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The Baby-Sitters Club #35
Stacey and the Mystery of Stoneybrook
Kristy and the other kids of Stoneybrook suspect that the old, deserted house slated to be demolished soon sits over a graveyard and that restless spirits lurk beneath its foundation
146 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1990
80 people are currently reading
914 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,121 books3,090 followersAnn Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
March 6, 2016
this is my first time reading this book!
in this mystery written by ghostwriter ellen miles, charlotte johanssen (yes, yes, we all know it rhymes with scarlett johansson -- let's move on from that, already) comes to stay at stacey's house while her parents are out of town for a week. an old house on stacey's block is getting gutted (to remove the historical fixtures within) and torn down by a developer who will be building condos in its stead. sounds familiar to a dc kid like me. anyway, stacey and charlotte see and hear some creepy stuff when they go to visit the house, and they (along with everyone else in the bsc) decide to solve the mystery of its apparent haunting.
highlights:
-charlotte staying with the mcgills has a lot of great moments. the feel of being sick and bored at home is captured really well when charlotte has tonsilitis and stacey has to keep her company. and charlotte is so happy to be able to come to bsc meetings, since she feels like an honorary member.
-I want watson's library. it's described as being cozy with red leather armchairs, stained glass-inspired lamps, and hundreds or maybe thousands of books.
-kristy discovers a map that indicates that the town of stoneybrook is built on an ancient burial ground. seriously, what a hilariously dumb trope. I love it.
-stacey reads highlights at the doctor and mentions that she thinks gallant from goofus and gallant is a goody-goody (say that 10 times fast). that is so perfectly stacey.
-to get charlotte to take her medicine, stacey shows her what SHE has to do for her diabetes, and gross antibiotics don't seem as bad by comparison, so charlotte takes her medicine after that.
-in one chapter, claudia takes the perkinses to the library for story hour and they make a The Little House-inspired mural after reading that book.
-mr. hennessy, the man who owned the house and recently sold it to the developer tells a whole bunch of ridiculous made-up ghost stories about the house including one about "old rubbernose" who is a ghost who has a rubber nose. no joke. SO GOOD.
-when mr. hennessy tells his story, he says, "the first thing I remember was when I was just a lad in short pants." it sounds like the author has never heard an elderly person talk and is just approximating based on misreading dickens. I actually laughed out loud at that line.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-I kind of wanted more conflict with the charlotte plotline. it seemed like there should be some sisterly bickering between charlotte and stacey, but there really wasn't.
-seriously, does EVERY KID in stoneybrook go to dr. dellenkamp? aren't there other pediatricians in that town?
-I don't understand why dawn acts like baby-sitting at the pikes' is particularly bad. all of the kids are willing to be involved in the wizard of oz play, and it seems like there is comparatively very little trouble when you consider how rough sitting for the pikes can be on occasion.
no claudia outfits.
stacey outfits:
-"I had dressed for my train ride in a white jumpsuit, layered over a blue tank top. I had on white push-down socks with blue hearts all over them, a wide blue patent leather belt, and a wild necklace made of all kinds of plastic sea creatures in a rainbow of colors."
-"I'd gotten this pink polka-dotted short skirt with suspender straps and had worn it with an oversized white T-shirt. I had on my pink high-top sneakers, folded down to show their striped lining. I'd also worn these great earrings Claud had given me for my last birthday. They has all these little pink plastic hearts dangling down from one bigger heart."
reasons they think the house is haunted - and the logical explanations for these phenomena
-there's a face at the window - it's one of the workmen
-there are flames in the window - the workman is using an acetylene torch to loosen the bathtub from its fittings
-there is a moaning sound - the workmen are loosening the pipes
-there is a swarm of flies next to the house a la the amityville horror - the workmen had disturbed a beehive (not flies, it's bees)
snacks in claudia's room:
-m&ms in her closet
-twinkies in her closet
-twix in her closet
-whole wheat crackers in a box marked CHARCAOLS under her bed
-doritos (n.s.)
in this mystery written by ghostwriter ellen miles, charlotte johanssen (yes, yes, we all know it rhymes with scarlett johansson -- let's move on from that, already) comes to stay at stacey's house while her parents are out of town for a week. an old house on stacey's block is getting gutted (to remove the historical fixtures within) and torn down by a developer who will be building condos in its stead. sounds familiar to a dc kid like me. anyway, stacey and charlotte see and hear some creepy stuff when they go to visit the house, and they (along with everyone else in the bsc) decide to solve the mystery of its apparent haunting.
highlights:
-charlotte staying with the mcgills has a lot of great moments. the feel of being sick and bored at home is captured really well when charlotte has tonsilitis and stacey has to keep her company. and charlotte is so happy to be able to come to bsc meetings, since she feels like an honorary member.
-I want watson's library. it's described as being cozy with red leather armchairs, stained glass-inspired lamps, and hundreds or maybe thousands of books.
-kristy discovers a map that indicates that the town of stoneybrook is built on an ancient burial ground. seriously, what a hilariously dumb trope. I love it.
-stacey reads highlights at the doctor and mentions that she thinks gallant from goofus and gallant is a goody-goody (say that 10 times fast). that is so perfectly stacey.
-to get charlotte to take her medicine, stacey shows her what SHE has to do for her diabetes, and gross antibiotics don't seem as bad by comparison, so charlotte takes her medicine after that.
-in one chapter, claudia takes the perkinses to the library for story hour and they make a The Little House-inspired mural after reading that book.
-mr. hennessy, the man who owned the house and recently sold it to the developer tells a whole bunch of ridiculous made-up ghost stories about the house including one about "old rubbernose" who is a ghost who has a rubber nose. no joke. SO GOOD.
-when mr. hennessy tells his story, he says, "the first thing I remember was when I was just a lad in short pants." it sounds like the author has never heard an elderly person talk and is just approximating based on misreading dickens. I actually laughed out loud at that line.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-I kind of wanted more conflict with the charlotte plotline. it seemed like there should be some sisterly bickering between charlotte and stacey, but there really wasn't.
-seriously, does EVERY KID in stoneybrook go to dr. dellenkamp? aren't there other pediatricians in that town?
-I don't understand why dawn acts like baby-sitting at the pikes' is particularly bad. all of the kids are willing to be involved in the wizard of oz play, and it seems like there is comparatively very little trouble when you consider how rough sitting for the pikes can be on occasion.
no claudia outfits.
stacey outfits:
-"I had dressed for my train ride in a white jumpsuit, layered over a blue tank top. I had on white push-down socks with blue hearts all over them, a wide blue patent leather belt, and a wild necklace made of all kinds of plastic sea creatures in a rainbow of colors."
