Zaiba and Poppy have a new friend, Olivia, whose family has recently moved to Oakwood Manor. This home has a long and interesting history and there are plenty of rooms to explore, some of which have secrets to uncover.
There’s also one other minor detail; the Manor is haunted. Plates have been smashed, furniture moves on its own, items have gone missing and now sinister messages have been found within the home.
“Wow, that’s a lot of creepy stuff. Why do you live here again?”
Although, not everyone agrees that this is a case for the Ghostbusters.
“From a scientific point of view, there is absolutely no hard evidence to prove that ghosts exist.”
Zaiba’s brother, Ali, may be right about that but whether the cause of the disturbances is supernatural or otherwise, it’s definitely something the Snow Leopard Detective Agency UK are going to figure out. They have their next case and some extra investigators to help them solve it.
Ali also has a new friend, Olivia’s younger sister, Flora. Ali and Flora both share a love of knowledge so they’re well matched. There are also Ade and Layla, whose parents are guests at the party Olivia’s parents are hosting.
I would love to live in Olivia’s new home. Befitting a good mystery, there are secret passages and there’s even a murphy door in the library. This home has its very own library! 😍
While adult me solved the mystery alongside Zaiba, kid me probably would have been befuddled by all of the people acting suspiciously.
You could jump straight into this investigation without getting lost but some details of previous investigations are mentioned, so I’d recommend reading the series in order.
I always enjoy Daniela Sosa’s illustrations and they help bring the story alive here. From highlighting friendships to pointing out the clues (or are they red herrings?), the details line up well with the text.
Stick around after you solve the investigation for some fun extras: detective tips, some Oakwood Manor history, information about jinn, fun things to do during a sleepover, a recipe, jokes and an excerpt from Zaiba’s first investigation.
If there were two things that went well together, it was chocolate mousse and crime solving!
I’m already looking forward to Zaiba’s next investigation, The Smuggler’s Secret.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Stripes Publishing, an imprint of Little Tiger Group, for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Determined to be the world’s greatest detective, Zaiba is always on the lookout for a crime to solve!
When a new family moves to the village, Zaiba is intrigued to hear about the strange happenings in their home. Things go missing, objects are smashed and unfriendly messages are painted on the walls. There have always been rumours that the house is haunted, but is a ghost really causing all this trouble? Zaiba and her team are convinced that the culprit is very much alive – and won’t stop until they get what they want…
The third book in a fun, fresh and exciting new detective series, for readers not quite ready for Robin Stevens, Katherine Woodfine, High Rise Mystery and Nancy Drew.
Welcome to It’s Not 2020 Anymore, formerly known as January. I hope you are safe and well.
I’m changing things up a bit this year. Last year I did Book Haul posts weekly but these will now be coming out at the end of each month.
I moved this month so there hasn’t been as much time for reading and moving costs have meant there hasn’t been as much money for books. Hopefully things will begin to settle down soon so I’ll be able to binge read again.
I started a Baby-Sitters Club binge last month (I’ve been planning on reading the entire series for years now) and am hoping to keep chipping away at the bazillion books in the series throughout the year.
BookishHighlight: Theodora Hendrix and the Monstrous League of Monsters. I borrowed this from the library because I loved the cover. It was an unexpected gem. The main character is a lot of fun, there’s a haunted mansion, monsters and a mystery. And it’s the first in a series so I’ll get to hang out with my favourite characters and explore the mansion again.
“Welcome to the Hooflands. We’re happy to have you, even if you being here means something’s coming.”
Regan loves, and is loved, though her school-friend situation has become complicated, of late.
When she suddenly finds herself thrust through a doorway that asks her to “Be Sure” before swallowing her whole, Regan must learn to live in a world filled with centaurs, kelpies, and other magical equines – a world that expects its human visitors to step up and be heroes.
But after embracing her time with the herd, Regan discovers that not all forms of heroism are equal, and not all quests are as they seem …
‘Welcome, one and all, to the Robofight Games!’
Last week Ethan was just a teenage kid, lying in hospital with a brain tumour. That was last week.
Now, Ethan has the super-human power to hack any computer system with his mind, and he and Dr Penny are on the run from a corrupt government, and on the hunt for Gemini, the android healer-turned-deadly assassin.
The Robofight Games might be the perfect cover for their mission. Or they might find themselves in even more trouble …
Robot vs robot. Human vs human. Country vs country. Who will cheat, and who will WIN?
Kindle Black Hole of Good Intentions
The Women’s Murder Club returns for another thrilling crime investigation. Will their skills be enough to take down a brutal madman?
A brutal madman sprays bullets into a crowd of children leaving a San Francisco church. Miraculously – or was it intentionally? – only one person dies. Then an elderly black woman is hung. Police homicide inspector Lindsay Boxer senses a connection and together with medical examiner Claire, assistant D. A. Jill, and Chronicle reporter Cindy, finds a link that sends a chill through the entire nation. This killer’s motives are unspeakable.
In this debut issue of Weird Whispers we bring you a loose theme of origins. Paul Jessup gives us the first installment in his regular “Surveying the Weird” column, choosing to kick off with a focus on the weird side of winter in “Snow Weirds the World.”
Filled with a colourful and unforgettable cast of literary figures, The House at the End of Hope Street is a charming, whimsical novel of hope and feminine wisdom.
Distraught that her academic career has stalled, Alba is walking through her hometown of Cambridge, England, when she finds herself in front of a house she’s never seen before, 11 Hope Street. A beautiful older woman named Peggy greets her and invites her to stay, on the house’s usual conditions: she has ninety-nine nights to turn her life around. With nothing left to lose, Alba takes a chance and moves in.
She soon discovers that this is no ordinary house. Past residents have included Virginia Woolf and Dorothy Parker, who, after receiving the assistance they needed, hung around to help newcomers – literally, in talking portraits on the wall. As she escapes into this new world, Alba begins a journey that will heal her wounds – and maybe even save her life.
Since her parents’ mysterious deaths many years ago, scientist Cora Sparks has spent her days in the safety of her university lab or at her grandmother Etta’s dress shop. Tucked away on a winding Cambridge street, Etta’s charming tiny store appears quite ordinary to passersby, but the colorfully vibrant racks of beaded silks, delicate laces, and jewel-toned velvets hold bewitching secrets: With just a few stitches from Etta’s needle, these gorgeous gowns have the power to free a woman’s deepest desires.
