Allowance Busters: Sweet Valley High, Babysitters Club, and other YA serials

[starri]

On 4/23/2020 at 11:24 PM, Sarahsmile416 said:

My oldest daughter has ASD and unfortunately her portrayal of Susan relied mostly on stereotypes as I recall...and Kristy wanting to “fix” her kind of bothers me in retrospect.  However, I do admire her for touching on the subject and having the characters try to include Susan in things - in that respect, I think it was excellent.  So, maybe a mixed bag all in all lol.  

One of the later Super Specials had Dawn working as a counselor at a day camp Susan attended.  From my memory, they did a much better job.  They had very good description of stimming and even reference Temple Grandin when Susan uses a hug machine when she gets overwhelmed.

[starri]

The team behind The Haunting of Hill House/Bly Manor will be adapting Midnight Club for Netflix.  No indication that it's going to be part of that series, but they do say that they'll bring in elements of Pike's stories beyond just that one.

The Haunting of Rotterdam Home is a good title, though...

[wallflower75]

9 hours ago, starri said:

The team behind The Haunting of Hill House/Bly Manor will be adapting Midnight Club for Netflix.  No indication that it's going to be part of that series, but they do say that they'll bring in elements of Pike's stories beyond just that one.

The Haunting of Rotterdam Home is a good title, though...

*happy Snoopy dance*

I don't have a lot of paper books anymore since I started reading ebooks, but I still have my copies of the early Pike books.

[Starleigh]

So, I had ordered one of The Fabulous Five super editions (by Betsy Haynes) out of nostalgia and am currently rereading it after a gap of, like, 25 years+.

I must admit, it does not hold up well, especially when compared to a series such as the BSC or even SVT, which are still quite readable, with relatable and interesting characters. This one (the one where they have a sleepover and switch bodies) is just annoying to read now, with equally unlikable characters! It almost makes me wonder if it was written by a ghostwriter possibly, because I recently re-read an oldie but goodie by Betsy Haynes--The Great Mom Swap-- and I really enjoyed the nostalgic read.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Starleigh

[atomic]

A July 3rd release date was just announced for the Netflix BSC series:

 

[Starleigh]

I've been waiting!

ETA: my sister totally had that phone!!

Edited May 12, 2020 by Starleigh

[Listeria Bangs]

That was the phone every pre-teen wanted (if they didn't have it already) back in the day! A nice shoutout to the original BSC generation.

[SnarkySheep]

On 5/6/2020 at 10:31 PM, Starleigh said:

So, I had ordered one of The Fabulous Five super editions (by Betsy Haynes) out of nostalgia and am currently rereading it after a gap of, like, 25 years+.

I must admit, it does not hold up well, especially when compared to a series such as the BSC or even SVT, which are still quite readable, with relatable and interesting characters.

Not to mention, Fab Five takes place in Bridgeport, CT - a real city. It's got a population of about 150,000, yet the books are written as though the girls live in a tiny town where everyone knows everyone and can easily get around on foot or with a short ride. Also, it's like 50% African-American or Hispanic, yet all the kids at school were white...

I'm not saying they couldn't set the books in whatever town or city they wanted, since I'm sure that most kids reading them would have no idea Bridgeport is a real place. But if they were going to turn the real place into total fantasy, you'd think they would just make up a fictitious location, like Stoneybrook for the BSC.

[Minneapple]

The new trailer for the Baby-sitters Club series!

 

 

[SnarkySheep]

Oh Lord, it's the classic "we must be having tons of fun because we've all got our arms around each other" pose!

[Minneapple]

I do like how they have specific moments from the books -- like the "arms around each other" pose appears to be from the special when they went to camp? And Kristy's mom getting married, and Logan and Mary Anne getting together, and it appears as though Stacey and Mary Anne are in Sea City.

[Minneapple]

Watching Baby-Sitters Club with my daughter and niece and it is truly cute and wholesome. There are some interesting changes from the books, but it's close enough that it will keep us old-school fans smiling!

[Starleigh]

Halfway through the Netflix series, and I have to say, it's pretty charming! They did a great job of bringing in enough nostalgic references from the original time setting and weaving it in pretty seamlessly to present times, imo.

There are some minor changes to some of the characters that work pretty well. Only thing that seems a bit odd to me is turning Dawn's mom into a New Agey type-- that bit didn't really work for me. The other thing that seems pretty jarring is the way the girls casually address all of the parent clients by their first names. Do 12 year olds really do that nowadays? Not just for close family friends?

