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klnbennett's review against another edition
3.0
Claudia is into reading mysteries and scary stories, but not so much into working on her math homework. Things get exciting for the entire club when a serial robber starts targeting houses by calling and hanging up.
letsgolesbians's review against another edition
3.0
Come on, Ann! Don't teach girls it's okay for boys to stalk them!
_elisebeth's review against another edition
5.0
Oh my goodness! These books were my favourite books for such a long time! I would read them everywhere and anywhere I went!
daybreak1012's review against another edition
4.0
Ever since I learned that Netflix was reimagining one of my favorite childhood book series, I had decided that I would be embarking on a re-read of this series, reliving a series of books that helped to shape me into a voracious reader. I am so excited to embark on this travel back in time. I don't expect to be mentally stimulated -- I mean, I'm not exactly a pre-teen middle-schooler these days -- but I make no apology for choosing to enjoy this series from the perspective of adulthood. Don't expect me to have any sort of psychoanalyst or feminist sermonizing on the appropriateness of the situations or the effects on a young girl reading these books; there's plenty of that to go around already. I'm here for the nostalgia and the meander down memory lane
What I liked about Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls:
The slight chill factor - We all think we're so big and bad, but no matter how old we get, one thing goes bump in the night and we're twelve-year-olds again.
Claudia's relationship with Mimi - This resonates deeply with me. I was my Gram's girl when I was young. Everywhere she went, I wanted to go too. She was my favorite person (and still is, in my heart). When I read about Mimi's patience with Claudia, the wisdom she imparts, the closeness of their bond, these are all things I know from my own Gram; she feels so close by to me when I read those scenes.
What I didn't care for:
Claudia's attitude - Yes, I sympathize with the pressures of living in Janine's shadow, but the constant whining about it gets old in a hurry. And then she gets all jugdy toward Mary Anne and Kristy's immaturity, and all I can think is "whining isn't all that adult either, Claudia." I am no fan of hypocrisy. Not even in twelve-year-old fictional characters.
Did Kristy seriously threaten to punch a sitting charge's lights out?? - Kristy, Kristy, Kristy. Things have changed a lot since this was written, but even thirty-some-odd years ago, I am certain parents weren't cool with a sitter punching a kid. Thinking it, maybe, but not saying it. Then again, Kristy seems to lack a filter, so am I really all that surprised? Still. That's no way to keep clients calling you for business and Kristy is typically very conscious of that at least!
I am going to stick with my original four-star rating. This book had mystery and suspense, both of which I enjoy to this day, after getting a taste for it with Nancy Drew and the BSC mystery installments. It also occurs to me just how much certain book series and television shows became part of my personal vernacular. I keep chuckling to myself as I read phrases that I know still use all the time. I love it. It's been so good reliving these memories. I'll be looking forward to each and every one of them.
What I liked about Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls:
The slight chill factor - We all think we're so big and bad, but no matter how old we get, one thing goes bump in the night and we're twelve-year-olds again.
Claudia's relationship with Mimi - This resonates deeply with me. I was my Gram's girl when I was young. Everywhere she went, I wanted to go too. She was my favorite person (and still is, in my heart). When I read about Mimi's patience with Claudia, the wisdom she imparts, the closeness of their bond, these are all things I know from my own Gram; she feels so close by to me when I read those scenes.
What I didn't care for:
Claudia's attitude - Yes, I sympathize with the pressures of living in Janine's shadow, but the constant whining about it gets old in a hurry. And then she gets all jugdy toward Mary Anne and Kristy's immaturity, and all I can think is "whining isn't all that adult either, Claudia." I am no fan of hypocrisy. Not even in twelve-year-old fictional characters.
Did Kristy seriously threaten to punch a sitting charge's lights out?? - Kristy, Kristy, Kristy. Things have changed a lot since this was written, but even thirty-some-odd years ago, I am certain parents weren't cool with a sitter punching a kid. Thinking it, maybe, but not saying it. Then again, Kristy seems to lack a filter, so am I really all that surprised? Still. That's no way to keep clients calling you for business and Kristy is typically very conscious of that at least!
