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The Baby-Sitters Club #77
Dawn and Whitney, Friends Forever
Accepting a job as companion to a twelve-year-old girl with Down's Syndrome, Dawn finds an unexpected friend in Whitney, and struggles with the fear that Whitney may not understand if she learns that Dawn is being paid to be with her. Original.
145 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,127 books3,096 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 37 reviews
January 29, 2021
Dawn is living in California for a while and working with the We ♥ Kids Club. It's through them that she gets a special job "baby-sitting" a twelve year old girl with Down Syndrome. Dawn's not really baby-sitting though. She's been hired to keep Whitney company while her parents go to work. This job comes with a secret. Whitney's parents haven't told their daughter that Dawn is her baby-sitter. They've told Whitney that Dawn is coming to hang out with her while they're gone, that Dawn is her new friend. Dawn is very uncomfortable with the situation and has to be careful about how she acts.
I felt that the side story of what is going on back in Stoneybrook was kind of unnecessary to put in this. I did enjoy hearing about the DeWitt/Barrett feud and the house hunting project, but I think it could have been its own story. I wish this had focused more on what's going on in Dawn's life and maybe more about the We ♥ Kids Club. Part of the book is spent on the family dates Dawn's father takes them on. He and Carol broke up the engagement a while ago, I guess, so he's moving on. The dates are just disaster after disaster, leading Dawn and Jeff to dread them. Even with the unnecessary side story this was still such a good book.
Dawn and Whitney become true, good friends. I love how Dawn comes to understand that just because Whitney has Down Syndrome, she's not that much different than everyone else. She encourages Whitney to be independent and practice her baby-sitting skills with some of the We ♥ Kids Club's clients.
I love the way the author portrays Whitney. She's very realistic and relatable, especially because she wants to be more independent, something we could all relate to. The description of "retarded" came up a lot which made me cringe. I guess people still used that in 1994. Dawn's eyes are opened to the way some people treat people with disorders like Down Syndrome. It was downright horrible the way some people treat Whitney in this book. I think that the author does a great job of showing kids that people with Down Syndrome are not that different; that they can be just as nice, funny and outgoing as anyone else.
I felt that the side story of what is going on back in Stoneybrook was kind of unnecessary to put in this. I did enjoy hearing about the DeWitt/Barrett feud and the house hunting project, but I think it could have been its own story. I wish this had focused more on what's going on in Dawn's life and maybe more about the We ♥ Kids Club. Part of the book is spent on the family dates Dawn's father takes them on. He and Carol broke up the engagement a while ago, I guess, so he's moving on. The dates are just disaster after disaster, leading Dawn and Jeff to dread them. Even with the unnecessary side story this was still such a good book.
Dawn and Whitney become true, good friends. I love how Dawn comes to understand that just because Whitney has Down Syndrome, she's not that much different than everyone else. She encourages Whitney to be independent and practice her baby-sitting skills with some of the We ♥ Kids Club's clients.
I love the way the author portrays Whitney. She's very realistic and relatable, especially because she wants to be more independent, something we could all relate to. The description of "retarded" came up a lot which made me cringe. I guess people still used that in 1994. Dawn's eyes are opened to the way some people treat people with disorders like Down Syndrome. It was downright horrible the way some people treat Whitney in this book. I think that the author does a great job of showing kids that people with Down Syndrome are not that different; that they can be just as nice, funny and outgoing as anyone else.
January 31, 2017
in this book by ghostwriter Nola Thacker, dawn starts babysitting whitney, a 12 year old who has down syndrome. whitney is fiercely independent, so her parents say that dawn is just a new friend, not a babysitter. of course that blows up in everyone's faces, but there's a happy ending anyway. meanwhile mr. schafer is dating lots of horrible women, so finally dawn and jeff conspire to get him back together with carol (they had split up in Dawn and the We Love Kids Club). back in stoneybrook, mrs. barrett and franklin dewitt get engaged, and the kids fight about it.
highlights:
-this is the first NEW baby sitters club book I bought from the scholastic catalog, after reading books 1-12 (which were the only earlier ones that were in the scholastic catalog at the time).