Etta’s dearest wish is to work her magic on her granddaughter. Cora’s studious, unromantic eye has overlooked Walt, the shy bookseller who has been in love with her forever. Determined not to allow Cora to miss her chance at happiness, Etta sews a tiny stitch into Walt’s collar, hoping to give him the courage to confess his feelings to Cora. But magic spells – like true love – can go awry. After Walt is spurred into action, Etta realises she’s set in motion a series of astonishing events that will transform Cora’s life in extraordinary and unexpected ways.
Jude is the owner of a rather special antiques shop in Cambridge. She finds all of the joy in her life matching people with the special something that they are missing, a talisman that will help bring them just what their heart most desires. Although Jude’s life is certainly not overflowing with the love she would wish for … when she ‘inherits’ a niece that she never knew existed, doubling her meagre family overnight, life is set to get a lot less empty and a lot more interesting.
Viola is on a quest for perfection and the top job of Head Chef at one of Cambridge’s most prestigious restaurants to the exclusion of all else. When her path continues to cross that of widower and food historian Mathieu, she starts to see that there’s a lot to life beyond the kitchen that she’s been missing out on.
In a forgotten nook of Cambridge a little shop stands where thousands of sheets of beautiful paper and hundreds of exquisite pens wait for the next person who, with Clara Cohen’s help, will express the love, despair and desire they feel to correspondents alive, estranged or dead. Clara knows better than most the power a letter can have to turn a person’s life around, so when she discovers a cache of wartime love letters, she follows them on the start of on a profound journey of her own.
Amandine Bisset has always had the power to feel the emotions of those around her. It’s a secret she can share only with her friends – all professors, all witches – when they gather for meetings on the college rooftops. Although lately she senses the ties among her colleagues beginning to unravel. If only she had her student Noa’s power to hear the innermost thoughts of others, she might know how to patch things up.
Mathematics professor Kat is struggling with unrequited love, but refuses to cast spells to win anyone’s heart. Her sister, Cosima, is not above using such magic, sprinkling pastries in her bakery with equal parts sugar and enchantment. But when Cosima sets her sights on the love of Kat’s life, she sets off a chain of events that turns each of the witches’ worlds upside down …
In a quest for a simpler life, Helen and Nate abandon the comforts of suburbia and their teaching jobs to take up residence on forty-four acres of rural land where they will begin the ultimate, aspirational do-it-yourself project: building the house of their dreams. When they discover that this charming property has a dark and violent past, Helen, a former history teacher, becomes consumed by the legend of Hattie Breckenridge, a woman who lived and died there a century ago.
As Helen starts carefully sourcing decorative building materials for her home – wooden beams, mantles, historic bricks – she starts to unearth, and literally conjure, the tragic lives of Hattie’s descendants, three generations of “Breckenridge women,” each of whom died amidst suspicion, and who seem to still be seeking something precious and elusive in the present day.
Kitsune shapeshifter Yumeko has given up the final piece of the Scroll of a Thousand Prayers in order to save everyone she loves from imminent death. Now she and her ragtag band of companions must journey to the wild sea cliffs of Iwagoto in a desperate last-chance effort to stop the Master of Demons from calling upon the Great Kami dragon and making the wish that will plunge the empire into destruction and darkness.
Shadow clan assassin Kage Tatsumi has regained control of his body and agreed to a true deal with the devil – the demon inside him, Hakaimono. They will share his body and work with Yumeko and their companions to stop a madman and separate Hakaimono from Tatsumi and the cursed sword that had trapped the demon for nearly a millennium.
But even with their combined skills and powers, this most unlikely team of heroes knows the forces of evil may be impossible to overcome. And there is another player in the battle for the scroll, a player who has been watching, waiting for the right moment to pull strings that no one even realised existed … until now.
Worshippers stream out of an Midwestern synagogue after sabbath services, unaware that only a hundred yards away, an expert marksman and avowed racist, antisemite and member of the Ku Klux Klan, patiently awaits, his hunting rifle at the ready.
The October 8, 1977 shooting was a forerunner to the tragedies and divisiveness that plague us today. John Douglas, the FBI’s pioneering, first full-time criminal profiler, hunted the shooter – a white supremacist named Joseph Paul Franklin, whose Nazi-inspired beliefs propelled a three-year reign of terror across the United States, targeting African Americans, Jews, and interracial couples. In addition, Franklin bombed the home of Jewish leader Morris Amitay, shot and paralyzed Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt, and seriously wounded civil rights leader Vernon Jordan. The fugitive supported his murderous spree robbing banks in five states, from Georgia to Ohio.
Douglas and his writing partner Mark Olshaker return to this disturbing case that reached the highest levels of the Bureau, which was fearful Franklin would become a presidential assassin x and haunted him for years to come as the threat of copycat domestic terrorist killers increasingly became a reality. Detailing the dogged pursuit of Franklin that employed profiling, psychology and meticulous detective work, Douglas and Olshaker relate how the case was a make-or-break test for the still-experimental behavioural science unit and revealed a new type of, determined, mission-driven serial killer whose only motivation was hate.
A riveting, cautionary tale rooted in history that continues to echo today, The Killer’s Shadow is a terrifying and essential exploration of the criminal personality in the vile grip of extremism and what happens when rage-filled speech evolves into deadly action and hatred of the “other” is allowed full reign.
This compassionate and insightful guide will demystify mental health issues and help anyone concerned about themselves or loved ones.
Leading psychiatrist Dr Mark Cross, from the acclaimed ABC TV series ‘Changing Minds’, feels strongly that everyone should have easy access to information they can trust about common mental health problems, whether for themselves or to help family or friends. The result is this empowering guide which aims to cut through the myths and taboos about mental health and offer clear, practical help. It covers a wide range of common issues, from bipolar, anxiety, personality and eating disorders, to depression, post-traumatic stress and schizophrenia, and includes how to get help, what treatments are available and how to live successfully with a mental illness. Most importantly, it shows how carers and families can help a loved one through what can be a very challenging time. Since almost half of all Australians will experience a mental health issue at some point in their lifetime, this book is for everyone.
Leon Weissmann is an introverted loner with no control over his life. His only joy is the menagerie of insects, spiders, and scorpions he tends to in his garage.
When he acquires an illegally poached rainforest spider, he unknowingly contracts a rare strain of fungus that enables him to control people, to make them do anything he wants.