-"I'd gotten this pink polka-dotted short skirt with suspender straps and had worn it with an oversized white T-shirt. I had on my pink high-top sneakers, folded down to show their striped lining. I'd also worn these great earrings Claud had given me for my last birthday. They has all these little pink plastic hearts dangling down from one bigger heart."
reasons they think the house is haunted - and the logical explanations for these phenomena
-there's a face at the window - it's one of the workmen
-there are flames in the window - the workman is using an acetylene torch to loosen the bathtub from its fittings
-there is a moaning sound - the workmen are loosening the pipes
-there is a swarm of flies next to the house a la the amityville horror - the workmen had disturbed a beehive (not flies, it's bees)
snacks in claudia's room:
-m&ms in her closet
-twinkies in her closet
-twix in her closet
-whole wheat crackers in a box marked CHARCAOLS under her bed
-doritos (n.s.)
August 22, 2010
dr. johannsen calls the babysitters club to see if charlotte can stay with stacey for a week while dr. & mr. J are off looking after charlotte's grandfather, who is having surgery. stacey is really excited about having charlotte stay with her. she's always wanted a little sister, & this will be like having one of her favorite charges as a sister for a week. she thinks. she makes a big fuss over fixing up the guest room really nicely for charlotte, with raggedy ann sheets that mrs. mcgill apparently got at a garage sale. this makes me think of the pottery barn episode of "friends," when rachel doesn't want phoebe to find out that she'd been buying all her awesome old vintage housewares from pottery barn, so she tells phoebe that ross got his new sheets at the flea market & phoebe says, "the flea market? jeez, ross, loosen the purse strings." for serious.
predictably, charlotte is very reluctant to leave her parents because she's a big crybaby & i don't get why everyone loves charlotte & hates jenny prezzioso. nor do i get why everyone loves karen, or the frighteningly precocious perkins girls, but they all hate on jenny. charlotte kind of bugs. she seems like the kind of girl that would pretend to be afraid of squirrels if she thought it would get her special attention. anyway.
there's a big old house in stoneybrook that has never previously been mentioned in the series, & it's about to be torn down. this is BIG NEWS in town, & stacey, bring from NYC, doesn't get it. she finds it all very boring & pastoral, & i agree. nonetheless, to distract charlotte from her concern over her grandfather & her feelings of homesickness, stacey suggests they walk by the house.
so they do. & all kinds of "weird" shit goes down. stacey thinks she sees a face in an upstairs window, even though the workmen have gone home for the day. she also sees a huge cloud of flies, "amityville horror"-style. they also hear clanking & banging, like chains being dragged across the floor. maybe it's the ghost of little miss stoneybrook future. that night, both stacey & charlotte have nightmares about the house.
the entire BSC is all freaked out by the house. kristy does some sleuthing in some boring old books at watson's house & discovers that all of stoneybrook was apparently built on an ancient burial ground, & the house being torn down was built on the most sacred spot of all. she vows never to look at the creepy old books again, but of course she teels stacey about them & is all too willing to bring them over to stacey's house for a babysitters junior detectives meeting like one day later. how quickly we forget that we creeped ourselves out looking at some boring old map.
this also reminds me of the episode of "friends" where monica inherits the dollhouse, & phoebe brings by some items for it. she brings a kleenex that will function as the ghost that haunts the attic, & one of those life-size ceramic dogs that people keep next to their front doors, to be the house dog. when monica questions the ghost, phoebe explains that maybe the house was built on an ancient indian burial site. when monica questions the size of the dog, phoebe suggests that he was warped by nuclear waste. "the house was built on an ancient indian burial site, & nuclear waste? that would never happen," says ross. "apparently you don't know much about the U.S. government," says phoebe. nuclear waste would certainly help explain the perkins girls.
charlotte & stacey go back to the house again a few days later (after a really boring storyline in which charlotte gets tonsillitis & has to take penicillin, & stacey contemplates taking the penicillin herself to convince charlotte to take it, even though like 90% of people are allergic to penicillin [or at least practically everyone i know is:], but instead convinces her to dose up by showing charlotte her glucose monitor). this time, they see flames shooting out of a first story window. stacey finds a wheelbarrow conveniently full of rainwater & wheels it over to the window, but the flames are gone by the time she gets there. & the frame isn't hot, there's no burn marks or smell of ash...stacey & charlotte are freaked out.
claudia goes to the library to research the old house. she thinks to look up old tax records (claudia?!?) & discovers the former owner's name. she looks in the phone book & discovers that he lives at stoneybrook manor, the old folks' home. at the next meeting, kristy, stacey, charlotte (who has been attending BSC meetings), & claudia volunteer to go meet the old dude.
when they meet him, he is very old & frail & he tells them all kinds of creepy ghost stories about his old house. the girls are pretty suspicious & don't know if they should believe him. he tells them not to go watch the house get torn down, because who knows what will happen with all those spirits' graves being disturbed?
but the next day, charlotte wants to join the massive crowd that is gathering to see the house get torn down. stacey agrees. everyone is there, because this is stoneybrook & i guess this is the kind of sad shit that passes for entertainment. everyone is enjoying the experience, but then stacey sees the house burst into flame. & astonishingly, no one else seems to notice. stacey feels overwhelmed by the need to go talk to old dude again. she deposits charlotte with claudia & runs all the way to stoneybrook manor, only to be told that old dude has been dead for ten years. just kidding, he died last night. which also reminds me of the episode of "friends" where joey is cast in the independent movie "shutter speed," filming in las vegas, & the story is that awful old chestnut about the dude who meets the girl, & the girl leaves her jacket behind when she goes home, so he goes to return it & is informed that the girl died in some tragic accident ten/twenty years earlier. & everyone is like, "joey's movie is going to flop," but chandler is the only one that accidentally says it to joey & joey gets really mad until he gets to las vegas & finds that the movie couldn't raise funding to complete filming.
anyway, old dude left stacey a note confessing that he lied about all the ghost stories.
stacey goes to collect charlotte & runs into kristy, sam, & charlie, who talked to the workmen. the workmen had explanations for everything. the clanking stacey heard was old, loose pipes. the first story flames were an acetelyne torch a workman was using to remove the old clawfoot bathtub. the swarm of flies was actually a displaced hive of bees (how did stacey mistake bees for flies? they have both in new york city). they have explanations for everything except 1) the nightmares everyone has been having, 2) the hand claudia felt on her arm one day, & 3) the fire stacey saw as the house was being torn down.
charlotte is reunited with her parents. &...scene.
so. what the fuck? was stacey actually having a paranormal experience? was claudia, when she felt the hand on her arm? i think i read somewhere that this book inspired ann m. martin to launch the babysitters club mystery series. this is not a good inspiration because this book kind of blows. i guess it beats mallory & the ghost cat, but just barely.
predictably, charlotte is very reluctant to leave her parents because she's a big crybaby & i don't get why everyone loves charlotte & hates jenny prezzioso. nor do i get why everyone loves karen, or the frighteningly precocious perkins girls, but they all hate on jenny. charlotte kind of bugs. she seems like the kind of girl that would pretend to be afraid of squirrels if she thought it would get her special attention. anyway.
