Scan barcode
A review by ssshira
Stacey and the Missing Ring by Ann M. Martin
2.0
this is my first time reading this book!
in this FIRST MYSTERY (!) by ghostwriter [a:Ellen Miles|286072|Ellen Miles|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] (who wrote a ton of the mysteries), stacey babysits for a new family, the gardellas. the next day, she gets a call from mrs. gardella saying that her fancy schmancy diamond ring that was sitting on her dresser is missing. inconveniently, stacey had JUST been talking about wanting a diamond ring. while mrs. gardella sort of pretends that she wants to believe stacey is innocent, she also says that she's going to have to tell the bsc's other clients that stacey stole from her. ugh. then the bsc goes through a lull and everyone thinks it's because of the missing ring, when really it was a coincidence (all the regular clients were out of town or sick).
highlights:
-stacey's mom had a beehive when she was a teenager! LOL
-when charlie rushes off at the mall and says he's meeting the guys, kristy says, "I bet it's not 'the guys' he's meeting...He seems to be in a real hurry, if you know what I mean." I'm pretty sure we are supposed to infer that he is meeting a girl, but I assume this means he needs to poop.
-dawn loves the t-shirt store. the t-shirt store. that is a thing, apparently.
-there's a chapter where jessi is babysitting her siblings and hears that there's a burglar in their area. she gets super paranoid and some [b:Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls|290503|Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-sitters Club, #2)|Ann M. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388901660s/290503.jpg|2227698]-style antics ensue.
-there's an extremely pointless but mildly entertaining chapter where mary anne is sitting for the prezziosos, and a neighborhood kid, joey conklin, puts the garden hose in the prezziosos' house and turns it on. the thing that's funny about this is that she makes a big deal about him being jackie rodowsky-like (which is inaccurate because jackie never tries to be bad) but I don't think we ever hear about joey conklin ever again! memorable character introduction with no followup.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-stacey is a turd when she asks her mom for a diamond ring. "dad would buy it for me."
-about claudia's new shoes, stacey says, "I knew from looking through that month's magazines that those shoes were past cool." what does that MEAN? past cool?
-the bsc members think it's so funny when there are women in the shoe store claiming to wear size sixes but they end up trying on nine-and-a-halfs. this is such a dumb sexist trope, straight out of married with children. BOO.
-it's weird that stacey wants a diamond ring so badly in the first place. I don't think most 13-year-olds wish they could have diamond rings.
-claudia is a terrible friend in this book. she doesn't believe stacey didn't steal the ring and goes to her house to look through her stuff. also her spelling is worse than usual, semi-unrealistically so.
-the prezziosos go out to a dinner and run into mrs. gardella, who tells them about the missing ring. the prezziosos stick up for stacey but are still upset enough that they go home and relieve claudia from her sitting job early. and they only pay her for the time that she worked. I'm sorry, but seriously? kristy, how have you not come up with a (perfectly reasonable) policy that clients pay for the whole baby-sitting job that sitters were scheduled for?
-tara the baby is young enough to need bottle feeding, but she sits on the couch with kristy and stacey. nope. ellen, have you ever met a baby?
-I would think they wouldn't want to sit for the gardellas in the first place because it's mostly just pet-sitting. I will always think of buffy and pinky mckeever in [b:Kristy's Great Idea|233722|Kristy's Great Idea (The Baby-Sitters Club, #1)|Ann M. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389241314s/233722.jpg|2302767] (and not the many pets in [b:Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter|233749|Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter (The Baby-Sitters Club, #22)|Ann M. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387734857s/233749.jpg|3057704]) when I think about bsc members accidentally pet-sitting.
mystery solution:
the gardellas' cat (named mouse) is playful and likes to hide small objects all over the house. he had hidden the diamond ring under the carpet.
claudia outfit:
-"Claud looked terrific in black leggings, red high-top sneakers, and an oversized red sweater. She was carrying a lunch box as a purse."
snacks in claudia's room:
-smartfood popcorn (n.s.)
