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This is one of the better BSC novels. Please be warned it does feature a dog being put down, I wasn't expecting this plot line in this book so it took me by surprise. It's very well-handled by the author and all the characters and for the first time I really felt like Watson's and Kristy's family were one family. Sadly there's a storyline that's left unfinished (Dawn's brother) which I thought was a bit careless but perhaps the author intends to address it in upcoming books. Still really enjoying the baby-sitting tips, this one had some about how to deal with children ordering you about and the strategy adopted was good and efficient. Love those girls. It's so nice to ead about them for so many books. ( )

The ongoing babysitting chronicles continue. In the latest installment, Kristy finally gets to know kids that live in her new, wealthier neighborhood. Unfortunately, the first meeting does not go well. They are condescending to Kristy, but she, undaunted, shoots back an insult at them. Kristy thinks they are snobs, and with her vindictive nature, she becomes embroiled in a rivalry with Shannon Kilbourne. Shannon is apparently the leader of her little pack, and also a babysitter in the neighborhood.

While Kristy is trying to handle this personal dilemma, a more devastating complication is developing in her house. Their dog, Louie, is getting sicker and older. The veterinarian tells the family that he only has a short time left. Everyone is crushed. With her patience at an all time low, Kristy's battles with Shannon reach more bitter extremes, eventually to a point of ridiculousness that reduces them to laughter, and they create a tentative truce. When Louie dies, Kristy's sister Karen invites Shannon and some other neighbors to the funeral; later, Shannon brings over one of her new puppies for the Watson/Brewer family, and Kristy and Shannon turn their rivalry into friendship.

I have been enjoying my reunion with this series from my childhood, and the latest book is no exception. In fact, I think it is one of the better books I have read so far. The story builds up maturity in Kristy's character, and further develops the setting and relationships of this world by exploring the new neighborhood. Martin handles the difficulties of Louie's worsening illness with delicacy and understanding. Kristy's sparring with Shannon adds some zest and fun that balances out the sadness of losing a pet. Also, I appreciate that the author doesn't let plot threads dangle endlessly, but gradually explores the various elements she has introduced. For example, we knew that Kristy was not excited about moving to a new neighborhood, and was reluctant to meet her neighbors, but earlier books had different focuses, and so these ideas had been mentioned but not handled. Now that we are back on Kristy's perspective, we finally see some resolution to these problems. Martin does a fine job of keeping in touch with long term narrative and character developments, that take time and many books in the series to explore, while still presenting a major problem for each entry in the series that is resolved by the end of the book. I look forward to the next one, which is a compliment in long-running series like this. ( )

I'll be honest. Kristy was my least favorite character. Who was yours?? ( )

One of my all-time favorite BSC books, this one shows how Kristy deals with a move into snob-territory, and she deals with it well! ( )