there's a big old house in stoneybrook that has never previously been mentioned in the series, & it's about to be torn down. this is BIG NEWS in town, & stacey, bring from NYC, doesn't get it. she finds it all very boring & pastoral, & i agree. nonetheless, to distract charlotte from her concern over her grandfather & her feelings of homesickness, stacey suggests they walk by the house.
so they do. & all kinds of "weird" shit goes down. stacey thinks she sees a face in an upstairs window, even though the workmen have gone home for the day. she also sees a huge cloud of flies, "amityville horror"-style. they also hear clanking & banging, like chains being dragged across the floor. maybe it's the ghost of little miss stoneybrook future. that night, both stacey & charlotte have nightmares about the house.
the entire BSC is all freaked out by the house. kristy does some sleuthing in some boring old books at watson's house & discovers that all of stoneybrook was apparently built on an ancient burial ground, & the house being torn down was built on the most sacred spot of all. she vows never to look at the creepy old books again, but of course she teels stacey about them & is all too willing to bring them over to stacey's house for a babysitters junior detectives meeting like one day later. how quickly we forget that we creeped ourselves out looking at some boring old map.
this also reminds me of the episode of "friends" where monica inherits the dollhouse, & phoebe brings by some items for it. she brings a kleenex that will function as the ghost that haunts the attic, & one of those life-size ceramic dogs that people keep next to their front doors, to be the house dog. when monica questions the ghost, phoebe explains that maybe the house was built on an ancient indian burial site. when monica questions the size of the dog, phoebe suggests that he was warped by nuclear waste. "the house was built on an ancient indian burial site, & nuclear waste? that would never happen," says ross. "apparently you don't know much about the U.S. government," says phoebe. nuclear waste would certainly help explain the perkins girls.
charlotte & stacey go back to the house again a few days later (after a really boring storyline in which charlotte gets tonsillitis & has to take penicillin, & stacey contemplates taking the penicillin herself to convince charlotte to take it, even though like 90% of people are allergic to penicillin [or at least practically everyone i know is:], but instead convinces her to dose up by showing charlotte her glucose monitor). this time, they see flames shooting out of a first story window. stacey finds a wheelbarrow conveniently full of rainwater & wheels it over to the window, but the flames are gone by the time she gets there. & the frame isn't hot, there's no burn marks or smell of ash...stacey & charlotte are freaked out.
claudia goes to the library to research the old house. she thinks to look up old tax records (claudia?!?) & discovers the former owner's name. she looks in the phone book & discovers that he lives at stoneybrook manor, the old folks' home. at the next meeting, kristy, stacey, charlotte (who has been attending BSC meetings), & claudia volunteer to go meet the old dude.
when they meet him, he is very old & frail & he tells them all kinds of creepy ghost stories about his old house. the girls are pretty suspicious & don't know if they should believe him. he tells them not to go watch the house get torn down, because who knows what will happen with all those spirits' graves being disturbed?
but the next day, charlotte wants to join the massive crowd that is gathering to see the house get torn down. stacey agrees. everyone is there, because this is stoneybrook & i guess this is the kind of sad shit that passes for entertainment. everyone is enjoying the experience, but then stacey sees the house burst into flame. & astonishingly, no one else seems to notice. stacey feels overwhelmed by the need to go talk to old dude again. she deposits charlotte with claudia & runs all the way to stoneybrook manor, only to be told that old dude has been dead for ten years. just kidding, he died last night. which also reminds me of the episode of "friends" where joey is cast in the independent movie "shutter speed," filming in las vegas, & the story is that awful old chestnut about the dude who meets the girl, & the girl leaves her jacket behind when she goes home, so he goes to return it & is informed that the girl died in some tragic accident ten/twenty years earlier. & everyone is like, "joey's movie is going to flop," but chandler is the only one that accidentally says it to joey & joey gets really mad until he gets to las vegas & finds that the movie couldn't raise funding to complete filming.
anyway, old dude left stacey a note confessing that he lied about all the ghost stories.
stacey goes to collect charlotte & runs into kristy, sam, & charlie, who talked to the workmen. the workmen had explanations for everything. the clanking stacey heard was old, loose pipes. the first story flames were an acetelyne torch a workman was using to remove the old clawfoot bathtub. the swarm of flies was actually a displaced hive of bees (how did stacey mistake bees for flies? they have both in new york city). they have explanations for everything except 1) the nightmares everyone has been having, 2) the hand claudia felt on her arm one day, & 3) the fire stacey saw as the house was being torn down.
charlotte is reunited with her parents. &...scene.
so. what the fuck? was stacey actually having a paranormal experience? was claudia, when she felt the hand on her arm? i think i read somewhere that this book inspired ann m. martin to launch the babysitters club mystery series. this is not a good inspiration because this book kind of blows. i guess it beats mallory & the ghost cat, but just barely.
December 21, 2023
Read via audio (narrated by Erin Moon).
September 8, 2019
Surprisingly terrifying for a children’s book, and super weird.
January 12, 2023
Damn, guess we know now that Stacey's mother dropped acid while she was pregnant with her.
For a few-decades old middle grade "mystery" this wasn't half-bad. I'll admit, if I were poking around outside some creepy ass old house and started hearing rattling and moaning pipes and saw a face at the window and shit, I'd be a little weirded out, too. The difference being I am a grown ass adult who knows that there is no such thing as ghosts.
(Think about it: If you died but were still on Earth as a ghost, would you really waste that time and opportunity just hanging around some old dump scaring the neighborhood kiddies? When you could do literally anything and go anywhere you wanted? Fuck that. Personally, I'd be at the kremlin scaring the shit out of putin until he hightailed it to Siberia and all of his invaders got the fuck out of Ukraine.)
But it definitely makes sense why even Stacey and the other baby-sitters would get a little freaked out by everything, especially if they thought the house or even the whole town had been built on an old burial ground. (Poltergeist tried to warn us, folks.) And I liked how they actually did some real investigating of sorts, looking things up at the library and going to talk to the old man who used to own the house. Plus, I think this is a good way to show kids that sometimes your imagination really can run away with you, like when Claudia said she thought she'd felt a hand on her arm.
But...when Stacey thinks she sees the whole damn house go up in flames when they're knocking it down...that was 100% secondhand flashback, babe. Your mom ate the brown acid.
For a few-decades old middle grade "mystery" this wasn't half-bad. I'll admit, if I were poking around outside some creepy ass old house and started hearing rattling and moaning pipes and saw a face at the window and shit, I'd be a little weirded out, too. The difference being I am a grown ass adult who knows that there is no such thing as ghosts.
(Think about it: If you died but were still on Earth as a ghost, would you really waste that time and opportunity just hanging around some old dump scaring the neighborhood kiddies? When you could do literally anything and go anywhere you wanted? Fuck that. Personally, I'd be at the kremlin scaring the shit out of putin until he hightailed it to Siberia and all of his invaders got the fuck out of Ukraine.)