As his power grows, Leon begins to abuse it until there are bodies in his wake and a coterie of brainwashed disciples under his influence. But soon Leon suspects that the thing growing inside his head may be the one with the power … It wants to come out. To reproduce. It wants to control everyone.
A collection of three powerfully disturbing novellas by multiple award-winning author, Stephen Graham Jones.
There are lines that probably shouldn’t be crossed, doors that should stay shut, thoughts that shouldn’t be considered. In these three novellas by Stephen Graham Jones, the dead talk, ancient evil opens its eyes, and that guy across the parking lot, he’s watching you, and has been for a while now.
Lock the door, tell yourself it’s nothing, turn the radio up. It won’t matter. You’re already three miles past where you meant to stop.
For his entire life, Charley Sutherland has concealed a magical ability he can’t quite control: he can bring characters from books into the real world. His older brother, Rob – a young lawyer with a normal house, a normal fiancee, and an utterly normal life – hopes that this strange family secret will disappear with disuse, and he will be discharged from his life’s duty of protecting Charley and the real world from each other. But then, literary characters start causing trouble in their city, making threats about destroying the world … and for once, it isn’t Charley’s doing.
There’s someone else who shares his powers. It’s up to Charley and a reluctant Rob to stop them, before these characters tear apart the fabric of reality.
Secret Seekers Society and the Beast of Bladenboro follows the young protagonists Hunter Glenn and Elly Ann through an adventure ripe with adversity, paranormal monsters, secret societies, and most haunting of all, a life without their parents. Both siblings suffer emotional struggle from the sudden loss of their parents, as well as their physical journey into a new and strange “home”; an ancient and creepy mansion known only as the Belmonte Estate. The children slowly unravel the secrets of their parents’ true identities, the origin of the strange mansion and their inheritance into an ancient secret society of monster hunters.
NetGalley
From the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Radium Girls comes another dark and dramatic but ultimately uplifting tale of a forgotten woman whose inspirational journey sparked lasting change for women’s rights and exposed injustices that still resonate today.
1860: As the clash between the states rolls slowly to a boil, Elizabeth Packard, housewife and mother of six, is facing her own battle. The enemy sits across the table and sleeps in the next room. Her husband of twenty-one years is plotting against her because he feels increasingly threatened – by Elizabeth’s intellect, independence, and unwillingness to stifle her own thoughts. So Theophilus makes a plan to put his wife back in her place. One summer morning, he has her committed to an insane asylum.
The horrific conditions inside the Illinois State Hospital in Jacksonville, Illinois, are overseen by Dr. Andrew McFarland, a man who will prove to be even more dangerous to Elizabeth than her traitorous husband. But most disturbing is that Elizabeth is not the only sane woman confined to the institution. There are many rational women on her ward who tell the same story: they’ve been committed not because they need medical treatment, but to keep them in line – conveniently labeled “crazy” so their voices are ignored.
No one is willing to fight for their freedom and, disenfranchised both by gender and the stigma of their supposed madness, they cannot possibly fight for themselves. But Elizabeth is about to discover that the merit of losing everything is that you then have nothing to lose …
Bestselling author Kate Moore brings her sparkling narrative voice to The Woman They Could Not Silence, an unputdownable story of the forgotten woman who courageously fought for her own freedom – and in so doing freed millions more. Elizabeth’s refusal to be silenced and her ceaseless quest for justice not only challenged the medical science of the day, and led to a giant leap forward in human rights, it also showcased the most salutary lesson: sometimes, the greatest heroes we have are those inside ourselves.
Grey’s Anatomy meets One L in this psychiatrist’s charming and poignant memoir about his residency at Harvard.
Adam Stern was a student at a state medical school before being selected to train as a psychiatry resident at one of the most prestigious programs in the country. His new and initially intimidating classmates were high achievers from the Ivy League and other elite universities around the nation. Faculty raved about the group as though the residency program had won the lottery, nicknaming them “The Golden Class,” but would Stern ever prove that he belonged?
In his memoir, Stern pulls back the curtain on the intense and emotionally challenging lessons he and his fellow doctors learned while studying the human condition, and ultimately, the value of connection. The narrative focuses on these residents, their growth as doctors, and the life choices they make as they try to survive their grueling four-year residency. Rich with drama, insight, and emotion, Stern shares engrossing stories of life on the psychiatric wards, as well as the group’s experiences as they grapple with impostor syndrome and learn about love and loss. Most importantly, as they study how to help distressed patients in search of a better life, they discover the meaning of failure and the preciousness of success. Stern’s growth as a doctor, and as a man, have readers rooting for him and his patients, and ultimately find their own hearts fuller for having taken this journey with him.
Aidan disappeared for six days. Six agonising days of searches and police and questions and constant vigils. Then, just as suddenly as he vanished, Aidan reappears. Where has he been? The story he tells is simply … impossible. But it’s the story Aidan is sticking to.
His brother, Lucas, wants to believe him. But Lucas is aware of what other people, including their parents, are saying: that Aidan is making it all up to disguise the fact that he ran away.
When the kids in school hear Aidan’s story, they taunt him. But still Aidan clings to his story. And as he becomes more of an outcast, Lucas becomes more and more concerned. Being on Aidan’s side would mean believing in the impossible. But how can you believe in the impossible when everything and everybody is telling you not to?
A fizzingly funny, heartfelt middle-grade novel about a resourceful girl, her impractical mother and a kidnapping mystery.
Calla’s mum has never been normal. She’s been known to go out in a lab coat and slippers and often forgets to perform basic tasks because she’s been thinking about ducks. When a job offer arrives to study her beloved birds in the Amazon rainforest, Calla knows her mum has to go. Nervously, she agrees to go to boarding school.
She quickly learns that trouble is afoot in this odd convent school. A mean new headmistress is imposing horrible rules and making everyone eat Brussels sprout cake, and the students are itching to revolt. As Calla makes new friends and gets drawn into their rebellious plot, she keeps waiting for her mum to call. She will, won’t she?
Exuberantly funny and brimming with heart, How to Be Brave is a riotous celebration of the power of resourceful girls, stories and the right biscuit at the right time.
Within the boroughs of London, nestled among its streets, hides another city filled with magic.
Ever since Anna can remember, her aunt has warned her of the dangers of magic. She has taught her to fear how it twists and knots and turns into something dark and deadly.
