CREAKY STAIRS, SPOOKY NOISES, SECRET PASSAGES... IT MUST BE A GHOST!
Welcome to the discussion post for The Ghost at Dawn's House! 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!
Next week's book is BSC #10 - Logan Likes Mary Anne!
Dawn’s family stuff As a kid, Jack Schafer always struck me as really flaky (he wasn’t one of my favorite BSC parents), so I was amused to see Dawn label him as turning into Disneyland Daddy.
Jeff seems pretty well-adjusted and happy in this book. And hey, Jeff + triplets funtimes! I guess he doesn’t get troublesome until school starts. Well, he gets a bit cranky here re: the ghost, but that’s about it. Dawn-Jeff is one of my favorite BSC sibling relationships and I’m going to miss their Connecticut latchkey kid adventures, even though it was only for a short time.
Is Jeff a strict vegetarian? I seem to remember him being the ‘rebel’ of the Schafers when it comes to vegetarianism but idk. Maybe I’m just thinking of Island Adventure and the fish (which they had no choice but to eat).
He grabbed me at the waist, and followed me out of my room and into Mom’s. We looked like two little kids playing choo-choo train. I love this! One of my brothers and me have the exact same age gap as them, and we would totally do this during blackouts.
As for Sharon, were Granny and Pop-Pop trying to set her up with non-Richard men? Tsk. I gotta give her kudos for having more ghost story cred than her kids, pointing out that 'proper' ghosts float through walls. :)
BSC things Nice to have official confirmation that Dawn and Claudia do swap books occasionally.
Mary Anne showing Myriah their ‘secret window’ (that used to be Kristy’s) is so bittersweet! I get MA’s resentment at first.
“No. I’m afraid of all the things I can’t see that the dark is hiding.” I know this probably wasn’t intentional, but all I could think about was Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic where she learns about her maternal grandparents.
By far my favorite thing about this book is how Stacey and Mary Anne walk out of ghost stories and scheme and laugh hysterically together. <3 They have this new rapport now thanks to their summer experience and it is lovely. Stacey in particular has way too much fun sneaking around in this book, and she totes deserves it after all the Sea City heartbreak.
I have to laugh that Kristy and Claudia come prepared with junk food to Dawn’s sleepover!
Baby-sitting James Anderson Newton – omg, Claudia full-names him! Like a MOM would! <3 And I like how we never do learn exactly how Jamie goes to sleep. :D and then remembered that the Pike kids are allowed to eat whatever they want (within reason). *snorts*
It’s very sweet of Dee to remember Dawn’s traumatic experience with the Barrets when they’re talking about Nicky. Poor, poor Nicky.
Secret passage Yeah, I really don’t know how I could sleep, if something like that were in my house and leading to the outside. That said, I also used to knock around my old house’s walls to listen for hollow sounds, and I blame it on BSC (and Bobbsey Twins!) books.
And finally, man, I had SUCH a thing for the Old Stoneybrooke subplots! I love how they all connect too, like this one eventually does with Old Man Hickory and the mystery diary.
“No. I’m afraid of all the things I can’t see that the dark is hiding.” I know this probably wasn’t intentional, but all I could think about was Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic where she learns about her maternal grandparents.
Dawn feeling like her dad isn't really his old "father" self was affecting, I don't remember how their relationship develops but I can see why she'd want to reconnect with him more down the line.
Chewbacca reference!
The Buffalo nickel dates from 1913-1938, not that old. But I guess Dawn doesn't have the benefit of Wikipedia. :p
"She’s such a ‘fraidy cat." <- Dawn on Mary Anne, re: the barn. A little bit hypocritical after her own panicking a few chapters ago!
- Ordinarily, we’re really into health food, but Jeff goes sort of crazy over chocolate cake. Omg I love little character facts like this. Does this ever come up again?
- I've always thought Dawn can be pretty cynical but 'Disneyland Daddy' still kind of took my breath away for a moment.
- I love that we get a little summary of Stacey and Mary Anne's Sea City babysitting adventures.
- I still don't know how I'm supposed to pronounce Myriah. In my head I alternate between Myra and Mariah.
- Yesss, hunting for a secret passage on a rainy day! I *love* this sort of stuff haha.
- Stacey let out a little gasp. Then she giggled. “We’re creeping ourselves out, you know. This is just a silly storm.” “I know,” said Mary Anne, “but it’s fun to creep ourselves out. We should take advantage of this super-creepy weather.” Agreed, Mary Anne. 100%.