But it definitely makes sense why even Stacey and the other baby-sitters would get a little freaked out by everything, especially if they thought the house or even the whole town had been built on an old burial ground. (Poltergeist tried to warn us, folks.) And I liked how they actually did some real investigating of sorts, looking things up at the library and going to talk to the old man who used to own the house. Plus, I think this is a good way to show kids that sometimes your imagination really can run away with you, like when Claudia said she thought she'd felt a hand on her arm.
But...when Stacey thinks she sees the whole damn house go up in flames when they're knocking it down...that was 100% secondhand flashback, babe. Your mom ate the brown acid.
July 7, 2020
While I actually started reading around age 3 (thank you, my Granny's Dick and Jane books!), this series is what I remember most about loving to read during my childhood. My sister and I drank these books up like they were oxygen. I truly think we owned just about every single one from every one of the series. We even got the privilege of meeting Ann M. Martin at a book signing, but of course little starstruck me froze and could not speak a word to my biggest hero at that time. Once in awhile if I come across these at a yard sale, I will pick them up for a couple hour trip down memory lane, and I declare nearly nothing centers and relaxes me more!
November 28, 2008
A girl on RiSi sent me this book as a surprise as she knew that I used to love these books - how kind! A fun read, although I can tell now as an adult that these later books were ghostwritten. Stacey's voice is very different from that of her first book.
September 5, 2019
Charlottes parents are going out of town for a full week and they need someone to let Charlotte stay with them for that whole time. Of COURSE Stacey is up for it! Charlotte is one of her favorite kids to babysit and Stacey is Charlottes Favorite babysitter too. During this week they discover a mystery. One of the oldest houses in the whole town is about to be demolished so they go and check it out. It seems strange and spooky though, after Stacey sees a face in the window the girls take off running. Over the days they go back and more strange things happen. Can the members of the BSC figure out if the place is haunted?
February 6, 2019
The story was good, the "mystery" not so much. It was a little ridiculous - especially Stacey's hallucinations at the end - but I am always a fan of the BSC sleuthing and working together to get answers. But I did like Charlotte staying with the McGills, I thought that was an interesting part to the story. (Weird, though, that Dr Johanssen would phone the BSC to find somewhere for Charlotte to stay for a week. Like, I get you don't have family nearby, but calling a group of thirteen year old girls to see if your daughter can stay with them for a week?! The parents of Stoneybrook depend way too much on these teenage girls!)
August 18, 2025
It's really cute to see Stacey take care of Charlotte on a day-to-day basis, and I was definitely invested in the mystery.
Reveal:
Reveal:
August 28, 2022
I loved this one - it was a cute "mystery" with just a touch of unexplained paranormal stuff at the end - enjoyed Stacey's voice in this one. Personal summary/spoilers in comments
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April 3, 2024Stacey and the Mystery of Stoneybrooke
Stacey spends the weekend with her dad in NY. Mr. McGill takes off all weekend-something which is odd for him-. They go to a café-Stacy has cappicino-. Then they go window shopping. Stacey sees one of her favorite stars. Stacy wants a purple sude jacket but picks out wild heart shaped checkerboard sun glasses. Then they go for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Stacey’s body is going through some changes and her dad suggest she make an appointment with her doctor. (HE’s worried after he sees her eating some noodles). On Sunday Laine comes by with Zabbers-a deli in NY-. Then she goes back to Stoneybrooke. Mrs. McGill picks her up and is in disbelieve that her dad took off the whole weekend. Stacey doesn’t tell her she heard him working Sunday. She instead suggests they take a shopping trip to Y like old times. She calls Claud and tells her about the trip.
Stacey is a little tired the next day but manages to make it to the BSC meeing. Mallory says there tearing down an old house and there’s talk they want to put up condos. Stacey can’t believe there so fascinated with an old house, but. this is Stoneybrooke (in other words this is news for this place). Mrs. Newton needs a sitter and Maryanne gets it. Stacey already has a job with the Pikes. Dawn reminds her to take her Kid Kit because she hears it’s going to rain and Jaime gets a little antsy. Mrs. Johnson calls and says they need a sitter for a week because Charlotte’s grandparents are sick. She asks if Becca can stay with Jessi or Charlotte. She doesn’t want her to miss school. Jessi says she can’t. Mrs. McGill says it’s ok. Stacey is excited. She’s always wanted a little sister.
By Thursday, she’s already fixed up the guest room and put Raggedy Anne sheets on the bed and filled the room with toys for 8 years old (and her favorite books and flowers). Charlotte looks like she’s about to cry when dropped off. Noto even the sound of her favorite food cheers her up (spaghetti and meatballs). Stacey is a little hurt because she tells her father she’ll be so lonely. She’s supposed to be her favorite sitter. Her mother sees and tells her don’t take it personal. Charlotte really loves her grandfather. She notices the room and is appreciative, but she tells Stacey she’s scared her grandfather might die. Stacy tells her it’s going to be ok and suggests they play CLUE. Charlotte has a lot of questions about the operation but she calms down. Then they have dinner. Charlotte doesn’t have much of an appetite tho. Mrs. McGill says she can eat it later.
Charlotte clings to Stacey and starts to ask questions about her parents flight. Stacey turns on the Cosby Show. This distracts her for a while, but then she asks if she thinks her parents are at the hospital and if her grandfather is happy to see her. Then Stacey keeps another game of CLUE with her and then teachers her to play WAR. After the twelth game, Stacey does her homework and then reads “Charlotte’s Web” to her until she falls asleep. Stacey finally finishes her math but she’s exhausted (to much to read).
The next day, Stacey tries to fix Charlotte a snack, but she says she doesn’t feel well. Stacey suggest they get out and look at the old house. She really doesn’t care about it but she just wants to get Charlotte’s mind off her grandfather. Charlotte wants to go inside and look around, but Stacey says no way. It might be dangerous. So they walk around the outside. The house has towers and Stacey is trying to decide which she’d like to be her room when she sees a face in the window. Then she hears chains clanking. She tells Charlotte it’s the pips leaking. Then they see flies and the house making a weird noise. They take off and return to Stacey’s house. Charlotte says what she thinks made the noise. Stacey says she doesn’t know and then changes the subject and tells her she gets to go with her to a BSC meeting. Charlotte gets excited and wonders if this makes her an honorary member. She wonders if she’ll have to pay dues. Stacey lets her help organie the Kid Kit. Then they head to the meeting.
When things slow down, Stacey tells everyone about the flies she saw and the face she saw in the window. They say it might have been a worker but Stacey says they were all gone. Charlotte looks like she’s going to cry so Kristy lets her answer the phone. She says “Baby- sitters Club no job to small.”