-they talk about what seasons people are (i.e. if you're an autumn you look best in golds and reds and mustards, if you're a spring you look best in pastel blues and greens, etc.). is this where I learned about that concept?
-dawn's dad's date suggest they play the bumper cars, saying, "come on, schaf, let's show the children that we old people can still do the bump!" OMG what a dork!
-dawn's kristy-style freudian slip: "lots of families with their baby-sitting chargers, er, I mean their children."
-mr. schafer's dates! this book reads like a zine describing someone's terrible blind dates. it's groanworthy and funny
lowlights/nitpicks:
-dawn finally accidentally tells whitney she is her babysitter when insisting that she not have ice cream/spoil her appetite for dinner. she could have played this off so easily, though, by saying, "oops! sorry whitney, I babysit for kids so much that I just get in the habit of that kind of behavior."
-mr. schafer sings "take me out to the old ball game" -- these are not the lyrics to the song. "take me out to the ball game" and "for it's one, two, three strikes you're out at the old ball game" are obviously combined in his brain.
-dawn complains about having to go to a california angels game "all the way over in anaheim" but in earlier books they say she lives close to anaheim! now it seems that palo city is closer to LA (since she babysat derek masters in Kristy and the Vampires, while he was working in hollywood). WHY DON'T THESE AUTHORS DO THEIR CALIFORNIA RESEARCH?
-alana says "what is that green stuff?" about avocado. every single person who lives in southern california knows what an avocado is, even junk food-obsessed white girls.
-dawn helps whitney make a list of grown-up things she can do to share with her parents, so they'll let her be more independent. I have never had a very close relationship with anyone who has down syndrome, so I am not sure, but this seems condescending and ableist to me.
-I probably go through this with every dawn in california book of this era but it has now been a year since the book came out where she said she would be moving to california for only 6 months (Dawn's Big Move). it's also been about a year in the context of the books (she moved early in the school year and it's now late summer. at the very least they could have addressed this in the context of the story: dawn decided to stay an extra 6 months, etc. it just frustrates me that they put a time limit on it but it seems to actually be indefinite.
maggie outfit:
-"Maggie keeps her hair short and punkish...with clothes to match, like a favorite leather bomber jacket that she wears rain, shine, hot, cold. She'd brought it with her today, over a black cropped tank top, leopard leggings, and lace-up black boots."
one of mr. schafer's dates' outfits:
-"It was a great-looking suit, a pinstripe with a long jacket. She was wearing a beautiful silk wrap blouse under it, gorgeous gold earrings, and carrying a soft leather clutch purse that matched her heels." (she wears it to a cheesy pirate-themed restaurant and sticks out like a sore thumb)
sandwiches the barrett and dewitt kids have at their picnic:
-tuna salad and oreo
-peanut butter and potato chip
-cole slaw and baloney
-grape jelly and cheddar cheese
no snacks in claudia's room.
highlights:
-this is the first NEW baby sitters club book I bought from the scholastic catalog, after reading books 1-12 (which were the only earlier ones that were in the scholastic catalog at the time).
-they talk about what seasons people are (i.e. if you're an autumn you look best in golds and reds and mustards, if you're a spring you look best in pastel blues and greens, etc.). is this where I learned about that concept?
-dawn's dad's date suggest they play the bumper cars, saying, "come on, schaf, let's show the children that we old people can still do the bump!" OMG what a dork!
-dawn's kristy-style freudian slip: "lots of families with their baby-sitting chargers, er, I mean their children."
-mr. schafer's dates! this book reads like a zine describing someone's terrible blind dates. it's groanworthy and funny
lowlights/nitpicks:
-dawn finally accidentally tells whitney she is her babysitter when insisting that she not have ice cream/spoil her appetite for dinner. she could have played this off so easily, though, by saying, "oops! sorry whitney, I babysit for kids so much that I just get in the habit of that kind of behavior."