It was, after all, magic that killed her parents and left her in her aunt’s care. It’s why she has been protected from the magical world and, in one year’s time, what little magic she has will be bound. She will join her aunt alongside the other Binders who believe magic is a sin not to be used, but denied. Only one more year and she will be free of the curse of magic, her aunt’s teachings and the disappointment of the little she is capable of.
Nothing – and no one – could change her mind before then. Could it?
Determined to be the world’s greatest detective, Zaiba is always on the lookout for a crime to solve!
When a new family moves to the village, Zaiba is intrigued to hear about the strange happenings in their home. Things go missing, objects are smashed and unfriendly messages are painted on the walls. There have always been rumours that the house is haunted, but is a ghost really causing all this trouble? Zaiba and her team are convinced that the culprit is very much alive – and won’t stop until they get what they want …
The third book in a fun, fresh and exciting new detective series, for readers not quite ready for Robin Stevens, Katherine Woodfine, High Rise Mystery and Nancy Drew.
Marjorie Glatt’s life hasn’t been the same ever since she discovered a group of ghosts hiding in her family’s laundromat. Wendell, who died young and now must wander Earth as a ghost with nothing more than a sheet for a body, soon became one of Marjorie’s only friends. But when Marjorie finally gets accepted by the popular kids at school, she begins to worry that if anyone learns about her secret ghost friends, she’ll be labeled as a freak who sees dead people. With Marjorie’s insistence on keeping Wendell’s ghost identity a secret from her new friends, Wendell begins to feel even more invisible than he already is.
Eliza Duncan feels invisible too. She’s an avid photographer, and her zealous interest in finding and photographing ghosts gets her labeled as “different” by all the other kids in school. Constantly feeling on the outside, Eliza begins to feel like a ghost herself. Marjorie must soon come to terms with the price she pays to be accepted by the popular kids. Is it worth losing her friend, Wendell? Is she partially to blame for the bullying Eliza endures?
Delicates tells a powerful story about what it means to fit in, and those left on the outside. It shows what it’s like to feel invisible, and the importance of feeling seen. Above all, it is a story of asking for help when all seems dark, and bringing help and light to those who need it most.
Once upon a time Ella had wished for more than her life as a lowly maid.
Now forced to work hard under the unforgiving, lecherous gaze of the man she once called stepfather, Ella’s only refuge is in the books she reads by candlelight, secreted away in the library she isn’t permitted to enter.
One night, among her beloved books of far-off lands, Ella’s wishes are answered. At the stroke of midnight, a fairy godmother makes her an offer that will change her life: seven wishes, hers to make as she pleases. But each wish comes at a price and Ella must to decide whether it’s one she’s willing to pay it.
A smouldering, terrifying new spin on Cinderella – perfect for fans of Laura Purcell and Erin Morgenstern.
That howling you hear at night? It’s not the wind, but a werewolf moaning at the moon. That tapping at your window? It’s not a branch, but a vampire inviting himself in for a snack of your blood. That creaking in the hallway? It’s not just “the house settling”, but a hag creeping towards your bedroom – they keep children as pets, you know.
You probably didn’t know monsters were real because of the Monster Secrecy Act but Theodora Hendrix knows about all of these monsters, and many more. She was adopted by a whole bunch of them when she was a baby.
But no one can ever know that she’s at the Monstrous League of Monsters mansion (it’s haunted, of course) or else there will be consequences for her monster kin.
“Harbouring a human is punishable by death”
Okay, really serious consequences.
Theodora goes to Appleton Primary School, where Ms Frumple has obviously been taking lessons in being a head teacher from the Trunchbull. We don’t like Ms Frumple. At all.
There’s also been someone delivering threatening letters to the Monstrous League of Monsters, someone who knows they’ve broken one of the rules of the Monstrous League of Monsters Charter.
1. Keep monsters hidden from humans
2. Protect humans from bad monsters
3. Help bad monsters become good monsters
But it’s not all bad news. Theodora has a new friend, a human friend, Dexter. And there’s a seemingly never ending supply of leftover pizza.
Theodora is a wonderful character. She’s strong, courageous and isn’t afraid of standing up for herself. Dexter, who compliments Theodora really well, is more reserved and much more concerned about following rules than his new friend.
This story was so imaginative and engaging. There was a fun mystery with some red herrings, great locations and enough quirkiness to hold my attention throughout the book.
Naturally, I want to live in the haunted mansion. There’s a secret passageway to explore, a squishy blue eyeball doorbell and I love Theodora’s bedroom.
There are also plenty of friendly monsters to hang out with, like Mummy the mummy, Georgie Hendrix the zombie, Bandit the masked vampire-cat, Helter-Skelter the skeleton butler, Hamlet the skull, Mousetrap the raven and Figaro the operatic ghost.
My personal favourite, though, was Sherman the tarantula, Theodora’s friend who’s “the cheese to her pizza”. He wears a top hat and monocles, and believes there isn’t a food that can’t be improved with strawberry jam.
Chris Jevons’ illustrations are absolutely adorable, with an Addams Family vibe. They bring the characters to life so well and although the details occasionally don’t line up perfectly with the text, the majority of the time they do. I particularly loved the cute little bats in the text breaks.
I can’t wait to continue this delightful series.
Oh, the password is “Coconut-fried cockroaches” but, shh! You didn’t hear it from me!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Monstrous League of Monsters Charter
Keep monsters hidden from humans
Protect humans from bad monsters
Help bad monsters become good monsters
Orphaned and raised by an … unconventional family, Theodora knows the importance of these rules more than most. And so far, it’s not been too hard to keep her monstrous home life a secret.
UNTIL NOW.
Someone is about to reveal everything, and it’s up to Theodora to save her family – fast!
Fourteen year old Ropa lives with her Gran and younger sister, Izwi. She’s got green dreadlocks, black lipstick and a sizeable chip on her shoulder. She’s also a ghostalker.
Me personally, I find the whole haunting business a bit pathetic.
But a girl’s got to pay the bills, so Ropa delivers messages from ghosts to their loved ones. Things have gotten a bit complicated recently because a particular ghost refuses to play by the terms and conditions. Their son is missing and they can’t move on until they know he’s okay. The problem is, this ghost doesn’t have any money and Ropa isn’t in the business of handing out charity.