- lmao, Stacey and Mary Anne scaring the others ♥
- Aw, Mary Anne feeling sad at the Perkins' house. :(
- Dawn getting panicky over not being able to find Nicky :( I like this little continuity nod after what happened to Buddy.
- Kristy paused. Karen’s stories are notorious. She never means to frighten anyone or to cause any trouble, but she always manages to. SHE DOES MEAN IT. SHE TOTALLY MEANS IT. Ugggh I'm so sick of the constant excuses for Karen's shitty behaviour.
- Okay but all the kids piled into Kristy's bed is absolutely adorable.
- Man, look at Sharon dating half of Stoneybrook! Live it up, girl.
- “Um, Jeff,” I managed to say, “I don’t want to scare you, but this passage is haunted – by an angry ghost. The ghost of someone who was locked up here to die a long time ago.” “Oh, for cripe’s sakes,” said Jeff. He gave me a really disgusted look. “You have got to be kidding.”
lmao, I'm with you, Jeff.
- “Mr. Gwynne’s name is Trip,” was all I could answer. “Trip. Can you believe it?” Jeff laughed. “Oh, yeah. Man, that is so cool,” he said sarcastically. “I bet he wears pink socks and alligator shirts and his friends call him, like, the Trip-Man or something.” “I bet he plays golf,” said Jeff, with a snort of laughter. “I bet his idea of an amusing afternoon is balancing his checkbook. And,” I added, “I bet he has real short hair, wears wire-rim glasses, and has gray eyes, but wears contacts to make them look blue.”
lmao, all of this is amazing ♥
- Omg I *love* the Jared Mullray stuff. I want fic about it. I want Ye Olde Stoneybrooke fic.
- The image of Mr. Newton teaching Jamie silly little songs has melted my stone cold heart. ♥
- James Anderson Newton. Aw! I love middle names! Minor character facts are my jam. I'm surprised his middle name isn't Roger, though!
- Omg Mary Anne's first glimpse of Cam Geary. IT STARTS.
- Lmao Mary Anne just squeezing past Dawn in the secret passage and then trying to lock her in, omg.
- BSC slumber party! :D
- All their plans for the last few days of summer, omg. I've said it before but I *love* how close these girls are ♥
The Jeff subplot in the later books gets so sad, but I was so amused by his 100% refusal to give a shit in this one. :D
I always loooved the Old Stoneybrooke mysteries - like, the one with Christina Thomas who may or may not be Kristy's ancestor? Or the one with the star-crossed lovers in the haunted mansion? So my jam.
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stoneybrook2016-06-26 11:48 am
no subject
As a kid, Jack Schafer always struck me as really flaky (he wasn’t one of my favorite BSC parents), so I was amused to see Dawn label him as turning into Disneyland Daddy.
Jeff seems pretty well-adjusted and happy in this book. And hey, Jeff + triplets funtimes! I guess he doesn’t get troublesome until school starts. Well, he gets a bit cranky here re: the ghost, but that’s about it. Dawn-Jeff is one of my favorite BSC sibling relationships and I’m going to miss their Connecticut latchkey kid adventures, even though it was only for a short time.
Is Jeff a strict vegetarian? I seem to remember him being the ‘rebel’ of the Schafers when it comes to vegetarianism but idk. Maybe I’m just thinking of Island Adventure and the fish (which they had no choice but to eat).
He grabbed me at the waist, and followed me out of my room and into Mom’s. We looked like two little kids playing choo-choo train. I love this! One of my brothers and me have the exact same age gap as them, and we would totally do this during blackouts.
As for Sharon, were Granny and Pop-Pop trying to set her up with non-Richard men? Tsk. I gotta give her kudos for having more ghost story cred than her kids, pointing out that 'proper' ghosts float through walls. :)
BSC things
Nice to have official confirmation that Dawn and Claudia do swap books occasionally.
Mary Anne showing Myriah their ‘secret window’ (that used to be Kristy’s) is so bittersweet! I get MA’s resentment at first.
“No. I’m afraid of all the things I can’t see that the dark is hiding.” I know this probably wasn’t intentional, but all I could think about was Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic where she learns about her maternal grandparents.
By far my favorite thing about this book is how Stacey and Mary Anne walk out of ghost stories and scheme and laugh hysterically together. <3 They have this new rapport now thanks to their summer experience and it is lovely. Stacey in particular has way too much fun sneaking around in this book, and she totes deserves it after all the Sea City heartbreak.
I have to laugh that Kristy and Claudia come prepared with junk food to Dawn’s sleepover!