-mr. schafer sings "take me out to the old ball game" -- these are not the lyrics to the song. "take me out to the ball game" and "for it's one, two, three strikes you're out at the old ball game" are obviously combined in his brain.
-dawn complains about having to go to a california angels game "all the way over in anaheim" but in earlier books they say she lives close to anaheim! now it seems that palo city is closer to LA (since she babysat derek masters in Kristy and the Vampires, while he was working in hollywood). WHY DON'T THESE AUTHORS DO THEIR CALIFORNIA RESEARCH?
-alana says "what is that green stuff?" about avocado. every single person who lives in southern california knows what an avocado is, even junk food-obsessed white girls.
-dawn helps whitney make a list of grown-up things she can do to share with her parents, so they'll let her be more independent. I have never had a very close relationship with anyone who has down syndrome, so I am not sure, but this seems condescending and ableist to me.
-I probably go through this with every dawn in california book of this era but it has now been a year since the book came out where she said she would be moving to california for only 6 months (Dawn's Big Move). it's also been about a year in the context of the books (she moved early in the school year and it's now late summer. at the very least they could have addressed this in the context of the story: dawn decided to stay an extra 6 months, etc. it just frustrates me that they put a time limit on it but it seems to actually be indefinite.
maggie outfit:
-"Maggie keeps her hair short and punkish...with clothes to match, like a favorite leather bomber jacket that she wears rain, shine, hot, cold. She'd brought it with her today, over a black cropped tank top, leopard leggings, and lace-up black boots."
one of mr. schafer's dates' outfits:
-"It was a great-looking suit, a pinstripe with a long jacket. She was wearing a beautiful silk wrap blouse under it, gorgeous gold earrings, and carrying a soft leather clutch purse that matched her heels." (she wears it to a cheesy pirate-themed restaurant and sticks out like a sore thumb)
sandwiches the barrett and dewitt kids have at their picnic:
-tuna salad and oreo
-peanut butter and potato chip
-cole slaw and baloney
-grape jelly and cheddar cheese
no snacks in claudia's room.
January 7, 2021
I was low-key dreading this one, I think because I was anticipating the secondhand embarrassment of the dated way disabilities are handled in the BSC. (See:
Kristy and the Secret of Susan
.) And sure enough, there were choice words for me to cringe and cackle over. (Also, I was SHOOK that this book was published in 1994. I thought we were more woke than to call people with mental disabilities "retarded" in the mid-90s. But I digress.) But though it was cringey, I really did like the story - from Dawn's job "baby-sitting" Whitney, a 12-year-old with Down syndrome, to her dad's series of bad dates (which were generally so over-the-top bad that I loved every second of them) , to Mrs Barrett and Franklin getting engaged and going house hunting with their families. It was a really fun book, and really set things up for future books, getting me excited to keep reading!
February 9, 2011
another dawn-in-calfirnoa book. saints preserve us.
the we <3 kids club in sunny palo alto gets a call from a new family named the caters. they are looking for a daily afternoon babysitter for their daughter, whitney. the unusual aspect of the job is that whitney is 12 years old & has down syndrome. she has some developmental delays, but her case isn't severe. dawn volunteers for the job & the caters explain that whitney is going through a stage where she wants to be perceived as more of an independent teen & less as a child in need of a sitter. therefore, the caters have told whitney that dawn is a new friend that will be keeping her company every afternoon while the caters are at work (temporarily, until the day camp in which they enrolled whitney starts its late summer session). dawn is concerned that this deceit isn't 100% wise, but she figures the caters know whitney best.