Some of the best bits for me: Karen and her witch obsession, how they updated Stacey's diabetic situation, Janine's lording her intellect over Claudia. 

I'm currently in the middle of the Sea City episode and am loving Vanessa and her poetry dialogue:)

[SnarkySheep]

Also, Mary Anne is now an African-American girl...which would take the wind out of Jessi' sails, except there is no Jessi. 

Claudia looks like she's 10 years old, and Charlie and Sam, who I always felt were SO old when I initially read these books, look like the children they actually still are.

Dawn has dark brown hair.

And, Lord have mercy, Alicia Silverstone is Kristy's mom. I will forever think of her as a teenager.

Edited July 10, 2020 by SnarkySheep

[Jenniferbug]

I brought home all my Babysitters Club books from my parents' house this weekend. I read the first one this afternoon! Nice to read something fun and light. 

Karen says Kristy's mom is named Edie and not Elizabeth! 

[andromeda331]

3 hours ago, Jenniferbug said:

I brought home all my Babysitters Club books from my parents' house this weekend. I read the first one this afternoon! Nice to read something fun and light. 

That's great! 

Quote

Karen says Kristy's mom is named Edie and not Elizabeth! 

Yeah it was weird because it only came up in the first book and the never mentioned it again. Then again there were a few mistakes like forgetting they already gave Mary Anne's mother a name in Mary Anne Saves the Day, Abigail and changing the names of Watson's ex-wife and her husband from Sheila and Kendall to Lisa and Seth. Although I remember reading that and assumed Kendall was a woman and thought the marriage ended because Sheila realized she was a lesbian. I was disappointed when I later realized Kendall later Seth was a guy. 

[PRgal]

OMG!  As I said over on the BSC (Netflix) thread, I recently bought a tin box collection of the original six books on Amazon!  Out of the three series I read:  BSC, SVT (not allowed to read SVH) and Fab Five, BSC was definitely my favourite.  There was also a short-lived series based on the game, Girl Talk.  That one sucked...one of the book's main characters was Indigenous/Native American and was very tall for a middle schooler (5'7" at 12/13).  That's all I remember about the series.

[andromeda331]

5 minutes ago, PRgal said:

OMG!  As I said over on the BSC (Netflix) thread, I recently bought a tin box collection of the original six books on Amazon!  Out of the three series I read:  BSC, SVT (not allowed to read SVH) and Fab Five, BSC was definitely my favourite.  There was also a short-lived series based on the game, Girl Talk.  That one sucked...one of the book's main characters was Indigenous/Native American and was very tall for a middle schooler (5'7" at 12/13).  That's all I remember about the series.

I read mostly BSC and each of the Sweet Valley series. I was only able to find one Fab Five and Girl Talk for some reason the book stores and libraries around me never had them. That's one good thing about Amazon and Ebay you can usually find most books your looking for instead of having to depend on whatever shows up at the book stores.

[Minneapple]

So one neat twist to the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels and the Netflix series: they've apparently revived interest in the original books, which are being reprinted (with new covers) and are in stores now! We were at Target the other day and my daughter got The Ghost at Dawn's House. They also had a bunch of other books. It's so much fun that I can bond with my daughter over this!

[Annber03]

Ooh, awesome! I'll have to keep an eye out for those. 

[andromeda331]

That's cool!

[andromeda331]

I'm not sure how many are Fear Street fans but the first part of three part Fear Street movies while be on Netflix on Friday. 

From imbd Fear Street 1994 Part 1

A circle of teenage friends accidentally encounter the ancient evil responsible for a series of brutal murders that have plagued their town for over 300 years. Welcome to Shadyside.
 

Of the cast listed there's Sarah Fier! And Simon. He has to be Simon Fear, right? There's also a couple characters with the last name Goode. 

 

Edited June 30, 2021 by andromeda331

[CountryGirl]

I read quite a few Fear Street books back in the day, especially when I needed a break from the Wakefield twins.

Although I have to admit that I am currently doing the Kindle Unlimited so I can re-read all of the SVH books. 

[Black Knight]

I just found out about a book that was released a few days ago titled We Are the Baby-Sitters Club: Essays and Artwork from Grown-Up Readers. It looks like a lot of fun! There are a lot of contributors, but one name in particular that stood out given the nature of the book is Gabrielle Moss, who wrote Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of '80s and '90s Teen Fiction which I learned about from people here. That was a great read that brought back so many memories...