I am going to stick with my original four-star rating. This book had mystery and suspense, both of which I enjoy to this day, after getting a taste for it with Nancy Drew and the BSC mystery installments. It also occurs to me just how much certain book series and television shows became part of my personal vernacular. I keep chuckling to myself as I read phrases that I know still use all the time. I love it. It's been so good reliving these memories. I'll be looking forward to each and every one of them.
choirqueer's review against another edition
4.0
This was one of the books I didn't reread as many times as the others in the series because it scared me, but I still have probably read it more times than most other books I have read. Still a classic!
cw: cops (portrayed as benevolent), home invasion (no physical violence), child engaging in stalking behavior
cw: cops (portrayed as benevolent), home invasion (no physical violence), child engaging in stalking behavior
thesydda's review against another edition
3.0
This was a cute story, with just the right amount of suspense. I still can't believe these girls are 12 - I used to think they were all so grown-up!
I think it's interesting that this story revolves around Claudia (at least according to the title), but the resolution doesn't really. I don't want to give too much away, so I won't say more than that.
Stoneybrook hears the news that a phantom thief is robbing houses in nearby towns . But first thief calls the houses and hangs up. What happens when Claudia starts receiving hang up phone calls while she's babysitting? How will she handle the fear? Can the BSC stop the phantom thief?
I think it's interesting that this story revolves around Claudia (at least according to the title), but the resolution doesn't really. I don't want to give too much away, so I won't say more than that.
Stoneybrook hears the news that a phantom thief is robbing houses in nearby towns . But first thief calls the houses and hangs up. What happens when Claudia starts receiving hang up phone calls while she's babysitting? How will she handle the fear? Can the BSC stop the phantom thief?
booksforlosers's review against another edition
5.0
I love these books so much I am going to go buy like the next twenty or so at a used bookstore
ghostrocknroll's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
finesilkflower's review against another edition
3.0
The baby-sitters choose to fear a jewel thief.
The babysitters are spooked by a news story about a jewel thief who calls homes and then hangs up without saying anything to make sure no one is there before he comes to rob them, especially after Claudia and Kristy receive “phantom phone calls” at their babysitting jobs. Various creepy sitting jobs follow, most of which are made more creepy by the girls’ expectations of disaster. Kristy is creeped out by the Brewers’ next-door neighboor, whom Karen is convinced is a witch. Stacey is freaked by weird noises from the Johanssen basement during a power failure (it’s just the dog). Mary Anne, with a plucky resourcefulness belied by her timidity, masterminds several homebrew burglar alarms at the Thomas house (which are, of course, all set off accidentally). Finally, while tag-team babysitting Jamie Newton and his cousins, Claudia and Kristy see prowlers and call the police, only to discover that their “phantom” stalkers all along were boys who were too shy to ask them out.
A jewel thief story sets an early precedent for mysteries and seems a slightly odd choice for a second book in a baby-sitting girls series. But it’s a logical enough choice to follow a September school-starting story with October and a Halloween story. Claudia, the vice president (the initial stories are told in rank order, it seems), is a Nancy Drew fiend, so she seems like the right sitter to get a mystery story. Finally, the general moral is about safety on the job, not a bad lesson for baby-sitters. I’m pleased that the story has a mundane conclusion and that they don’t really capture the jewel thief, the way they would if this were in the Baby-sitters Club Mystery spinoff series.
Highlights: The girls come up with a secret code to tell each other on the phone if they think they might be in danger on the job, but they don’t want to give away their concerns to the children (or to an intruder who might be listening in). Kristy makes the girls rehearse the code, which they never can get right.
Lingering Questions: It’s explained how the boys knew where the girls would be baby-sitting, but why call them there instead of at home? Are the girls just always baby-sitting continuously until it’s too late to politely call their homes?
