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library_of_joanne's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
seejennread's review against another edition
4.0
Jessi's mom has decided to go back to work and they need somebody to watch Squirt during the day and Becca after school. So Jessi's dad's sister, Aunt Cecelia, is going to move in with them. She's apparently way older than her brother, because she is a widow(er?) with grown kids and doesn't want to live at home alone anymore. Jessi and Becca are horrified by this turn of events, but of course, they don't sit down and have a rational discussion with their parents. No, they decide to play stupid pranks on her to make her want to leave. Because pranks always work out well. Aunt Cecelia moves in with a UHaul stuffed full of all her old crap and they have to cram it in anywhere it will fit. Jessi is upset because her room doesn't say "Jessi" anymore but "Jessi and some old lady" haha!!
Full review here!
Full review here!
grapeapril75's review
4.0
Fantastic books for young girls getting into reading!! Great stories about friendship and life lessons. The characters deal with all sorts of situations and often find responsible solutions to problems.
I loved this series growing up and wanted to start my own babysitting business with friends. Great lessons in entrepreneurship for tweens.
The books may be dated with out references to modern technology but the story stands and lessons are still relevant.
Awesome books that girls will love! And the series grows with them! Terrific Author!
I loved this series growing up and wanted to start my own babysitting business with friends. Great lessons in entrepreneurship for tweens.
The books may be dated with out references to modern technology but the story stands and lessons are still relevant.
Awesome books that girls will love! And the series grows with them! Terrific Author!
jemimaannie's review against another edition
challenging
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ses1978's review
5.0
What happens when Jessi’s aunt moves in and the elementary school has a science fair? Will the challenges of Aunt Cecilia calm down? Find out in this installment of the Baby-Sitter’s Club.
mdevlin923's review
3.0
Jessi's Aunt Cecilia has moved into the house to look after the Ramsey children while their parents work. Jessi is upset by this...because she is old enough to take care of herself and because Aunt Cecilia is incredibly strict. At first Jessi and Becca play pranks on Aunt Cecilia as payback, but they both learn that they need to communicate and everything is resolved.
situationnormal's review
4.0
I had to go slightly out of order because the person who has the previous book out is apparently going to keep it for the rest of their lives--and, naturally, this book is one of the ones that refers to the previous book constantly. That said, I'm honestly still surprised by how much I love the younger girls' narration. Jessi and Mal can be slightly less bratty than the other girls (Jessi was pretty bratty in this one, but it seemed at least mostly justified.)
I love Jessi's family too--maybe because Becca reminds me of myself as a kid. Not as reclusive as Charlotte, but still shy and terrified of confrontation (I love the line about going to the guillotine when she had to spend time with her aunt). Plus, I can certainly still relate, even as an adult, to having new people move into your home and change up your routines. It sucks, but it can be improved upon.
Bonus points for lots of Jackie!
I love Jessi's family too--maybe because Becca reminds me of myself as a kid. Not as reclusive as Charlotte, but still shy and terrified of confrontation (I love the line about going to the guillotine when she had to spend time with her aunt). Plus, I can certainly still relate, even as an adult, to having new people move into your home and change up your routines. It sucks, but it can be improved upon.
Bonus points for lots of Jackie!
bibliotequeish's review against another edition
As a kid my best friends sister had the whole BSC series on a book shelf in her room. I thought she was so grown up. And I envied this bookshelf. And would often poke my head into that room just to look at it.
And when I read BSC, I felt like such a grown up.