[Prairie Rose]

It wasn't until this year that I found out about a Baby-Sitters Club prequel, which was published in 2011. (What rock have I been living under, right?) The Summer Before took me right back to my tweens.

[Annber03]

Ooh, I'll have to look for that!

[LexieLily]

3 hours ago, Prairie Rose said:

It wasn't until this year that I found out about a Baby-Sitters Club prequel, which was published in 2011. (What rock have I been living under, right?) The Summer Before took me right back to my tweens.

Oooh, is this about when the club was first formed? When Kristy's mom was calling all over looking for a sitter for David Michael and that gave Kristy her Big Idea?

[Prairie Rose]

5 hours ago, LexieLily said:

Oooh, is this about when the club was first formed? When Kristy's mom was calling all over looking for a sitter for David Michael and that gave Kristy her Big Idea?

Let's just say all that

Spoiler

happens at the every end of the book!!

 

[WendyCR72]

On 2/4/2019 at 12:02 AM, Black Knight said:

Me! I still have some of the books featuring the original trio of Dana, Faith and Shelley.

Yes! I did read this series ( Girls of Canby Hall)! At least with Dana, Faith, and Shelley. I recall Shelley being kidnapped in one book and thinking of her boyfriend, Paul, the whole time. Then later, Dana, Faith, and Shelley were phased out for a new batch of characters/students whose names escape me, and I think I lost interest then.

[scarynikki12]

A while back we talked about Regina's death in Sweet Valley High. The other day I was listening to a podcast recap of the book and I'd forgotten how awful everyone was to Regina before her death. I mean, itt does a good job of showing how alienated she felt to lead to her trying the cocaine in the first place but it's still awful. If the books were released now I guarantee Amy Sutton would be given a storyline about being a sex addict as that's how she behaves until she starts dating Barry.

Anyway, Amy's got this plan to steal Bruce from Regina and she not only succeeds but she feels absolutely no guilt for her behavior. Bruce did feel guilty for how he treated her in the final days of her life and when Bruce Patman is (in the specific instance) a better person than you you're really bad. Also all the characters in the know about Amy's plan decide not to give Regina a heads up. Jeffrey makes a point to Liz about not knowing if Amy has followed through but my counter argument is to at least tell Regina that well known boy crazy Amy is actively planning to steal her boyfriend.

It was ultimately in service to Regina feeling the only person she could turn to was Justin and eventually end up at the party so it didn't happen. And Justin is a character I both do and don't get. I get his concern about Molly's drug use and potentially moving on to heroin but he didn't have to bring Regina along. He knew Molly's party would have drugs as she was telling people Buzz would be there so why not just make plans with Regina for another day on the grounds he was going to spend the entire party trying to keep Molly safe and wouldn't be good company. 

I had forgotten how awful Regina snorting cocaine and dying really was. She tries a line and does feel good in the aftermath but it's the second line (which kills her) that's horrifying. Molly, her friend Jan, and Buzz are all pressuring Regina to do a second line and then, because Regina's out of it on her high, they push her head down, hold the rolled up bill under her nose, and basically force her to do it. The second line makes her heart beat so fast she mistakes it for drums and then the cops and Nicholas show up and she dies a few pages later. I had completely forgotten that last bit but that's fucked up even for this series. 

The aftermath isn't much better as Bruce and Amy attend the funeral and are described as holding hands defiantly while book 41 is all about absolving Molly of responsibility. Ok, there are a lot of people who bear responsibility for Regina's alienation in the lead up to her death and the death itself so Molly's POV was right on that point but Molly hosted the party, she invited Buzz knowing he was a dealer, and she helped Jan and Buzz force Regina to do the second line that killed her. She's lucky the worst that happened to her was her parents and classmates were angry with her. I can't believe the follow up book was about how the reader should feel sorry for Molly.

On a different note I'm both amused and baffled that Jessica gets an internship at the Sweet Valley News with Liz. I know she was supposed to be as smart as Liz but just not interested in doing schoolwork but the schoolwork is what would get her the internship. I can only assume Ned arranged it. 

[CountryGirl]

@scarynikki12:

Regina was done so damn dirty, by everyone, including Saint Liz, who knew all about Amy getting her hooks into Bruce. But instead of Liz telling her the TRUTH, she tries to distract her and Regina is humiliated and betrayed that much more when Bruce and Amy's affair is outed at a barbecue. A shindig thrown by the Wakefield twins and I know Jessica is as shameless as the day is long, but Elizabeth could have put her foot down and told Jess that Amy wasn't invited and if she put up a fuss, she'd out her as the cheating hussy she was. Blackmail is a language both Jess and Amy understand. Is it any wonder Regina turned to someone who was telling her everything she wanted to hear after being screwed over by almost everyone close to her sans brother Nicholas?