I had trouble connecting with Ropa when I first met her. She is both book and street smart, but her book smarts can appear at odds with the slang and crass language she uses at times. Life hasn’t been easy for Ropa and as a result she’s built a fairly impenetrable wall around her. She softens when she’s around her family and you get to see another side of her when she’s with her friends but in the beginning she came across as someone I didn’t think I’d be able to get to know.
‘Meh. Tough world, get with the program.’
This book has ghosts, magic and a mysterious library, which is a pretty happy trifecta in my eyes. I met plenty of ghosts and got a taste of the magic that exists in Ropa’s Edinburgh but the reality of this book diverged from my expectations at times.
I had hoped to spend a great deal more time in the library. Hopefully it will be given more page time as the series progresses. The mystery was more prominent than I’d expected but I got sucked into it quite quickly. Although my expectations didn’t entirely line up with reality, I ended up really enjoying this read (once I got used to Ropa’s abrasiveness).
There are some characters I took to immediately and others that I don’t feel I know well enough to be able to form a strong opinion about yet. I loved Gran and look forward to getting to know her more as the series progresses. She’s someone who brings warmth and wisdom.
‘It’s in the most trying times, when we ourselves have nothing, that we mustn’t forget there are higher virtues like compassion, kindness and solidarity. Doing something when it is hard, because it is the right thing to do, matters more than doing it when it’s easy.’
However, I didn’t get much of a sense of Izwi’s personality. I’m fairly certain Jomo will begin to feel like more than a means to an end in future books but so far he hasn’t made a huge impression on me. Making up for him was Priya, who’s fearless and fantastic. I can’t wait to hang out with her again.
Ropa’s world is quite dark and there’s hints about the “catastrophe” that shook things up, but I anticipate there is a lot more information to come. I wondered if pop culture no longer exists here as many of the references aren’t current, even now.
The mystery of this book is solved but there’s a lot more this world has to offer. I’m hoping future books will allow me to spend more time in the library, teach me more of its magic, introduce me to many more ghosts and give me a lot more Gran and Priya time.
Quote of the book:
‘I’m just getting to like you; don’t die stupidly on me now.’
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
When ghosts talk, she will listen …
Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker – and she now speaks to Edinburgh’s dead, carrying messages to the living. A girl’s gotta earn a living, and it seems harmless enough. Until, that is, the dead whisper that someone’s bewitching children – leaving them husks, empty of joy and life. It’s on Ropa’s patch, so she feels honour bound to investigate. But what she learns will change her world.
She’ll dice with death (not part of her life plan …) as she calls on Zimbabwean magic and Scottish pragmatism to hunt down clues. For Edinburgh hides a wealth of secrets. And in the process, she discovers an occult library and some unexpected allies. Yet as shadows lengthen, will the hunter become the hunted?
It was a game of hide and seek that got old after five minutes, alarming after an hour, and the scariest thing that had ever happened to any of us after that.
Aidan couldn’t be found.
Lucas’ older brother, Aidan, disappeared without a trace for six days. Now he’s returned home and the story he tells about the time he was missing seems too strange to be true.
Where were you?
Nobody’s going to believe me.
I’ll believe you.
I don’t think you can.
I loved the interactions between the brothers as they navigated the suspicion surrounding Aidan’s story and the people who felt they deserved an explanation because they’d helped search for him. Lucas’ initial disbelief and his subsequent wavering between thinking Aidan’s story is impossible and wondering if it actually could be true was realistic, especially given Aidan’s propensity for telling his younger brother some far-fetched things in the past.
I liked Lucas, especially appreciating how much he wanted to believe what his brother was telling him and doing his best to protect him. I thought it was particularly appropriate that Lucas was studying Roanoke at school during the time immediately after Aidan’s return.
My favourite character was Aunt Brandi, whose wisdom and compassion made me wish she was my Aunt. I definitely wanted to spend more time with her. She managed to snag the best lines. I loved this one:
“It stretches credibility – but life stretches credibility all the time, to the point that credibility doesn’t have much credibility left, you know?”
I really wanted to learn more about the place Aidan spent his time while he was missing. Previous books I’ve read that feature portals spend a significant amount of time world building and oftentimes I’ve been able to travel to far flung worlds with the main character. But that’s not what this book is about; Aidan’s story is about the after.
Aidan was no longer missing, but now it was like the answers to his disappearance were missing instead.
What happens when you return from a place that others find unbelievable? How will your family, friends and the wider community respond to you? How will you adapt once again to this world, knowing you can’t return to the one you’ve so recently lived in? How do you do this life after experiencing another?
The entire time I was reading I kept thinking this is the perfect gateway book to Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series. As Aidan attempted to reacclimate himself to his life at home, I found myself wanting to refer him to Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children, a place where his experience would be believed and the complicated feelings he had about his return validated.
I only had a couple of nitpicks, but none of them prevented me from loving this book. While Lucas and Aidan’s relationship was both endearing and believable, they tended to speak as though they were older than 11 and 12. There was never any explanation provided for why Aidan described the maddoxes differently throughout the book.
While I understood his reasons for doing so, I was disappointed when Lucas made a decision on Aidan’s behalf towards the end of the book. I’d love to say more, but spoilers. I wanted Aidan to make that decision for himself, though.
Food I craved while reading: cinnamon rolls.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Text Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Aidan disappeared for six days. Six agonising days of searches and police and questions and constant vigils. Then, just as suddenly as he vanished, Aidan reappears. Where has he been? The story he tells is simply … impossible. But it’s the story Aidan is sticking to.
His brother, Lucas, wants to believe him. But Lucas is aware of what other people, including their parents, are saying: that Aidan is making it all up to disguise the fact that he ran away.
When the kids in school hear Aidan’s story, they taunt him. But still Aidan clings to his story. And as he becomes more of an outcast, Lucas becomes more and more concerned. Being on Aidan’s side would mean believing in the impossible. But how can you believe in the impossible when everything and everybody is telling you not to?
“Patients are people. We are people. Be a person with your patients, and you are already halfway there.”
Committed provides an overview of what it’s like to be a resident psychiatrist, from imposter syndrome to applying textbook knowledge to patients’ lives. Dr Stern was one of 15 residents in “The Golden Class” at Harvard Medical School, the “highest ranked class in the history of the program”. In this book, he explores the highs and lows of these four years in three Parts (years three and four are combined).