Karen is telling a story about Morbidda Destiny putting a spell on Boo-Boo the next time she catches him. Then they all decide to play “The Name Game” (Song). You know the one that goes “Toaster Toaster bo boaster banana fanna.” Karen starts telling this story about old Ben Brewer and hearing his shoe drop. It’s coming down outside. They’re all spooked so Kristy puts them down for bed and reads “Ozma of Oz” to them. Since they’ve seen the movie they’re going through all the books. All the kids can’t go to sleep and keep asking for things. When it’s quiet Kristy makes her way to Watson’s library and looks through the books-he says he has some on the history of Stoneybrooke-. She recognizes the name Brewer, the great blizzard of Stoney brooke, and the building of the library. She can’t find anything on the old house at first but then she sees an old map. There’s a scattering of old houses and a bank. Then she sees the old hosue. From the map she sees that the house is built over old burial grounds. She decides to put the map away and never look at it again. When she puts the map away she gets the feeling there’s a presence in the room. but it’s just Sam and Charlie.
The next morning, Charlotte really is sick and bring up with a 102 degree temperature. So, they have to take her to the dctor’s. It’s her tonsils and she’s prescribed some liquid penicillin. Charlotte starts to whine and refuses to take it saying it taste bad and makes her want to throw up. Stacey says if she takes it she’ll make her an ice cream soda with ginger ale. Charlotte isn’t hearing it. Stacey tries to understand her frustration. Then she thiks of something and starts to show her all the things she’s gone through with taking her insulin. She shows her how to test her blood sugar. Then she tells about the shots (but doesn’t show her this). Charlotte is amazed by what all she has to go to and it works. She takes her medicine with no complaints. Then she puts Charlotte to bed, and does little special things to make her feel better. That night they call Mr. Johnssen. Her grandfather’s operation went ok.
The next day (Sunday) Charlotte is a little better. Mrs. McGill makes sugar free blueberry pancakes. Both Stacey and Charlotte are sick of being cooped up. Kristy brings over the map and the books. Stacey wonders who the owner of the old h ouse is and if they’re even still alive. Stacey wonders also how would they know if the map is as old as it looks. Kristy says she doesn’t know. Noone’s lived there for years. Charlotte thinks maybe that’s the owner they saw (rather heard). They call Maryanne to see if she knows anything about the owner and they tell her to keep on the lookout for clues. Dawn’s out sitting but she says she’ll tell about it when she gets home. They call the others (Claud is doing homework, Mal has take Margo and Claire on a teddy bear picnic, and Jessi is out of town).
Claud has a job sitting for the Perkin’s girls. She decides to take them to the library for story hour. They’ll be reading Mike Mulligan and the Little Steam Shovel and then after making a mural and a little house. Claudia once there does a little research of her own. She learns that the house was built on a secret burial spot. Then she finds the owners name is Ronald Henessey. She asks her mom how to find someone to see if they still lived in town. Her mom suggests the phone book. She finds out he’s still there but in a nursing home. Stacey has a dream that the old hosue is on fire and there’s someone trapped in the house. The same night, Charolotte has a nightmare that sees seen bony hands beckoning her into the house. Stacey know understands why the workers leave early. It’s the “power” of the house.
The next day, Stacey has a hard time concentrating from being up late. At lunch, Stacey talks to the others about her and Charlotte’s nightmare at lunch. Kristy calls an emergency meeting of the BSC. At the meeting, Claudia says she went by the house and says she felt like someone had their hand on her shoulder (an invisble hand). Mallory says she remembers one spring she went over to pick some flowers for a Mother’s Day boquet. Later she had a nightmare the house was full of people with bony hands all wanting their flowers back. Kristy says it’s time to pay Ronald Henessey a visit. Charlotte, Stacey, and Claudia volunteer.
Dawn and Mal sit for the Pikes. The Pike kids are allowed to have a smorgsbourg. They have some weird choices. Byron wants bologna and grape jelly. Nickey wants peanut butter and bologna. Adam and Jordan want Spagetoo’s out the can. Margo wants bread and butter. Vanessa wants a fried egg. Claire wants cereal in a certain bowl with the milk right at the top. Mal wants a ham sandwhich. Dawn gets yogurt, and wheat bread, and carrots. After that they put on a play (The Wizard of OZ).
Mr. Henessy says mone of what the girls say surprises him. Some strange things went on there. He says when he was seven or gith he heard someone pacing in the corridor outside his room and it was a man that looked like he had a rubber nose. He said it’s a ghost named “Old Rubber Nose” he got his nose cut off and had it replaced. He said he wouldn’t rest until he fouond a mortal woman to love him. Uncle James saw a woman with red hair that made him follow him but no one ever saw him. There was also one about an attic door that never shut and a ghost that carried his head. He says it’s because the spirits are unhappy about having ther graves destroyed. Plus the neighboorhood is being destroyed. The house is supposed to come down the next day. He tells them to stay away from the house. He doesn’t like what he heard. He starts to look tired so they leave.
The next day the house is supposed to come down. Stacey and Charlotte aren’t the only ones who can’t stay away from watching the hosue come down. The Pikes, the Barettes, Jenny, and the Perkins are there. Some adults are there too. Kristy shows up with Sam and Charlie. The house comes down. The house goes up in flames. But only Stacey sees it and she sees a figure-just like in her dream-. Charlotte motions for Stacey to leave. She’s getting bored. When Stacey looks back at the house there’s no fire. Stacey feels like Mr. Henessey needs help. So she gets Claudia to watch Charlotte while she goes to talk to Mr. Henessey. When she gets there she finds out Mr. Henessey has passed away the night before. She hands Stacey a note from him. It says he enjoyed the visit and that he hopes the tales didn’t disturb her and her friends but there’s no mystery. The stories weren’t true. Stacey is a little disappointed. When she goes outside Kristy is there waiting to pick her up. Charlie says the moaning was the pipes. One of the workers stayed behind so it was his face. The flies was a hive that was disturbed.
Stacey tells herself she was just imagining the fire. She and Kristy decide not to tell the others the other details. Charlotte tries to bring up the house when they get back, but Stacey just distracts her until her parents come back. Before she leaves, Stacey gives Charlotte a present-glow in the dark barettes- After this Stacey misses her “little sister”. Charlotte calls later and tells her “big sister” she misses her and they talk for a while before she has to go to bed.
My Thoughts
I didn’t remember this one from my past so I was interested to read it. But really the “mystery” was kind of lacking. I was a little interested in why there was a face in the window but the other things that made the house “haunted” I thought were too easily explained by just what Charlie and Sam said. Other than that there really wasn’t too much you *could* say about this one.
Rating: 5
Stacey spends the weekend with her dad in NY. Mr. McGill takes off all weekend-something which is odd for him-. They go to a café-Stacy has cappicino-. Then they go window shopping. Stacey sees one of her favorite stars. Stacy wants a purple sude jacket but picks out wild heart shaped checkerboard sun glasses. Then they go for dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Stacey’s body is going through some changes and her dad suggest she make an appointment with her doctor. (HE’s worried after he sees her eating some noodles). On Sunday Laine comes by with Zabbers-a deli in NY-. Then she goes back to Stoneybrooke. Mrs. McGill picks her up and is in disbelieve that her dad took off the whole weekend. Stacey doesn’t tell her she heard him working Sunday. She instead suggests they take a shopping trip to Y like old times. She calls Claud and tells her about the trip.