dawns finds it pretty easy to spend time with whitney. she had never met anyone with down syndrome before, but it doesn't take long for her to get used to whitney's way of speaking (whitney has to work extra hard to enunciate), & soon they are hanging out, flipping through magazines, talking about cute boys & cool clothes. whitney is really into being independent & acting like a teenage girl. she likes make-up, perfume, clothes, & the mall. she wants to get her earrings pierced & is jealous that dawn has two holes in each ear already. whitney is already really interested in the we <3 kinds club when dawn tells her about it. she wants to babysit & earn her own money too. sunny is in the neighborhood sitting for clover & daffodil (a couple of hippie kids that are regular clients for the club), so dawn brings whitney over to their house to hang out. whitney, clover, & daffodil have a great time splashing around in the sprinklers & dawn is impressed that whitney is so responsible about using the ear drops she is prescribed to avoid ear infections when she's playing in water.
one day whitney suggests that they go to the mall. dawn agrees, but the pleasant outing is spoiled almost immediately (for dawn, anyway) when she sees how people react to seeing whitney. people are gawking & pointing, & some of them look repulsed. whitney seems blissfully oblivious to all of it. dawn wonders if whitney is used to that kind of reaction, or if she truly doesn't connect people's behaviors with herself in any way. as dawn & whitney leave the mall, whitney runs back into a little teen jewlery-type shop like claire's & buys a "best friends" necklace to share with dawn. dawn says she will treasure it.
meanwhile, dawn's father, jack, is hitting the dating circuit. since problems with the family led to his break-up with carol, he has decided that "family dates" are an important part of vetting potential girlfriends. if he goes out with a woman a few times & likes her, he'll arrange a family outing with jeff & dawn (& any kids the woman may have). the first date is with a woman who insists on calling jack "schaf" & referring to jeff & dawn as "the children". the next woman is unbelievably rude to the waitstaff at the restaurant they go to. the next woman after that seems like just the ticket. they all attend an outdoor concert in the park, along with a lot of other folks from the neighborhood. whitney is there with her parents, & she comes over to sit with dawn for a while. suddenly jack's date becomes shockingly rude. she says that she "lost her appetite," indicating that she is repulsed by whitney. when whitney stands up & dances to the music, the woman calls her behavior "disgusting". she is a completely appalling human being & dawn hates her. jack is also turned off by her behavior & doesn't see her again.
the next woman after that has a daughter dawn's age, who dawn hates for some weird reason. the daughter, alana, is part of the smart kid clique at school. they all study extra hard & get fantastic grades & have intellectual conversations at their lunch table. dawn seems to find this behavior extremely problematic for some weird reason. she seems to think that the "brain trust" kids don't have any fun...& so she judges them for it & thinks they're jerks? this makes no sense. she's like, "my friends are better. we get decent grades & know how to have fun." o...kay. that's great for you. why do you give a shit if these kids don't care about surfing?
anyway, jack decides not to see that woman again either. kind of weird.
back to the whitney plot. one day dawn is "babysitting" for whitney when whitney announces that she wants an ice cream sandwich. the caters had specifically instructed her not to let whitney snack because they had a special dinner planned for that evening, so dawn tells her no. whitney is all, "you're not the boss of me. i'm having an ice cream sandwich." dawn lets slip that actually she IS the boss because she's the babysitter. whitney is like, "schafer say what now?" & dawn is like, "uh...i'm your babysitter. your parents asked me to pretend like i'm just a friend but i'm actually being paid. but i also really like you & do consider you a friend." but whitney is totally humiliated & runs away to her room. dawn breaks the news to the caters when they come home & they're like, "oops. i guess lying to her about having a sitter wasn't such a smooth move." but hey, on the bright side, the unfortunate revelation distracted whitney away from eating another ice cream sandwich, so she still has plenty of room for dinner.
i kind of got distracted around this point, so all i can tell you is that dawn & whitney patch things up somehow. then dawn is babysitting for clover & daffodil, who are again playing in the sprinkler. dawn goes inside for a minute to whip up a pitcher of orange juice & when she comes out, the kids are gone, as are their shirts & shoes. she searches the yard & the house & starts looking around the neighborhood. she asks a little boy if he saw anything & he says he saw clover & daffodil walking away with "a lady". dawn calls the cops & soon the police & the rest of the neighborhood are fanned out, searching for clover & daffodil & their kidnapper.