There was a greater focus on the other members of the class than I had expected. I loved Feelings class, where the residents were able to bond, process the emotions they experienced as interns and learn to “never worry alone”. I also hadn’t anticipated the amount of time dedicated to Dr Stern’s dating experiences during his internship. It was probably because of her name but it started to feel like I was in an episode of Friends when Dr Stern was figuring out if he should ever kiss Rachel. I did eventually get sucked into the ‘will they or won’t they?’ though.
“Always find out about the people behind your diagnoses. That’s the most important part of this whole deal.”
I enjoyed Dr Stern’s writing style and would be interested in reading about patients he treated after his time as an intern. I felt I got to know Jane reasonably well and loved her, although I’m not sure if it was because of or despite her constantly challenging Dr Stern.
When I read Lori Gottlieb’s Maybe You Should Talk to Someone I couldn’t help becoming emotionally invested in the lives of her patients. While I was interested in Dr Stern’s other patients’ stories, I didn’t become invested in most of them. Much of this could be put down to the transitory nature of residency; oftentimes Dr Stern would be introduced to a patient, start to treat them and then move on to a new rotation, not knowing how the patient fared over the long term himself.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to read this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Grey’s Anatomy meets One L in this psychiatrist’s charming and poignant memoir about his residency at Harvard.
Adam Stern was a student at a state medical school before being selected to train as a psychiatry resident at one of the most prestigious programs in the country. His new and initially intimidating classmates were high achievers from the Ivy League and other elite universities around the nation. Faculty raved about the group as though the residency program had won the lottery, nicknaming them “The Golden Class,” but would Stern ever prove that he belonged?
In his memoir, Stern pulls back the curtain on the intense and emotionally challenging lessons he and his fellow doctors learned while studying the human condition, and ultimately, the value of connection. The narrative focuses on these residents, their growth as doctors, and the life choices they make as they try to survive their grueling four-year residency. Rich with drama, insight, and emotion, Stern shares engrossing stories of life on the psychiatric wards, as well as the group’s experiences as they grapple with impostor syndrome and learn about love and loss. Most importantly, as they study how to help distressed patients in search of a better life, they discover the meaning of failure and the preciousness of success.
Stern’s growth as a doctor, and as a man, have readers rooting for him and his patients, and ultimately find their own hearts fuller for having taken this journey with him.
If you’re wondering why I’ve been uncharacteristically quiet recently, it’s because I haven’t finished a book in ten days and I am definitely not okay with that! I’m moving in three days so have been busy packing for the last 71,899,735 hours. That’s what just over a week feels like when you’re carefully putting books in boxes so you don’t hurt them instead of reading them.
Moving is always stressful but it’s going pretty well so far. I’m on track to finish packing before the moving truck arrives so I won’t have to be frantically chucking random stuff in boxes at the last minute. I’ve ditched some junk that I’ve been holding on to for reasons that now escape me.
But I really miss reading. It’s my primary self care activity and without it I feel somewhat unmoored. I keep reminding myself I’ve got plenty of highly anticipated reads lined up and ready to go as soon as I can get back into it. Once I finish my current read I’ll be getting to know Regan in Across the Green Grass Fields. She’s the next one who needs to “Be Sure” in Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series.
Even though I haven’t been reading I’ve managed to binge the first season of Evil, which I loved. I’ve also achieved one of my life goals: get Mum hooked on Supernatural.
Hopefully by the next time you hear from me I will have moved and finished reading a book. I’ve got a big couple of days ahead of me.
This is my first Gale Galligan BSC graphic novel adaptation. I’ve already read three of Raina Telgemeier’s adaptations so it was almost impossible not to compare the two. I love Raina’s style and had wanted her to continue adapting the entire series.
I like Gale’s style as well so it was more a matter of me getting used to seeing the babysitters looking different. Gale dyes a section of Claudia’s hair, just like Raina did. However, Gale has also given Stacey a haircut, which didn’t sit with me as a BSC purist that well, even though it looks cute.
While the plot remains the same, I noticed many more minor differences between the book and this graphic novel than I have with Raina’s adaptations. I’m not mentioning all of the differences here as there are too many, but here are some of them.
Book: Watson’s mansion has three floors and an attic. Graphic novel: The illustration of Watson’s mansion shows two floors and an attic.
Book: Mallory isn’t a member of the BSC yet. Graphic novel: Mallory is mentioned as the sixth member of the BSC.
Book: Watson’s parents being religious is not mentioned. Graphic novel: Kristy’s mother talks about Watson’s parents being religious as one of the reasons why she and Watson need to get married before the Thomas’ move to the Brewer mansion.
Book: Kristy mentions having two windows in her childhood bedroom. Graphic novel: I can only see one window in Kristy’s childhood bedroom in the illustrations.
Kristy arrives late to a BSC meeting and asks if there are any calls. Book: Sam’s prank call was, ‘Hello, this is Marmee March. I need a sitter for Amy tonight, someone who has experience with little women.’ Graphic novel: Sam asks for a sitter with ‘experience with lots of smelly farts.’ The book version was better.
Book: Claudia searches for junk food under her bed. Graphic novel: Claudia finds some junk food on a shelf in her closet.
Book: Claudia says Trevor is probably dating his poetry by now. Graphic novel: Claudia says Trevor is probably dating his guitar by now.
Book: Sam and Kristy have their talk about David Michael’s Citizenship Award on the back porch. Graphic novel: Sam and Kristy have their talk about David Michael’s Citizenship Award in the kitchen.
Book: Mallory isn’t a member of the BSC yet so she’s not babysitting with them. Graphic novel: Mallory gets put in Kristy’s babysitting group.
Book: Nannie’s Pink Clinker has a pink plastic flower attached to the antenna and a stuffed koala hanging from the rearview mirror. Graphic novel: The pink plastic flower and the antenna are missing and stuffed koala is now some fuzzy dice. There’s a heart on the bonnet that I liked. The Pink Clinker looks closer to red than pink to me.
Book: When they’re cleaning the house, Charlie has the floor cleaner, Sam has the vacuum cleaner, Kristy has paper towels and Windex, and David Michael has rags and furniture polish. Graphic novel: When they’re cleaning the house, Charlie is vacuuming, Sam is cleaning the windows, Kristy is tidying, and David Michael is dusting.
Book: Stacey calls Mary Anne from the movies using a pay phone. Graphic novel: Stacey calls Mary Anne from the movies using her own phone.