But, of course, Regina just happens to have written Liz a letter right before she leaves the house for the very last time forgiving her, Bruce couldn't help falling for Amy, blah, blah, blah. I'm pretty sure he could help cheating. He wanted to have his cake and eat it, too, even thinking he could tell Regina about Amy and she'd be fine with sharing and sitting at home those nights he was out with Amy. 

And Liz getting Regina's camera was all kinds of bullshit.

[Bethany]

Yikes!  @CountryGirl and @scarynikki12 I never read Sweet Valley High and I thought they were similar to the malt shop books of an earlier era.  Clearly I was really wrong about that 🤯

[scarynikki12]

2 hours ago, CountryGirl said:

He wanted to have his cake and eat it, too, even thinking he could tell Regina about Amy and she'd be fine with sharing and sitting at home those nights he was out with Amy. 

And why DIDN'T he talk to Regina??? No I don't think she'd be on board with an open relationship, since it was the 80s in Sweet Valley, but there was a hypothetical chance she'd have been ok with one if he'd actually treated her with respect rather than cheating. And once he got confirmation she wouldn't be ok with an open relationship he still owed her the respect of saying he no longer wanted to be in a relationship and break up. 

Also, way to have zero self respect Amy. For someone so confident she really thinks little of herself. Bruce floats the idea that he'll keep Regina as his girlfriend and make you his sidepiece and you think this is a win? He didn't jump to break up with her in case you missed it and immediately started coming up with ways to stay with Regina while returning to Playboy Bruce. His reaction to you throwing yourself at him wasn't to fall on his knees and profess his love so he's not the catch you think he is. Amy's whole thing really should have been proving Bruce hadn't changed and then moving on after boning him rather than plotting to steal him and become the new girlfriend. Their relationship only lasts a couple of books anyway so it really wasn't worth it.

ETA: actually Regina may have been ok with Bruce wanting to stop being exclusive. Only a dozen or so books earlier we have Alice Wakefield privately wishing Elizabeth would play the field like Jessica rather than commit to Todd so this was during the end of that time when casually dating many different people was common. It doesn't really suit her personality but the time period leaves it open as a possibility.

[scarynikki12]

1 hour ago, Elizabeth Anne said:

Yikes!  @CountryGirl and @scarynikki12 I never read Sweet Valley High and I thought they were similar to the malt shop books of an earlier era.  Clearly I was really wrong about that 🤯

The early books aimed for more melodramatic but still fairly straightforward storytelling but after the Margo saga (books 95-100) they became increasingly batshit.

[scarynikki12]

Ok I've tried to pace myself but I had to skip ahead to the podcast recaps of the Margo Saga and I'm so glad I did. I've only done The Morning After and the hosts are having THE MOST FUN EVER. Their enthusiasm for Margo and her over the top completely insane story is reminding me just how great those books were. They're reading Margo's Inner Voice aloud and giving it a Gollum cadence and it's absolutely hilarious. I need to read these books again.

[andromeda331]

I loved Margo! She was batshit crazy and yet still so much fun. She was also very competent in her plans until the end. I love how her solution to everything is murder. She's the reason I went into VC Andrews and other crazies.

[Vanderboom]

I also loved how Margo and her twin fought over who got to be Jessica.  Poor Elizabeth!  Imagine being such a killjoy that insane identity thieves refuse to be you.

[CountryGirl]

1 hour ago, Vanderboom said:

I also loved how Margo and her twin fought over who got to be Jessica.  Poor Elizabeth!  Imagine being such a killjoy that insane identity thieves refuse to be you.

What does it say when you'd still rather be Jessica, the twin who spiked her boyfriend and sister's drinks at the Jungle Prom, causing Sam's death and Liz to almost go to prison, than Liz? That's how damn boring Liz is.

[scarynikki12]

I've started listening to them talk about The Evil Twin, which gets two parts because of it's batshit awesomeness and they admit this book is the sole reason they did this podcast, hee. They continue on after but I love this little reveal.