dawn decides to explore other neighborhoods & finds herself at the carnival she attended on one of her family dates with jack. she's staring at the ferris wheel & realizes that clover & daffocil are riding it...with whitney. turns out, whitney wanted to prove how grown up she was by babysitting, so she came over & collected clover & daffodil (who went with her because they had met her before & knew she was friends with dawn) to take them to the carnival. dawn is hustling them back to their house when she runs into carol, who is all, "i saw this young lady take these kids on the carousel. she was so responsible with them, it was just great." why would she have noticed that? how weird. i don't really notice all that much when i see some stranger doing an adequate job of caring for strange children in public.
anyway. the kids are unkidnapped, dawn explains to whitney that responsible babysitting is awesome but she needs to tell someone before she steals children out of their yards, & then she goes home & suggests that jack give carol a call sometime. fast forward a few weeks & jack & carol are dating again. she comes over for dinner one night & jeff proposes on jack's behalf. carol accepts.
in the stoneybrook B-plot, mrs. barrett & mr. dewitt are also engaged & househunting for a home that has space for all seven of their children. & the barretts are not excited about blending their family with the dewitts. they try to dewitt-proof their house, which is kind of funny. but they all make up & start getting along again while they are househunting, checking out treehouses & skateboard possibilities for sidewalks & stuff. it's kind of boring. & unrealistic. i was a kid at one point. i know how tough it is to distract a kid that has declared war on another kid.
the we <3 kids club in sunny palo alto gets a call from a new family named the caters. they are looking for a daily afternoon babysitter for their daughter, whitney. the unusual aspect of the job is that whitney is 12 years old & has down syndrome. she has some developmental delays, but her case isn't severe. dawn volunteers for the job & the caters explain that whitney is going through a stage where she wants to be perceived as more of an independent teen & less as a child in need of a sitter. therefore, the caters have told whitney that dawn is a new friend that will be keeping her company every afternoon while the caters are at work (temporarily, until the day camp in which they enrolled whitney starts its late summer session). dawn is concerned that this deceit isn't 100% wise, but she figures the caters know whitney best.
dawns finds it pretty easy to spend time with whitney. she had never met anyone with down syndrome before, but it doesn't take long for her to get used to whitney's way of speaking (whitney has to work extra hard to enunciate), & soon they are hanging out, flipping through magazines, talking about cute boys & cool clothes. whitney is really into being independent & acting like a teenage girl. she likes make-up, perfume, clothes, & the mall. she wants to get her earrings pierced & is jealous that dawn has two holes in each ear already. whitney is already really interested in the we <3 kinds club when dawn tells her about it. she wants to babysit & earn her own money too. sunny is in the neighborhood sitting for clover & daffodil (a couple of hippie kids that are regular clients for the club), so dawn brings whitney over to their house to hang out. whitney, clover, & daffodil have a great time splashing around in the sprinklers & dawn is impressed that whitney is so responsible about using the ear drops she is prescribed to avoid ear infections when she's playing in water.
one day whitney suggests that they go to the mall. dawn agrees, but the pleasant outing is spoiled almost immediately (for dawn, anyway) when she sees how people react to seeing whitney. people are gawking & pointing, & some of them look repulsed. whitney seems blissfully oblivious to all of it. dawn wonders if whitney is used to that kind of reaction, or if she truly doesn't connect people's behaviors with herself in any way. as dawn & whitney leave the mall, whitney runs back into a little teen jewlery-type shop like claire's & buys a "best friends" necklace to share with dawn. dawn says she will treasure it.