Stacey is a little tired the next day but manages to make it to the BSC meeing. Mallory says there tearing down an old house and there’s talk they want to put up condos. Stacey can’t believe there so fascinated with an old house, but. this is Stoneybrooke (in other words this is news for this place). Mrs. Newton needs a sitter and Maryanne gets it. Stacey already has a job with the Pikes. Dawn reminds her to take her Kid Kit because she hears it’s going to rain and Jaime gets a little antsy. Mrs. Johnson calls and says they need a sitter for a week because Charlotte’s grandparents are sick. She asks if Becca can stay with Jessi or Charlotte. She doesn’t want her to miss school. Jessi says she can’t. Mrs. McGill says it’s ok. Stacey is excited. She’s always wanted a little sister.
By Thursday, she’s already fixed up the guest room and put Raggedy Anne sheets on the bed and filled the room with toys for 8 years old (and her favorite books and flowers). Charlotte looks like she’s about to cry when dropped off. Noto even the sound of her favorite food cheers her up (spaghetti and meatballs). Stacey is a little hurt because she tells her father she’ll be so lonely. She’s supposed to be her favorite sitter. Her mother sees and tells her don’t take it personal. Charlotte really loves her grandfather. She notices the room and is appreciative, but she tells Stacey she’s scared her grandfather might die. Stacy tells her it’s going to be ok and suggests they play CLUE. Charlotte has a lot of questions about the operation but she calms down. Then they have dinner. Charlotte doesn’t have much of an appetite tho. Mrs. McGill says she can eat it later.
Charlotte clings to Stacey and starts to ask questions about her parents flight. Stacey turns on the Cosby Show. This distracts her for a while, but then she asks if she thinks her parents are at the hospital and if her grandfather is happy to see her. Then Stacey keeps another game of CLUE with her and then teachers her to play WAR. After the twelth game, Stacey does her homework and then reads “Charlotte’s Web” to her until she falls asleep. Stacey finally finishes her math but she’s exhausted (to much to read).
The next day, Stacey tries to fix Charlotte a snack, but she says she doesn’t feel well. Stacey suggest they get out and look at the old house. She really doesn’t care about it but she just wants to get Charlotte’s mind off her grandfather. Charlotte wants to go inside and look around, but Stacey says no way. It might be dangerous. So they walk around the outside. The house has towers and Stacey is trying to decide which she’d like to be her room when she sees a face in the window. Then she hears chains clanking. She tells Charlotte it’s the pips leaking. Then they see flies and the house making a weird noise. They take off and return to Stacey’s house. Charlotte says what she thinks made the noise. Stacey says she doesn’t know and then changes the subject and tells her she gets to go with her to a BSC meeting. Charlotte gets excited and wonders if this makes her an honorary member. She wonders if she’ll have to pay dues. Stacey lets her help organie the Kid Kit. Then they head to the meeting.
When things slow down, Stacey tells everyone about the flies she saw and the face she saw in the window. They say it might have been a worker but Stacey says they were all gone. Charlotte looks like she’s going to cry so Kristy lets her answer the phone. She says “Baby- sitters Club no job to small.”
Karen is telling a story about Morbidda Destiny putting a spell on Boo-Boo the next time she catches him. Then they all decide to play “The Name Game” (Song). You know the one that goes “Toaster Toaster bo boaster banana fanna.” Karen starts telling this story about old Ben Brewer and hearing his shoe drop. It’s coming down outside. They’re all spooked so Kristy puts them down for bed and reads “Ozma of Oz” to them. Since they’ve seen the movie they’re going through all the books. All the kids can’t go to sleep and keep asking for things. When it’s quiet Kristy makes her way to Watson’s library and looks through the books-he says he has some on the history of Stoneybrooke-. She recognizes the name Brewer, the great blizzard of Stoney brooke, and the building of the library. She can’t find anything on the old house at first but then she sees an old map. There’s a scattering of old houses and a bank. Then she sees the old hosue. From the map she sees that the house is built over old burial grounds. She decides to put the map away and never look at it again. When she puts the map away she gets the feeling there’s a presence in the room. but it’s just Sam and Charlie.
The next morning, Charlotte really is sick and bring up with a 102 degree temperature. So, they have to take her to the dctor’s. It’s her tonsils and she’s prescribed some liquid penicillin. Charlotte starts to whine and refuses to take it saying it taste bad and makes her want to throw up. Stacey says if she takes it she’ll make her an ice cream soda with ginger ale. Charlotte isn’t hearing it. Stacey tries to understand her frustration. Then she thiks of something and starts to show her all the things she’s gone through with taking her insulin. She shows her how to test her blood sugar. Then she tells about the shots (but doesn’t show her this). Charlotte is amazed by what all she has to go to and it works. She takes her medicine with no complaints. Then she puts Charlotte to bed, and does little special things to make her feel better. That night they call Mr. Johnssen. Her grandfather’s operation went ok.
The next day (Sunday) Charlotte is a little better. Mrs. McGill makes sugar free blueberry pancakes. Both Stacey and Charlotte are sick of being cooped up. Kristy brings over the map and the books. Stacey wonders who the owner of the old h ouse is and if they’re even still alive. Stacey wonders also how would they know if the map is as old as it looks. Kristy says she doesn’t know. Noone’s lived there for years. Charlotte thinks maybe that’s the owner they saw (rather heard). They call Maryanne to see if she knows anything about the owner and they tell her to keep on the lookout for clues. Dawn’s out sitting but she says she’ll tell about it when she gets home. They call the others (Claud is doing homework, Mal has take Margo and Claire on a teddy bear picnic, and Jessi is out of town).
Claud has a job sitting for the Perkin’s girls. She decides to take them to the library for story hour. They’ll be reading Mike Mulligan and the Little Steam Shovel and then after making a mural and a little house. Claudia once there does a little research of her own. She learns that the house was built on a secret burial spot. Then she finds the owners name is Ronald Henessey. She asks her mom how to find someone to see if they still lived in town. Her mom suggests the phone book. She finds out he’s still there but in a nursing home. Stacey has a dream that the old hosue is on fire and there’s someone trapped in the house. The same night, Charolotte has a nightmare that sees seen bony hands beckoning her into the house. Stacey know understands why the workers leave early. It’s the “power” of the house.
The next day, Stacey has a hard time concentrating from being up late. At lunch, Stacey talks to the others about her and Charlotte’s nightmare at lunch. Kristy calls an emergency meeting of the BSC. At the meeting, Claudia says she went by the house and says she felt like someone had their hand on her shoulder (an invisble hand). Mallory says she remembers one spring she went over to pick some flowers for a Mother’s Day boquet. Later she had a nightmare the house was full of people with bony hands all wanting their flowers back. Kristy says it’s time to pay Ronald Henessey a visit. Charlotte, Stacey, and Claudia volunteer.