A while back, I think when Senior Year ended, Francine Pascal wrote a thank you letter to readers and said something about being surprised people preferred Jessica to Elizabeth. It's so funny to me because, as awful as she is, Jessica's horribleness was often acknowledged even if nothing else happened. Elizabeth's awfulness was almost never even acknowledged and downplayed or excused when it was. That's why people preferred Jessica. It's also why I prefer Lila to both of them and why Margo was so much in spite of literally murdering children and actively thinking about murdering dozens of other people just because. The books are aware of Lila's snobbish personality and Margo's psychopathy and never pretend they're really sweetness and light. The books actively pretend Liz is a saint who has never put a toe out of line then give her countless stories where she cheats on her boyfriend and gets away with it or just shrugging her shoulders when Todd or a cheating partner assaults someone. 

That's why Nora and Margo arguing over who would get to be Jessica was so funny because the ghostwriters and publisher were well aware of the reader preference and leaning into it. 

[CountryGirl]

I’m Team Lila 4eva!

[andromeda331]

I started out an Elizabeth fan because she liked to read and write like I do and wasn't a psycho like Jessica. After awhile I realized she was terrible in her own way. She was very judgmental, a hypocrite and was always cheating on Todd. And she always let Jessica get away with everything despite being a psycho. I liked Jessica in Sweet Valley Twins and Kids she wasn't a psychopath then. But Lila became my favorite. She was so cool and we were shown she was cool. I also felt bad for her because her father was never around and didn't give a damn about her. Her mom did when she returned but that stopped when she remarried Lila's dad and they both didn't care about her. 

Margo was just so crazy that it was fun. 

[Brn2bwild]

On 4/6/2023 at 7:36 PM, scarynikki12 said:

Ok I've tried to pace myself but I had to skip ahead to the podcast recaps of the Margo Saga and I'm so glad I did. I've only done The Morning After and the hosts are having THE MOST FUN EVER. Their enthusiasm for Margo and her over the top completely insane story is reminding me just how great those books were. They're reading Margo's Inner Voice aloud and giving it a Gollum cadence and it's absolutely hilarious. I need to read these books again.

A Sweet Valley High podcast?  Where??

[scarynikki12]

It’s called Double Love and I’ve been listening on the iPhone podcast app. They are an absolute delight. When they get to Margo they just spend a lot of time giggling with delight. In a relatable way not annoying. 

[andromeda331]

4 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

It’s called Double Love and I’ve been listening on the iPhone podcast app. They are an absolute delight. When they get to Margo they just spend a lot of time giggling with delight. In a relatable way not annoying. 

I'll have to check that out. There's a Youtube channel that does different kids books and he's done reviews for Sweet Valley High although not all of them and is just started Sweet Valley Twins. He's doing BSCs too. Also their graphic novels.

https://www.youtube.com/@argle

Edited April 17, 2023 by andromeda331

[Dr.OO7]

On 4/12/2023 at 12:06 AM, andromeda331 said:

She was very judgmental, a hypocrite and was always cheating on Todd

 

On 4/11/2023 at 5:44 PM, scarynikki12 said:

Elizabeth's awfulness was almost never even acknowledged and downplayed or excused when it was. T

That's exactly why I didn't like her. I found her self-righteous and hypocritical to the point of cruelty.

[JAYJAY1979]

On 4/17/2023 at 12:36 AM, andromeda331 said:

I'll have to check that out. There's a Youtube channel that does different kids books and he's done reviews for Sweet Valley High although not all of them and is just started Sweet Valley Twins. He's doing BSCs too. Also their graphic novels.

https://www.youtube.com/@argle

I checked out the YouTube...and my mind was blown that in Babysitters little sister..the lead character was named Karen..and she acted like one. Lol

[andromeda331]

On 4/24/2023 at 8:35 AM, JAYJAY1979 said:

I checked out the YouTube...and my mind was blown that in Babysitters little sister..the lead character was named Karen..and she acted like one. Lol

Oh, you have no idea. I think she's the original Karen.

[andromeda331]

Last night on Wheel of Fortune there was a contestant named Marilyn who had a twin sister named Carolyn. They were mirror twins.  

[Brn2bwild]

On 4/16/2023 at 9:32 PM, scarynikki12 said:

It’s called Double Love and I’ve been listening on the iPhone podcast app. They are an absolute delight. When they get to Margo they just spend a lot of time giggling with delight. In a relatable way not annoying. 

Update: I've been listening to and loving their podcasts.  Is there any way to beg them to start a YouTube channel?  I don't usually have 2-3 hours at a time to listen to a podcast, and when I leave the page, I also lose where I left off.  A YouTube video would let me watch pieces at a time, plus I'd finally get to see those amazing fan covers from Cressida they keep talking about.