Reviews

Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls by Ann M. Martin

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aurigae's review against another edition

4.0

I love the BSC. I love Claudia's narration, especially from an adult perspective.

But I do not love the plot of this book, in which children, babysitting younger children, fear a serial burglar (and only one of their parents is "overprotective" enough to address the issue), and the resolution involves

Spoiler

a boy who demonstrated his interest in one of the characters by pranking and stalking her -

"courting" behavior that should have always been considered unacceptable but which stands up particularly poorly to the changes of the past few decades.

sarahcoller's review against another edition

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3.0

Yep, I remember being thoroughly spooked by this one as a kid. Ha! Other than the continued disrespect of Mr. Spier, I'm enjoying rereading this series after 33 years!

jazzyjan94's review against another edition

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5.0

This review appears on my blog: https://confessionsofabookwormweb.wordpress.com/2020/10/21/book-review-claudia-and-the-phantom-phone-calls-the-baby-sitters-club-2-by-ann-m-martin/

This is probably one of the few Baby-sitters Club books that I didn't read as a kid, so I was really excited to pick this one up.

In this second installment of the series, all four girls are on high alert after reading about a jewelry thief known as the Phantom Caller, who has hit several houses in a town not far from Stoneybrook. Things get even scarient when almost all four girls receive weird phone calls during their various sitting jobs, especially Kristy and Claudia. Will the Phantom Caller be apprehended, or will the girls continue to wonder if each creak is the presence of the thief?

I enjoyed this installment in the series, it was the perfect blend of a typical Baby-Sitters Club books with elements of mystery involved. I also liekd that we got to see the girls being proactive and trying to keep their clients safe, even if it was from paranoia.

I also liked that this was told from Claudia's perspective, although there were times when she was kind fo condescending to Kristy and Mary Anne. I get that both her and Stacey are supposed to be a little bit more sophisticated than the other two, but I believe there is a way to show that without being rude about it. I did also enjoy seeing more of Claudia's relationship with her sister, Janine, and how she wishes they can be friends again like they used to be when they were little kids. I also enjoyed getting to know Mimi, her grandmotherand just how even though she knows Claudia is smart, she doesn't put as much pressure on her as her parents do.

Overall, this was a fun read and I can't wait to revisit the Baby-Sitters Club again! 4/5 Stars.

frombookstoreaders3's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

kimberlyinthewild's review against another edition

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adventurous funny inspiring lighthearted mysterious relaxing 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? No

5.0

bibliotequeish's review against another edition

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My dad is Japanese, so obviously I was Claudia, I also hid candy in my bedroom... what more do you need?

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.