meanwhile, dawn's father, jack, is hitting the dating circuit. since problems with the family led to his break-up with carol, he has decided that "family dates" are an important part of vetting potential girlfriends. if he goes out with a woman a few times & likes her, he'll arrange a family outing with jeff & dawn (& any kids the woman may have). the first date is with a woman who insists on calling jack "schaf" & referring to jeff & dawn as "the children". the next woman is unbelievably rude to the waitstaff at the restaurant they go to. the next woman after that seems like just the ticket. they all attend an outdoor concert in the park, along with a lot of other folks from the neighborhood. whitney is there with her parents, & she comes over to sit with dawn for a while. suddenly jack's date becomes shockingly rude. she says that she "lost her appetite," indicating that she is repulsed by whitney. when whitney stands up & dances to the music, the woman calls her behavior "disgusting". she is a completely appalling human being & dawn hates her. jack is also turned off by her behavior & doesn't see her again.
the next woman after that has a daughter dawn's age, who dawn hates for some weird reason. the daughter, alana, is part of the smart kid clique at school. they all study extra hard & get fantastic grades & have intellectual conversations at their lunch table. dawn seems to find this behavior extremely problematic for some weird reason. she seems to think that the "brain trust" kids don't have any fun...& so she judges them for it & thinks they're jerks? this makes no sense. she's like, "my friends are better. we get decent grades & know how to have fun." o...kay. that's great for you. why do you give a shit if these kids don't care about surfing?
anyway, jack decides not to see that woman again either. kind of weird.
back to the whitney plot. one day dawn is "babysitting" for whitney when whitney announces that she wants an ice cream sandwich. the caters had specifically instructed her not to let whitney snack because they had a special dinner planned for that evening, so dawn tells her no. whitney is all, "you're not the boss of me. i'm having an ice cream sandwich." dawn lets slip that actually she IS the boss because she's the babysitter. whitney is like, "schafer say what now?" & dawn is like, "uh...i'm your babysitter. your parents asked me to pretend like i'm just a friend but i'm actually being paid. but i also really like you & do consider you a friend." but whitney is totally humiliated & runs away to her room. dawn breaks the news to the caters when they come home & they're like, "oops. i guess lying to her about having a sitter wasn't such a smooth move." but hey, on the bright side, the unfortunate revelation distracted whitney away from eating another ice cream sandwich, so she still has plenty of room for dinner.
i kind of got distracted around this point, so all i can tell you is that dawn & whitney patch things up somehow. then dawn is babysitting for clover & daffodil, who are again playing in the sprinkler. dawn goes inside for a minute to whip up a pitcher of orange juice & when she comes out, the kids are gone, as are their shirts & shoes. she searches the yard & the house & starts looking around the neighborhood. she asks a little boy if he saw anything & he says he saw clover & daffodil walking away with "a lady". dawn calls the cops & soon the police & the rest of the neighborhood are fanned out, searching for clover & daffodil & their kidnapper.
dawn decides to explore other neighborhoods & finds herself at the carnival she attended on one of her family dates with jack. she's staring at the ferris wheel & realizes that clover & daffocil are riding it...with whitney. turns out, whitney wanted to prove how grown up she was by babysitting, so she came over & collected clover & daffodil (who went with her because they had met her before & knew she was friends with dawn) to take them to the carnival. dawn is hustling them back to their house when she runs into carol, who is all, "i saw this young lady take these kids on the carousel. she was so responsible with them, it was just great." why would she have noticed that? how weird. i don't really notice all that much when i see some stranger doing an adequate job of caring for strange children in public.
anyway. the kids are unkidnapped, dawn explains to whitney that responsible babysitting is awesome but she needs to tell someone before she steals children out of their yards, & then she goes home & suggests that jack give carol a call sometime. fast forward a few weeks & jack & carol are dating again. she comes over for dinner one night & jeff proposes on jack's behalf. carol accepts.
in the stoneybrook B-plot, mrs. barrett & mr. dewitt are also engaged & househunting for a home that has space for all seven of their children. & the barretts are not excited about blending their family with the dewitts. they try to dewitt-proof their house, which is kind of funny. but they all make up & start getting along again while they are househunting, checking out treehouses & skateboard possibilities for sidewalks & stuff. it's kind of boring. & unrealistic. i was a kid at one point. i know how tough it is to distract a kid that has declared war on another kid.