What would Claudia wear? There are times when it's revealed you've gone a whole scene not realizing that the character you are supposed to identify with is dressed like Rita from MR. F storyline on Arrested Development, and in this book, that is the point where she describes her purple short pants with suspenders, clock tights, lobster earrings, and "plaid shirt with a matching hat." Is there any way this DOESN'T come off like insane, purple, clock/lobster leiderhosen?
Signs of the Times: Stacey’s VCR is broken, so the girls read the newspaper for fun. And Charlotte can't watch MTV because she doesn't get cable. I had the misfortune of rereading this in the 2010 reprint, where both of these references are updated, Stacey saying that the "player" is broken (so they still... um... read the paper. Not look at Google News?) and Charlotte explaining that she can't watch MTV (it's still MTV) because "Mommy and Daddy block channels they don't want me to watch," which explanation makes Charlotte look out-of-character babyish and the Johansens look out-of-character restrictive. Cable still exists, you guys, and wouldn't Stacey just want to watch U4Me on Youtube anyway?
The babysitters are spooked by a news story about a jewel thief who calls homes and then hangs up without saying anything to make sure no one is there before he comes to rob them, especially after Claudia and Kristy receive “phantom phone calls” at their babysitting jobs. Various creepy sitting jobs follow, most of which are made more creepy by the girls’ expectations of disaster. Kristy is creeped out by the Brewers’ next-door neighboor, whom Karen is convinced is a witch. Stacey is freaked by weird noises from the Johanssen basement during a power failure (it’s just the dog). Mary Anne, with a plucky resourcefulness belied by her timidity, masterminds several homebrew burglar alarms at the Thomas house (which are, of course, all set off accidentally). Finally, while tag-team babysitting Jamie Newton and his cousins, Claudia and Kristy see prowlers and call the police, only to discover that their “phantom” stalkers all along were boys who were too shy to ask them out.
A jewel thief story sets an early precedent for mysteries and seems a slightly odd choice for a second book in a baby-sitting girls series. But it’s a logical enough choice to follow a September school-starting story with October and a Halloween story. Claudia, the vice president (the initial stories are told in rank order, it seems), is a Nancy Drew fiend, so she seems like the right sitter to get a mystery story. Finally, the general moral is about safety on the job, not a bad lesson for baby-sitters. I’m pleased that the story has a mundane conclusion and that they don’t really capture the jewel thief, the way they would if this were in the Baby-sitters Club Mystery spinoff series.
Highlights: The girls come up with a secret code to tell each other on the phone if they think they might be in danger on the job, but they don’t want to give away their concerns to the children (or to an intruder who might be listening in). Kristy makes the girls rehearse the code, which they never can get right.
Lingering Questions: It’s explained how the boys knew where the girls would be baby-sitting, but why call them there instead of at home? Are the girls just always baby-sitting continuously until it’s too late to politely call their homes?
What would Claudia wear? There are times when it's revealed you've gone a whole scene not realizing that the character you are supposed to identify with is dressed like Rita from MR. F storyline on Arrested Development, and in this book, that is the point where she describes her purple short pants with suspenders, clock tights, lobster earrings, and "plaid shirt with a matching hat." Is there any way this DOESN'T come off like insane, purple, clock/lobster leiderhosen?
Signs of the Times: Stacey’s VCR is broken, so the girls read the newspaper for fun. And Charlotte can't watch MTV because she doesn't get cable. I had the misfortune of rereading this in the 2010 reprint, where both of these references are updated, Stacey saying that the "player" is broken (so they still... um... read the paper. Not look at Google News?) and Charlotte explaining that she can't watch MTV (it's still MTV) because "Mommy and Daddy block channels they don't want me to watch," which explanation makes Charlotte look out-of-character babyish and the Johansens look out-of-character restrictive. Cable still exists, you guys, and wouldn't Stacey just want to watch U4Me on Youtube anyway?