-twinkies (n.s.)
in this FIRST MYSTERY (!) by ghostwriter [a:Ellen Miles|286072|Ellen Miles|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] (who wrote a ton of the mysteries), stacey babysits for a new family, the gardellas. the next day, she gets a call from mrs. gardella saying that her fancy schmancy diamond ring that was sitting on her dresser is missing. inconveniently, stacey had JUST been talking about wanting a diamond ring. while mrs. gardella sort of pretends that she wants to believe stacey is innocent, she also says that she's going to have to tell the bsc's other clients that stacey stole from her. ugh. then the bsc goes through a lull and everyone thinks it's because of the missing ring, when really it was a coincidence (all the regular clients were out of town or sick).
highlights:
-stacey's mom had a beehive when she was a teenager! LOL
-when charlie rushes off at the mall and says he's meeting the guys, kristy says, "I bet it's not 'the guys' he's meeting...He seems to be in a real hurry, if you know what I mean." I'm pretty sure we are supposed to infer that he is meeting a girl, but I assume this means he needs to poop.
-dawn loves the t-shirt store. the t-shirt store. that is a thing, apparently.
-there's a chapter where jessi is babysitting her siblings and hears that there's a burglar in their area. she gets super paranoid and some [b:Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls|290503|Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (The Baby-sitters Club, #2)|Ann M. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388901660s/290503.jpg|2227698]-style antics ensue.
-there's an extremely pointless but mildly entertaining chapter where mary anne is sitting for the prezziosos, and a neighborhood kid, joey conklin, puts the garden hose in the prezziosos' house and turns it on. the thing that's funny about this is that she makes a big deal about him being jackie rodowsky-like (which is inaccurate because jackie never tries to be bad) but I don't think we ever hear about joey conklin ever again! memorable character introduction with no followup.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-stacey is a turd when she asks her mom for a diamond ring. "dad would buy it for me."
-about claudia's new shoes, stacey says, "I knew from looking through that month's magazines that those shoes were past cool." what does that MEAN? past cool?
-the bsc members think it's so funny when there are women in the shoe store claiming to wear size sixes but they end up trying on nine-and-a-halfs. this is such a dumb sexist trope, straight out of married with children. BOO.
-it's weird that stacey wants a diamond ring so badly in the first place. I don't think most 13-year-olds wish they could have diamond rings.
-claudia is a terrible friend in this book. she doesn't believe stacey didn't steal the ring and goes to her house to look through her stuff. also her spelling is worse than usual, semi-unrealistically so.
-the prezziosos go out to a dinner and run into mrs. gardella, who tells them about the missing ring. the prezziosos stick up for stacey but are still upset enough that they go home and relieve claudia from her sitting job early. and they only pay her for the time that she worked. I'm sorry, but seriously? kristy, how have you not come up with a (perfectly reasonable) policy that clients pay for the whole baby-sitting job that sitters were scheduled for?
-tara the baby is young enough to need bottle feeding, but she sits on the couch with kristy and stacey. nope. ellen, have you ever met a baby?
-I would think they wouldn't want to sit for the gardellas in the first place because it's mostly just pet-sitting. I will always think of buffy and pinky mckeever in [b:Kristy's Great Idea|233722|Kristy's Great Idea (The Baby-Sitters Club, #1)|Ann M. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389241314s/233722.jpg|2302767] (and not the many pets in [b:Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter|233749|Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter (The Baby-Sitters Club, #22)|Ann M. Martin|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1387734857s/233749.jpg|3057704]) when I think about bsc members accidentally pet-sitting.
mystery solution:
the gardellas' cat (named mouse) is playful and likes to hide small objects all over the house. he had hidden the diamond ring under the carpet.
claudia outfit:
-"Claud looked terrific in black leggings, red high-top sneakers, and an oversized red sweater. She was carrying a lunch box as a purse."
snacks in claudia's room:
-smartfood popcorn (n.s.)
-twinkies (n.s.)