Baby-sitting
James Anderson Newton – omg, Claudia full-names him! Like a MOM would! <3 And I like how we never do learn exactly how Jamie goes to sleep. :D
and then remembered that the Pike kids are allowed to eat whatever they want (within reason). *snorts*
It’s very sweet of Dee to remember Dawn’s traumatic experience with the Barrets when they’re talking about Nicky. Poor, poor Nicky.
Secret passage
Yeah, I really don’t know how I could sleep, if something like that were in my house and leading to the outside. That said, I also used to knock around my old house’s walls to listen for hollow sounds, and I blame it on BSC (and Bobbsey Twins!) books.
And finally, man, I had SUCH a thing for the Old Stoneybrooke subplots! I love how they all connect too, like this one eventually does with Old Man Hickory and the mystery diary.
no subject
(Anonymous) 2016-07-01 01:56 am (UTC)(link)no subject
Ohhhh :( :( :(
no subject
Chewbacca reference!
The Buffalo nickel dates from 1913-1938, not that old. But I guess Dawn doesn't have the benefit of Wikipedia. :p
"She’s such a ‘fraidy cat." <- Dawn on Mary Anne, re: the barn. A little bit hypocritical after her own panicking a few chapters ago!
no subject
Omg I love little character facts like this. Does this ever come up again?
- I've always thought Dawn can be pretty cynical but 'Disneyland Daddy' still kind of took my breath away for a moment.
- I love that we get a little summary of Stacey and Mary Anne's Sea City babysitting adventures.
- I still don't know how I'm supposed to pronounce Myriah. In my head I alternate between Myra and Mariah.
- Yesss, hunting for a secret passage on a rainy day! I *love* this sort of stuff haha.
- Stacey let out a little gasp. Then she giggled. “We’re creeping ourselves out, you know. This is just a silly storm.”
“I know,” said Mary Anne, “but it’s fun to creep ourselves out. We should take advantage of this super-creepy weather.”
Agreed, Mary Anne. 100%.
- lmao, Stacey and Mary Anne scaring the others ♥
- Aw, Mary Anne feeling sad at the Perkins' house. :(
- Dawn getting panicky over not being able to find Nicky :( I like this little continuity nod after what happened to Buddy.
- Kristy paused. Karen’s stories are notorious. She never means to frighten anyone or to cause any trouble, but she always manages to.
SHE DOES MEAN IT. SHE TOTALLY MEANS IT. Ugggh I'm so sick of the constant excuses for Karen's shitty behaviour.
- Okay but all the kids piled into Kristy's bed is absolutely adorable.
- Man, look at Sharon dating half of Stoneybrook! Live it up, girl.
- “Um, Jeff,” I managed to say, “I don’t want to scare you, but this passage is haunted – by an angry ghost. The ghost of someone who was locked up here to die a long time ago.”
“Oh, for cripe’s sakes,” said Jeff. He gave me a really disgusted look. “You have got to be kidding.”
lmao, I'm with you, Jeff.
- “Mr. Gwynne’s name is Trip,” was all I could answer. “Trip. Can you believe it?”
Jeff laughed. “Oh, yeah. Man, that is so cool,” he said sarcastically.
“I bet he wears pink socks and alligator shirts and his friends call him, like, the Trip-Man or something.”
“I bet he plays golf,” said Jeff, with a snort of laughter.
“I bet his idea of an amusing afternoon is balancing his checkbook. And,” I added, “I bet he has real short hair, wears wire-rim glasses, and has gray eyes, but wears contacts to make them look blue.”
lmao, all of this is amazing ♥
- Omg I *love* the Jared Mullray stuff. I want fic about it. I want Ye Olde Stoneybrooke fic.
- The image of Mr. Newton teaching Jamie silly little songs has melted my stone cold heart. ♥
- James Anderson Newton. Aw! I love middle names! Minor character facts are my jam. I'm surprised his middle name isn't Roger, though!
- Omg Mary Anne's first glimpse of Cam Geary. IT STARTS.
- Lmao Mary Anne just squeezing past Dawn in the secret passage and then trying to lock her in, omg.
- BSC slumber party! :D
- All their plans for the last few days of summer, omg. I've said it before but I *love* how close these girls are ♥
no subject
I always loooved the Old Stoneybrooke mysteries - like, the one with Christina Thomas who may or may not be Kristy's ancestor? Or the one with the star-crossed lovers in the haunted mansion? So my jam.
no subject
(Anonymous) 2016-07-16 12:49 am (UTC)(link)no subject
(Anonymous) 2016-08-14 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)I love their attitude to Trip too. Very funny.