And while I might have still been a little too young to understand some of the issues dealt with in these books, I do appreciated that Ann M. Martin tackled age appropriate issues, some being deeper than others, but still important.
jamietherebelliousreader's review against another edition
4.0
4 stars. I always love Jessi books. She’s such a great character one of my favorites in the group. This one was a lot of fun and I liked the little battle she had going on with her Aunt Cecilia (aka Aunt Dictator. LOL) and the science fair side story was cute as well. Loved it.
daybreak1012's review against another edition
1.0
Before I get to my actual review, a quick disclaimer: Ever since I learned that Netflix was reimagining one of my favorite childhood book series, I had decided that I would be embarking on a re-read of this series, reliving a series of books that helped to shape me into a voracious reader. I am so excited to embark on this travel back in time. I don't expect to be mentally stimulated -- I mean, I'm not exactly a pre-teen middle-schooler these days -- but I make no apology for choosing to enjoy this series from the perspective of adulthood. Don't expect me to have any sort of psychoanalyst or feminist sermonizing on the appropriateness of the situations or the effects on a young girl reading these books; there's plenty of that to go around already. I'm here for the nostalgia and the meander down memory lane.
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I knew going into this one that it wasn't going to be my favorite, but in my mission to re-read the series, I knew I had to see it through with Aunt Dictator. I mean it's not like these take much time or effort to read. And sometimes the subplot is still fun or I get surprised by something I don't remember, so onward we go.
What I liked about Jessi's Baby-Sitter:
Jessi's parents - I had to really stretch with this one. I mean, I did like the way they chose to handle their home situation. (They were admittedly a lot more gracious about it than I believe I would have been!)
Jessi's unexpected snark - Jessi is typically so sweet and gentle in her demeanor, so I must admit that I was delighted to see this side of her. Was she a bit disrespectful here and there? Yes, but she was so relatable in those moments that I was willing to overlook it for the entertainment value.
What I didn't care for:
The whole Aunt Cecilia schtick - I feel as if, being an adult ::sigh::, I probably should have had the maturity of finding her situation sympathetic to some degree but I just did not like her. She was overbearing with the Ramsey children, even bordering on mean at times, but what's more, who on God's green earth does think she is coming into their home and overruling the way Jessi's parents run their household? It was one thing to consider herself "above" the children, but her own brother and his wife too??
The predictable bandwagon - Why is it that when one of the BSC charges decides to participate in some event or project, inevitably with the assistance of one of our favorite sitters, every single other sitter ends up with their own kids also participating? It would be nice if, every now and again, there could be a solo act.
Minimal time spent with anyone who wasn't Jessi - Don't get me wrong, Jessi is one of my favorites in the series, but other than a quick chapter with Kristy and another with Stacey, it felt like everything revolved around the Ramseys.
My original rating for this book was one star. I toyed briefly with upping it to 1.25 but ultimately I couldn't justify even that. There just wasn't enough redeeming value to increase it. This one was a terrible as I remembered from my childhood.
What I liked about Jessi's Baby-Sitter:
Jessi's parents - I had to really stretch with this one. I mean, I did like the way they chose to handle their home situation. (They were admittedly a lot more gracious about it than I believe I would have been!)
Jessi's unexpected snark - Jessi is typically so sweet and gentle in her demeanor, so I must admit that I was delighted to see this side of her. Was she a bit disrespectful here and there? Yes, but she was so relatable in those moments that I was willing to overlook it for the entertainment value.
What I didn't care for:
The whole Aunt Cecilia schtick - I feel as if, being an adult ::sigh::, I probably should have had the maturity of finding her situation sympathetic to some degree but I just did not like her. She was overbearing with the Ramsey children, even bordering on mean at times, but what's more, who on God's green earth does think she is coming into their home and overruling the way Jessi's parents run their household? It was one thing to consider herself "above" the children, but her own brother and his wife too??
The predictable bandwagon - Why is it that when one of the BSC charges decides to participate in some event or project, inevitably with the assistance of one of our favorite sitters, every single other sitter ends up with their own kids also participating? It would be nice if, every now and again, there could be a solo act.
Minimal time spent with anyone who wasn't Jessi - Don't get me wrong, Jessi is one of my favorites in the series, but other than a quick chapter with Kristy and another with Stacey, it felt like everything revolved around the Ramseys.
My original rating for this book was one star. I toyed briefly with upping it to 1.25 but ultimately I couldn't justify even that. There just wasn't enough redeeming value to increase it. This one was a terrible as I remembered from my childhood.