Dawn and Mal sit for the Pikes. The Pike kids are allowed to have a smorgsbourg. They have some weird choices. Byron wants bologna and grape jelly. Nickey wants peanut butter and bologna. Adam and Jordan want Spagetoo’s out the can. Margo wants bread and butter. Vanessa wants a fried egg. Claire wants cereal in a certain bowl with the milk right at the top. Mal wants a ham sandwhich. Dawn gets yogurt, and wheat bread, and carrots. After that they put on a play (The Wizard of OZ).
Mr. Henessy says mone of what the girls say surprises him. Some strange things went on there. He says when he was seven or gith he heard someone pacing in the corridor outside his room and it was a man that looked like he had a rubber nose. He said it’s a ghost named “Old Rubber Nose” he got his nose cut off and had it replaced. He said he wouldn’t rest until he fouond a mortal woman to love him. Uncle James saw a woman with red hair that made him follow him but no one ever saw him. There was also one about an attic door that never shut and a ghost that carried his head. He says it’s because the spirits are unhappy about having ther graves destroyed. Plus the neighboorhood is being destroyed. The house is supposed to come down the next day. He tells them to stay away from the house. He doesn’t like what he heard. He starts to look tired so they leave.
The next day the house is supposed to come down. Stacey and Charlotte aren’t the only ones who can’t stay away from watching the hosue come down. The Pikes, the Barettes, Jenny, and the Perkins are there. Some adults are there too. Kristy shows up with Sam and Charlie. The house comes down. The house goes up in flames. But only Stacey sees it and she sees a figure-just like in her dream-. Charlotte motions for Stacey to leave. She’s getting bored. When Stacey looks back at the house there’s no fire. Stacey feels like Mr. Henessey needs help. So she gets Claudia to watch Charlotte while she goes to talk to Mr. Henessey. When she gets there she finds out Mr. Henessey has passed away the night before. She hands Stacey a note from him. It says he enjoyed the visit and that he hopes the tales didn’t disturb her and her friends but there’s no mystery. The stories weren’t true. Stacey is a little disappointed. When she goes outside Kristy is there waiting to pick her up. Charlie says the moaning was the pipes. One of the workers stayed behind so it was his face. The flies was a hive that was disturbed.
Stacey tells herself she was just imagining the fire. She and Kristy decide not to tell the others the other details. Charlotte tries to bring up the house when they get back, but Stacey just distracts her until her parents come back. Before she leaves, Stacey gives Charlotte a present-glow in the dark barettes- After this Stacey misses her “little sister”. Charlotte calls later and tells her “big sister” she misses her and they talk for a while before she has to go to bed.
My Thoughts
I didn’t remember this one from my past so I was interested to read it. But really the “mystery” was kind of lacking. I was a little interested in why there was a face in the window but the other things that made the house “haunted” I thought were too easily explained by just what Charlie and Sam said. Other than that there really wasn’t too much you *could* say about this one.
Rating: 5
April 15, 2023
I am starting to get into the did I read this territory or not, but I have clear memories of this one. Charlotte Johansson comes to stay with Stacey for a week while her parents are away taking care of her sick grandfather. At first Charlotte is in tears and sad at her mom and dad going away. I probably remembered this because I have my own clear memories of staying with my grandmother when my parents went to Toronto for one of my mother's medical reasons. And like Charlotte I didn't take separation well. Sucks living in a small town/city. Anyway Stacey does up the guest room so nice which was something that stuck with me after all these years. There's talk about an old house on the other end of Stacey's street that's going to be torn down. Stacey and Charlotte go to see the house and see a hoard of flies, a face in a window and at one point it looks like the house is on fire. Both of them have horrible nightmares on the same night too. Stuck in the middle of this Charlotte becomes ill with tonsillitis and boy do I remember being on liquid penicillin as a child. Only mine was for ear infections and tasted like banana and wasn't too awful to take, except now I can't drink any banana flavour beverages without triggering a childhood memory of pain. Back to the story. The rest of the club decides to investigate the old house and learns it might've been built on a grave site which freaked me out as a kid, maybe it was more from the Simpsons Halloween episode with a similar premise, but it really scared me as a nine year old. They find the man who owned the house who spins out tales of haunting which the girls aren't sure they believe or not, as someone who works with seniors I loved Ron Hennessy and if he lived at the home I work at he'd be one of my favourite residents. The big day for the house demolition arrives and everyone turns out. I live in a city I imagine is roughly the size of Stoneybrook so I can see it becoming an event I remember when they repaved our street on Canada Day. Everyone was out on their front lawns watching. It was bigger than the actual parades and parties going on in town that day. Despite wanting to stay away Stacey and Charlotte join in and at first it seems boring then Stacey sees everything go up in flames and poor Mr. Hennessy crying for help inside. No one else sees it, but she runs back to the home to see Mr. Hennessy only to learn that he died in the night and left her a note saying he was having a little fun, which is why he would've been my favourite if he was real. Sam and Charlie pick her up later on and tell about what was going on, and there was no mystery after all, except for you know the fire and poor Mr. Hennessy burning up, but as a spiritual person I take it as Mr. Hennessy giving Stacey a sign to go to the home and get his note. What a guy! RIP Mr. Hennessy I wish you were real. It ends with Charlotte returning home with her parents and life returning back to normal. I wonder if this is one of the last books I'll remember reading because looking at the titles so far I only recognize the next one with Jessi even though this book comes from what was the height of my BSC addiction. I guess I'll keep reading and find out.
April 23, 2013
This story had a lot of unresolved creepy stuff in it. The main plot is that an old house is getting torn down and everyone thinks it might be haunted. Stacey has one of her sitting charges staying with her for like a week, and they're both flipped out by the house and have nightmares about it after walking by it and seeing mysterious things. So they start investigating and . . . yep, they did it. They found out that the area used to be a burial ground. Come on. So they research the owner of the house, find him in a nursing home, and the guy tells them bogus ghost stories that turn out to be lies. What's really creepy is that after the house is torn down, they check on the old man again and it turns out he died just then. What? The whole thing seemed less like a kids' series book and more like a convoluted campfire story.
September 5, 2012
This one was alright, not great, didn't seem to have much purpose. (Not that any of them do, I suppose.) Anyway, we open with Stacey coming home from a "fabulous" weekend in NYC with her dad. Quote marks because it actually kind of sucked. Her dad works most of the weekend and hounds her about her diabetes when they go out to eat. But she gets to go shopping so she can look tres sophisticated in po-dunk Stoneybrook.
full review here.
full review here.
January 18, 2019
I love and adore the relationship between Stacey and Charlotte, so it was adorable having this whole book about the two of them. Charlotte’s grandpa is in hospital so Stacey and her mom look after Charlotte for a week. The news of the oldest house in Claudio’s neighbourhood being demolished is big news for everyone, when the curiosity and lack of things to do to entertain Charlotte arise Stacey takes Charlotte to see it and soon become scared by all the mystery goings on in the house. As the thoughts all stay with the house and it’s long history all the girls go on a hunt to figure out it’s true history and solve the deep mystery surrounding it. Is it really haunted and what is really happening?