Book: David Michael gets his hair cut by Mr Pratt. Graphic novel: David Michael gets his hair cut by Mr Gates, the one who’s previously made him look like an owl.
Book: In the practice wedding performed by the kids, ‘holy matrimony’ becomes ‘holy moly’. Graphic novel: In the practice wedding performed by the kids, ‘holy matrimony’ becomes ‘holy guacamole’.
Book: When Karen explains why having white flowers at the wedding are a disaster, it’s because white magic will mix with Morbidda Destiny’s black magic. Graphic novel: When Karen explains why having white flowers at the wedding are a disaster, it’s because evil witches use white flowers in their magic and Morbidda Destiny will be able to sense them from next door.
Book: Kristy’s rehearsal dinner dress is white with woven silver designs. Graphic novel: Kristy’s rehearsal dinner dress is green and blue.
Book: Kristy’s bridesmaid shoes are yellow. Graphic novel: Kristy’s bridesmaid shoes are white.
Also, the clothes the kids wear in their practice wedding are different and the kids are positioned differently in the photo that’s taken of them on the couch. Karen freaks out at the wedding a little later than she did in the book and it’s Karen who accepts Mrs Porter’s present, not Watson. I can’t imagine Karen touching anything Morbidda Destiny has touched for fear of her magic.
I liked Claudia’s drawing lesson, where she explains how to draw simple roses, although I haven’t attempted them myself because I’m extremely artistically challenged. My stick men don’t even consistently look like stick men.
My favourite illustration shows some of the wedding scenes.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Kristy’s mum is getting married, and Kristy is going to be a bridesmaid! The only problem? Fourteen kids are coming to town for the wedding. Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, Stacey, Dawn and Mallory think they can handle it, but that’s before they spend a week changing diapers, stopping arguments, solving mix-ups, and planning activities. It’s the biggest job the BSC has ever had, but they’ll work together to make sure Kristy’s big day is a success!
It’s the first second BSC book! Okay, that sounds really awkward. What I’m trying to say is that each of the five current members of the BSC have told their story in one book and Kristy is the first member to tell the second part of her story. It’s also one of Ann M. Martin’s favourite books of the series.
While this wasn’t one of my absolute favourites growing up, I did love it, mostly because it introduced me to Nannie. I love the grandmothers in this series. Nannie is Kristy’s maternal grandmother and she’s so much fun.
We meet her when she shows up in her car, the Pink Clinker. I’d never heard of anyone naming their car before and thought it was brilliant. Nannie is the reason I name my own cars and one of Ann M. Martin’s other books, Ten Kids, No Pets, is the reason my first car’s name started with an A, my second car’s name started with a B and my current car’s name starts with a C. Wow, this author has shaped my life in so many ways …
This is a happy-sad book. It’s a joyous occasion because Kristy’s mother and Watson are getting married. In the process, Kristy gets a new stepsister (Karen) and stepbrother (Andrew). She adores them. Watson is a good guy, he’s a millionaire and he makes Mrs Brewer happy.
It’s sad as well because the new blended family will be living in Watson’s mansion. Don’t get me wrong; the mansion itself is not a bad thing, unless you think living next door to a rumoured witch is a problem.
No, the reason it’s sad is that for her entire life Kristy has lived next door to her best friend, Mary Anne, on Bradford Court, and Claudia has always lived across the street. Kristy and Mary Anne’s bedrooms even have windows that face each other so they can communicate by torchlight at night and pull faces at one another when they’re in a fight. Understandably, Kristy doesn’t want to leave her childhood home.
It’s also bad news because in order for Kristy to attend BSC meetings once she’s living at Watson’s, she’ll need to pay her brother, Charlie, to drive her. Charlie’s a great guy and we assume he will be a safe driver so he’s not the problem. It does mean that the BSC members will need to pay more club dues each week. So far, so good. No one is whinging about having to pay them yet but if memory serves me, the obligatory groaning whenever Stacey collects the dues is coming fairly soon.
I’m liking Kristy more as an adult so far than I ever did as a kid. In this book she does do a few decidedly un-Kristy-like things, though.
She arrives at a BSC meeting at 5:36pm. That’s almost as bad as not attending at all, like she did in book #4. She did have a good excuse for being late so we’ll forgive her this time.
She gets excited at the thought of wearing a bridesmaid dress. Kristy, excited about a dress? I never thought I’d see the day.
She’s also happy about wearing heels. Okay, that’s just wrong. You can’t play baseball in heels, Kristy.
We babysit for Jenny (our angel) Prezzioso, Claire and Margo Pike and David Michael Thomas.
Then, in the lead up to the wedding, we babysit for 14 kids at once: Karen and Andrew Brewer, David Michael Thomas, Ashley, Berk, Grace and Peter (Aunt Colleen and Uncle Wallace’s kids), Emma, Beth and Luke (Aunt Theo and Uncle Neal’s kids), and Katherine, Patrick, Maura and Tony Fielding (their father, Tom, is Watson’s best friend). Jamie (Hi-hi!) Newton also drops by one day but, hey, what’s one more at this point.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. 14 kids. 5 babysitters. I could easily imagine a room in hell looking just like this. It must be time for an emergency BSC meeting. We haven’t had one of those in a while.
In 1987 I couldn’t fathom the Thomas’ living in a house that had three bathrooms, and that was before they all go across town to live in a mansion with nine bedrooms!
In the kids’ practice wedding, “holy matrimony” accidentally becomes “holy moly”. I loved that as a kid and it still got a chuckle out of me during my reread.
This book’s school dance: the Final Fling, the last school dance of the year.
Movie in a book: Mary Poppins, which I decided I liked even more as a kid when I learned it was sophisticated, former New Yorker Stacey’s favourite movie. Actually, I seem to remember finding parts of it fairly boring before Stacey convinced me to fall in love with the entire movie, not just the dancing penguins, chalk paintings and catchy tunes. (I was so proud when I learned how to spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. It’s one of those really useful things that’s burned into my brain.)
Stoneybrook Central Time: It’s June when we join Kristy on this adventure. Kristy’s mother and Watson are getting married in two and a half weeks. The Thomas’ need to have moved into Watson’s mansion before 15 July because the people who bought their house need to move in by then. We began this entire adventure on the first Tuesday of seventh grade. Google tells me that this is probably in August or early September.
