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Friday, December 20, 2013

#27 Jessi and the Superbrat



Oh my goodness, this thing was a beast to get through.  Honestly.  We have one of the first ghostied novels here.  The author thanks Jan Carr for her help in preparing the manuscript.  It isn’t one of the more interesting books in the series, believe me.
The cover shows Jessi looking like Michael Jackson with a migraine.  I don’t know anyone who can contort their bodies like that. She is at a 90 degree angle at the waist.  Wow.
The book starts with Becca running through the house retrieving the family for TV time.  I guess TV isn’t evil yet.  But before we can sit down for the show, we have to have the chapter two information.  Then they sit down to watch P.S 162.  Becca reveals that the kid who plays Waldo used to live in Stoneybrook.  Jessi calls Mal and finds out his name: Derek Masters.  He used to be in Nicky’s class.  Jessi is ecstatic!
She slides into the meeting the next day and we meet the girls of the club.  During the meeting, Mrs. Masters calls to request a sitter for her boys, Derek and Todd.  Jessi is the only one free and squee!  She gets the job.
And because we wouldn’t be the BSC if we didn’t have a vocabulary lesson, Jessi defines carriage for us.  She’s in ballet class and it’s not going well until the end when she feels herself soaring.  Madame Noelle pulls Jessi aside and asks her if she’d like to audition for Swan Lake.  Jessi fantasizes about dancing the lead and decides to audition.
Jessi is excited to babysit for Derek and Todd.  Becca begs for information about the show, but Jessi promises himself and her sister that she’s going to focus on the kids, not the star.  Jessi and Derek have some back and forth conversation; Jessi asks about LA, Derek asks about life in Stoneybrook.  She plays Candy Land with the boys and tells Derek about her ballet audition.  He offers to be her director and to help her prepare for her auditions.
So Derek isn’t doing real well “getting back into real life.”  The other kids stare at him and ask weird questions, reporters show up for his first day back at school, he gets called names and gets into fights.  In particular, he has issues with a a boy named “John.”  “John” (because we all know it’s really Derek) does all sorts of nasty things.  Jessi is outraged and calls “John” a superbrat!  She informs the BSC posthaste so they can solve the problem.
Kristy sits for Karen, who invites Hannie and Amanda over to play.  Karen insists upon being the star.  Rah.
Jessi goes to her audition, is a little twigged out by all the dancers that are there (some are even from NYC!), but gets a callback.  She calls Mal to tell her and finds out from Mal that Derek threw food all over a kid at school.  Jessi defends him and says the superbrat must have pushed him too far.
Claudia sits for the Masters kids.  Derek feeds her more “john” bs and they run into some boys from school.  All of the kids start to hang out and end up having a really good time.
Jessi goes to her callback and, since she has a job sitting for the Masters right afterward, gets to perform not only for the director and panel, but also for Derek.  They head back to the Masters’ house, where Todd (oh yeah, the Masters had a second kid!) lets it spill that Derek’s in a movie and they’re going back to LA in a few weeks.  Jessi starts thinking she should go to LA too, just because Derek said it was a good idea. Yes!! Excellent deduction, Watson!
She starts writing down names and phone numbers of talent agencies to represent her.  While that stew is simmering, she decides to start planning a going away party.
When she raises it to the BSC, they can’t find a time, but they finally figure it out.  Then Mal spills the beans that Jessi made it to the second rounds of auditions.  Jessi’s a little upset she told, but then, she never said it was a secret.  You want it to be a secret, make it a secret, honey.
Jessi tries to convince her parents she should be a model and act, but they use logical arguments and common sense to counter her request.  In the end, they let her try calling agencies, as long as it’s not farther than Stamford.
Jessi tries to get more information from Derek about the acting/modeling word.  He invites Jessi to move in with them in LA while trying to get her big break.  Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.
Mal mentions to Jessi there’s no one in Derek’s class named John.  Jessi says he’s probably in another class or grade. Hmmmm
It’s party time!  The morning of Jessi’s big audition is when the party is.  They have games and breakfast food and non BSC charges SHOW UP FOR THE PARTY.  They eat food, play games and have a good time.
But, all good things must come to an end Jessi heads to her audition.  Jessi does her best and leaves it up to the fates.  She gets a call – she made it!
Jessi stops to tell Derek before he leaves and he tells her it’s great and that she won’t be going to LA soon.  Then we have the confession that Derek himself was “John” (oh shock and horrors) and he did all the nasty things John did.  Huh, totally did not see that one coming.

Mommy Moments:
  • If my child was a “tv star” I’m not sure I’d try to get him back into normal life.  Life is obviously no longer that kind of normal.  Maybe it’s time to make a new norm.
  • Along with that, what’s to stop the paparazzi from parking outside his school if they want to?
  • Perhaps some consistency and continuity, Masters family, especially for Todd’s sake?  You’ve been here a few weeks and are now moving back to LA.
  • I think Mama and Papa Ramsey are they best BSC parents.  They actually discuss things with their kids, rather than just saying, “yeah, sure, whatever you want honey.  Just don’t burn down the house.?”  They’re even going to let her try to get an agent, as long as it’s in their parameters.
  •  
Claudia Outfits:
  • A bright pink t-shirt, a short red flouncy skirt, and underneath the skirt she had on black footless tights that she had rolled up to mid-calf.


This is my first ghostied snark – if they’re all that awful, it’s going to be a long time between blog posts.!

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