It was kinda slow to begin with but it soon picked up and was a really thrilling mystery to read. I always like interesting mystery books and this was very fun to read. Plus there was so much Stacey and Charlotte relationship that it was cute getting to read about their connection getting even stronger.
It was kinda slow to begin with but it soon picked up and was a really thrilling mystery to read. I always like interesting mystery books and this was very fun to read. Plus there was so much Stacey and Charlotte relationship that it was cute getting to read about their connection getting even stronger.
October 13, 2020
This book is more sweet than scary, but that’s okay because it was still fun to read. If you ask me, the book should’ve been called “Stacey’s Little Sister because who doesn’t love Stacey’s and Charlotte’s relationship? Something else worth mentioning is Stacey’s style:
pg. 2: white jumpsuit over blue tank top, white with blue hearts push down socks, wide blue patent leather, and wide, rainbow colored, plastic sea animal necklace [world’s longest outfit description lol]
pg. 4: heart shaped, black and white checked sunglasses
pg. 10: white jumpsuit, pink shirt, and red socks
pg. 88: pink polka-dotted short skirt with suspender straps, oversized white T-shirt, striped pink high-tops, and pink plastic heart earrings [world’s second longest outfit description except more descriptive lol]
P.S. I wonder if Mr. Hennessy had any family. 💔
pg. 2: white jumpsuit over blue tank top, white with blue hearts push down socks, wide blue patent leather, and wide, rainbow colored, plastic sea animal necklace [world’s longest outfit description lol]
pg. 4: heart shaped, black and white checked sunglasses
pg. 10: white jumpsuit, pink shirt, and red socks
pg. 88: pink polka-dotted short skirt with suspender straps, oversized white T-shirt, striped pink high-tops, and pink plastic heart earrings [world’s second longest outfit description except more descriptive lol]
P.S. I wonder if Mr. Hennessy had any family. 💔
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2019
Another one
Another where the main plot revolves around myths and legends and active imaginations. The end was pretty good and some parts, but I will elucidate a couple problems. One is they discover some of the town is built on ancient graves and it freaks them out. Just so we are clear THE WORLD IS A GRAVEYARD! Departed people have rotted for thousands of years and do not care what you do with the land. Sometimes I wonder if the interest and even beginning myths of ghosts covers up or distracts from worse traumas or evil. A way of soothing ourselves or focusing on everything but the point. At least the end was good and most of the beginning
Another where the main plot revolves around myths and legends and active imaginations. The end was pretty good and some parts, but I will elucidate a couple problems. One is they discover some of the town is built on ancient graves and it freaks them out. Just so we are clear THE WORLD IS A GRAVEYARD! Departed people have rotted for thousands of years and do not care what you do with the land. Sometimes I wonder if the interest and even beginning myths of ghosts covers up or distracts from worse traumas or evil. A way of soothing ourselves or focusing on everything but the point. At least the end was good and most of the beginning
December 10, 2019
At first I think this book is a mystery book. There are some strange expressions about the old house. For instance Baby-sitters Club members heard the odd sounds, they also saw the fire out of the window and two members had nightmares in the same day. When I read these experiences I believed that it is a mystery book, but these things were not strange. Actually there is a man who lived in the house before. And he didn’t know the truth about the house and odd things were happened by human like working. Therefore i don’t think this is a mystery book but all characters are very nice so I enjoyed reading.
October 29, 2019
I love the mysteries--even though they all (so far?) have very down-to-earth conclusions. I don't especially love Charlotte in this book, but as a fellow shy kid I feel like I have to try and be a little understanding (although having a meltdown because I was going to spend a week away from home would have never been me. I wish there was a little more of Stacey's mom in this book because she's awesome. But who can complain about a haunted house BSC book? Or about Claudia going to the library to study with the Perkins girls and surprising her mom?
Read
July 29, 2020As 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.
February 5, 2025
This was creepy! I can't imagine wanting to scare yourself by reading stories, watching movies and visiting haunted buildings! In the town of Dunedin where I live there is a theater called the Regent theater which has stories of taps turning on and flooding the building and people feeling somone kicking their seats during a performance. It's really creepy walking past it and knowing what happened in its history.
June 5, 2025
I stumbled across the BSC snark page on LiveJournal again, so I’ve been inspired to reread some BSC books. I thought this one was a different one about Stacey, but I decided to finish it anyway. Basically nothing happens in this book! There is no mystery! Also Stacey totally hallucinates and just moves on from it nonchalantly. Umm that’s a little concerning. I will always have a nostalgic soft spot for the BSC so I gave this book an extra star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2017
Just imagine: once upon a time we had to read these horrible "mystery" books as part of the regular series! SHOCK! HORROR!
The real mystery here is how are these girls left in charge of small children? I like a good haunted house story but this was a little bit on the silly side. Especially whatever that weird vision thing Stacey had at the end was supposed to be.
The real mystery here is how are these girls left in charge of small children? I like a good haunted house story but this was a little bit on the silly side. Especially whatever that weird vision thing Stacey had at the end was supposed to be.
November 10, 2020
(LL)
This book does an alright job adding mystery to the series, but the idea it was haunted because of the house being built on ancient burial grounds was cliche even when this was written in 1990. There are plenty of different angles to use that can be scary but not too scary for kids to read. It was rather boring and nothing got resolved in a realistic way.
This book does an alright job adding mystery to the series, but the idea it was haunted because of the house being built on ancient burial grounds was cliche even when this was written in 1990. There are plenty of different angles to use that can be scary but not too scary for kids to read. It was rather boring and nothing got resolved in a realistic way.
January 1, 2022
4 stars. This was a lot of fun and read more like a BSC Mystery book than a main series one but I loved it. It had some super weird and genuinely creepy moments in this and the ending was kind of sad. I loved Stacey and Charlotte’s bond. It was very sweet. Glad to kick off the new year with the BSC gang.
March 5, 2023
When I was 10 I joined a readers club/group where we got a new book every week. I chose The babysitters club.
The books are fantastic! So enjoyable. I loved getting the book every week. They are super quick reads and I was able to read it in one day.
Highly recommend for young teenagers to read or even younger if they are able too read well.
The books are fantastic! So enjoyable. I loved getting the book every week. They are super quick reads and I was able to read it in one day.
Highly recommend for young teenagers to read or even younger if they are able too read well.
January 14, 2026
This is one of the best of the BSC.
I liked the mystery that the girls do some research on. I like when they visit the old man who owns the house.
I liked the mystery that the girls do some research on. I like when they visit the old man who owns the house.
March 18, 2019
What is with the old house that is freaking everyone out in the days leading to its demolition? Find out in this installment of The Babysitters Club in which Stacey gets to have Charlotte over for an entire week while her parents tend to her grandfather.
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