC dues.
I'm thinking about the revelation that Mary Anne doesn't actually like tea all that much and I'm deciding she develops a taste for it, especially after Mimi dies. And that she and Claudia have tea.
I always thought it should be Janine and Mean Claudia! Even when I was younger. I understand it's an emotional time for everyone, but so much stuff is not even Janine's fault. No one asks her if she wants to move around her class, no one asks her to help make dinner, she's just doing her best.
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stoneybrook2016-06-12 09:20 am
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(Anonymous) 2016-06-12 12:44 am (UTC)(link)LOL at Claud giving Janine's old clothes to Kristy and Mary Anne. I guess they wear them? At least, did wear them. Maybe not MA after her mini-makeover, but those might be the "school clothes" Kristy wears. (Which I think are going to get dropped pretty soon. I don't think she's worn a turtleneck yet, but she hasn't worn a kilt in several books.)
I think I knew this, but this might be our first confirmation that Mimi is Rioko's mother.
I had no idea this book was set pre-move. Interesting. I forgot that, and I think it shows in my writeup of Kristy's Big Day. Oops. I guess Mimi distracts from it, but it's kind of interesting that Kristy moves without fanfare. She's just there one day and gone the next. I guess it'll get a lot more coverage in the next Kristy book (or the next MA book). See, look how much I (don't) remember!
By now, Kristy has pretty much taken over the director's chair. The visor is a regular thing, too. She's settling in to being the president she was born to be!
Interesting that the notebook and record book stay in Claudia's room, but Stacey takes the treasury home with her. Does she think Claud is going to go on a sugar-crazed midnight Ho-Ho run with the treasury money?
In case anyone wants to compare Charlie's rates with US gas prices, in July of 1987, gas was 94 cents/gallon.
Oh, this is only a week after the wedding. This is really early. I thought they went on a two-week honeymoon???
Claudia thinks the Barretts are a handful but nice, but Jenny is a brat. :-/ And Karen's not a brat, of course not.
Poor Janine. No wonder she feels left out. They forget about her all the time!
I forgot Mimi has her stroke right after that horrible game. Ugh. Poor Claudia. I can't blame her for thinking she caused it. But Janine and Claudia really come through here. This is the second time Claudia has proven herself in an emergency (after the Phantom Phone Caller). I'm impressed.
Somehow Claudia telling the girls breaks my heart more than it happening. Mary Anne! Dawn grabbing her hand!
Mean Janine! Janine is NOT mean! Claudia's the mean one.
That's really smart of Claudia to figure out about Mimi being able to hear her and the blinking! She is way smarter than anyone gives her credit for.
Oh, Louie. :( I get so sad about Louie in these early books, since he won't be around much longer. This is a cute sequence. Poor David Michael worried about what people will think of Louie.
I love the other girls coming to visit Mimi. I just love that they all love her. But poor Mary Anne! I'm sure she just wanted to stay with Mimi because she misses her. But they end up having tea! Oh, I love that so much. (I'm thinking about the revelation that Mary Anne doesn't actually like tea all that much and I'm deciding she develops a taste for it, especially after Mimi dies. And that she and Claudia have tea. WITH JANINE.)
Aw, Claudia's revelation about her and Janine. I don't think the B-plot of this book (Jamie and Lucy and the day camp) is as strong, which is probably why my notes are so short. But I do like the Claudia and Janine stuff and that kind of makes up for it. And Janine revealing how it looks from her point of view is nice. And Mimi and Janine one-on-one time. It's so easy to forget about Janine but I'm really liking her on this re-read. She always seems to show up at the right moment, even if Claudia doesn't totally appreciate her.
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Oh my god can somebody please write a fic where Claud suddenly starts pilfering money from the treasury and has to come up with this elaborate scheme and second job to cover her tracks.
Kind of like Mary Anne in The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier, only instead of paying off her dad's credit card, Claudia is funding her sugar habit and trying to disguise the fact she's skimming BSC dues.
I'm thinking about the revelation that Mary Anne doesn't actually like tea all that much and I'm deciding she develops a taste for it, especially after Mimi dies. And that she and Claudia have tea.
I am totally happy to accept this :D
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Sugar crazed Ho-Ho run, bwahahaha! I think Stacey’s protective of the treasury in a Gollum-y my precioussss sort of way.
I remember a joke in one of the old communities that said this book should be called Janine and Mean Claudia and at some parts, I have to agree!
And that she and Claudia have tea. WITH JANINE. – oh I love this thought!
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