About the cover: The shoes Kristy and Karen will be wearing to the wedding are special because you can dye them to match your dress. On the original cover, Karen’s shoes are black, not yellow.
Up next: Claudia and Janine came to an understanding during the whole Phantom Phone Call jump scare. Something tells me it’s not going to last.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Kristy’s mum is getting married, and Kristy’s a bridesmaid. The only trouble is, fourteen little kids are coming to the wedding, and they all need babysitters. Here comes the Baby-Sitters Club!
Stacey, Claudia, Mary Anne, Dawn, and Kristy think they can handle fourteen kids. But that’s before they spend five days changing diapers, stopping fights, solving mix-ups, righting wrongs … and getting sick and tried of babysitting!
One thing’s for sure: This is a crazy way to have a wedding. But it’s a great way to have a lot of fun!
It’s our California girl’s first BSC book! Dawn, whose hair I wanted when I was growing up and whose potentially haunted 1795 farmhouse I still want to live in, or at least have a chance to explore, is the BSC’s Alternate Officer.
So, what’s an Alternate Officer? Well, basically Dawn’s the understudy for all of the other roles and she’s ready to jump right in there and fill in if any of the other members can’t perform her duty for whatever reason. Or you could say that Dawn’s mother moved her and her brother to Stoneybrook a few months too late for her to get a real job title and now Kristy’s struggling to come up with a name that sounds super important but on most days means diddly-squat.
I connected with Dawn when I was growing up because I spent a great deal of my childhood soaking up the sun at the beach as well. Come to think of it, though, that’s about all we have in common. She’s neat; I’m messy. She loves tofu; I’m more interested in raiding Claudia’s junk food stash. Dawn and I do both enjoy ghost stories but we don’t know that about Dawn yet.
When I was a kid I truly believed the Barrett kids were impossible. Why? Because the title and blurb told me they were. Now that I am an adult and can actually think for myself, they seem like pretty ordinary kids. Sure, they’re upset about their parents’ divorce (Dawn bonds with them over that) but that’s to be expected. If there’s anything a little odd about them, it’s that Dawn could so easily convince them that cleaning the house is a fun game. It is not!
In this book, we babysit for all eight of the Pike kids, Jenny (our angel) Prezzioso, Jamie (Hi-hi!) Newton, Karen and Andrew Brewer, Buddy, Suzi and Marnie (who makes the ham face when she’s happy) Barrett, David Michael Thomas, Charlotte Johansenn and Jeff Schafer (Dawn’s younger brother).
We meet and babysit the Barrett kids and Jeff Schafer for the first time, and we play ‘Let’s All Come In’ with Hannie Papadakis, one of Karen Brewer’s friends. Dawn’s California best friend, Sunny Winslow, is also mentioned.
The green eyed monster is hanging out with Kristy who, until book #4, was Mary Anne’s only best friend. Now Mary Anne has two best friends and Kristy isn’t keen on sharing.
We get to explore the Dawn’s new-old home’s barn but we don’t find out anything more exciting about the house. Yet. Creepy, quirky stuff is coming soon. Please be as creepy and quirky as I remember …
Dawn misses a BSC meeting but, unlike Kristy’s dummy spit related no-show in book #4, Dawn can’t get away from a babysitting job because Mrs Barrett is late. Again.
We’re introduced to the Pike kids’ Bizzer Sign. I can’t believe I’d forgotten all about this.
Bzzz.
Dawn predicts Mallory’s BSC membership.
Random thoughts:
The Pike family have eight kids. At one point the triplets are at ice hockey practice and Vanessa is at a violin lesson. Another time Jordan, one of the triplets, is at a piano lesson. How can these parents afford to feed and clothe eight kids plus pay for them to do activities? Is everyone in Stoneybrook millionaires?
I called Dawn’s home her ‘new-old’ one in my review of book #4, forgetting that that’s what Mallory Pike calls it in book #5. Did this series become part of my DNA or something? Also, what really important information has my brain discarded to hold onto BSC trivia?
The Pike family have Band-Aids with dinosaurs on them! Is this why I am incapable of buying a Band-Aid that doesn’t have a fun design on it?
Dating Dawn’s mother really agrees with Mary Anne’s father. She’s allowed to wear jeans now, for the first time in her twelve years. I’m hoping this means Mr Spier’s rule that says Mary Anne isn’t allowed to wear pants to school might not be set in stone anymore. Mary Anne also gets to redecorate her pink room.
When I read this book as a kid I had no idea what Doritos were. I also had never heard of tofu, granola, Pop Tarts, saltwater taffy or Ho-Hos. There were so many BSC foods I didn’t encounter in Australia as a kid. I’ll never forget the day I first saw a Hershey’s bar in real life (actually, I haven’t tried one yet). I still don’t know what Ho-Hos are but if junk food addict Claudia likes them, there’s a pretty good chance I will too.
When I was a kid I read lots of words I’d never heard of before. I thought Connecticut was pronounced ‘connect-e-cut’. Why am I telling you embarrassing childhood memories?
Watson’s mansion has nine bedrooms! I would not want to clean that house! Maybe the Barrett kids would do it for me …
As a kid I thought the babysitters were really mature at twelve years old. Perhaps, overall, they are. But these girls you’re trusting your kids with are the same girls who have been convinced (by a six year old, no less) that Watson’s next door neighbour is a scary witch.
Stoneybrook Central Time: Dawn and her family moved to Stoneybrook in book #4. Mary Anne met her the day after the big BSC barney; that was Dawn’s second day at school and fourth day living in Stoneybrook. In the beginning of this book Dawn has lived in Stoneybrook for a few months.
Best insult: Dawn calls the weatherman on the radio a “cheesebrain”. I’m going to try to find a good time to use that one.
Up next: Do you hear wedding bells?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Once Upon a Blurb
Dawn’s the newest member of the Baby-sitters Club and everybody’s glad – except Kristy. Kristy thinks things were better without Dawn around. That’s why Dawn’s eager to take on a big babysitting job: It’s her chance to show Kristy what she’s made of.
What a mistake! Taking care of the three Barrett kids is too much for any babysitter. The house is in chaos, the kids are impossible, and Mrs. Barrett never does any of the things she promises. Dawn’s got more trouble than she bargained for. But she’s not going to give up until all four Barretts are under control and she’s friends with Kristy.
Schizanthus Nerd 