January 22, 2021
What an absolutely adorable book, I seriously love how it was written and the friendship and bond Dawn and Whitney had together.
Dawn is given a new client one that is very unique and different to usual, the girl is the same age as Dawn only she has Down syndrome, her parents wanted to ensure that she was accompanied while they were out in the afternoons, not telling their daughter she had a babysitter. Whitney who just wanted to be treated as a grown-up enjoying her new found friendship with Dawn, ready to be just like her. The lie her parents formed saying Dawn was only her friend comes out and makes her mad, feeling as though no one trusted her and hurt that Dawn wasn’t really her friend. To prove that she is grown up she take takes a babysitting job all of her own, but causes trouble by not telling anyone else about it. Eventually Dawn manages to speak with her and help her find ways to show that she can be grown up in many ways but it will take time to prove it to her parents.
The side storyline was also interesting focusing on relationships, marriage and step-families. Seeing the BSC dealing with the Barrett’s and the Dewitts not wanting to merge together but as they were all really friend eventually find a way to make it work. And Dawn going on family dates exploring all her fathers possible love interests which all end in disaster until Dawn and Jeff think of the perfect partner for him, rekindling a live that was once there.
I really enjoyed this book, only one thing disturbed me and that was use of a very offensive word, heavily used at the start of this book. It would have been better they just said disabled than the word that was chosen. Anyway, the book was so very enjoyable and incredibly adorable, I loved Whitney she was so precious and I adored how the friendship, bloomed and grew between her and Dawn.
Dawn is given a new client one that is very unique and different to usual, the girl is the same age as Dawn only she has Down syndrome, her parents wanted to ensure that she was accompanied while they were out in the afternoons, not telling their daughter she had a babysitter. Whitney who just wanted to be treated as a grown-up enjoying her new found friendship with Dawn, ready to be just like her. The lie her parents formed saying Dawn was only her friend comes out and makes her mad, feeling as though no one trusted her and hurt that Dawn wasn’t really her friend. To prove that she is grown up she take takes a babysitting job all of her own, but causes trouble by not telling anyone else about it. Eventually Dawn manages to speak with her and help her find ways to show that she can be grown up in many ways but it will take time to prove it to her parents.
The side storyline was also interesting focusing on relationships, marriage and step-families. Seeing the BSC dealing with the Barrett’s and the Dewitts not wanting to merge together but as they were all really friend eventually find a way to make it work. And Dawn going on family dates exploring all her fathers possible love interests which all end in disaster until Dawn and Jeff think of the perfect partner for him, rekindling a live that was once there.
I really enjoyed this book, only one thing disturbed me and that was use of a very offensive word, heavily used at the start of this book. It would have been better they just said disabled than the word that was chosen. Anyway, the book was so very enjoyable and incredibly adorable, I loved Whitney she was so precious and I adored how the friendship, bloomed and grew between her and Dawn.
August 20, 2016
First time rereading this since childhood.
The good: Awesome idea for Whitney's parents to help her gain some independence by having a new friend keep her company. Story of Jack's (Dawn's dad) awful dates was pretty fun. Dawn learning about people's prejudice was also refreshing, usually it's Dawn doing the lecturing.
The bad: I trust that now days, Scholastic has some time of inclusions editor or similar to help explain different issues and characters. Kristy and the Secret of Susan was awful (sorry Ann, I know it is one of your favourites and was quite of the times), but this one at least explained a little about Down's Syndrome, though some of the terminology is quite out of vogue.
I always love the California books, this one was pretty great.
The good: Awesome idea for Whitney's parents to help her gain some independence by having a new friend keep her company. Story of Jack's (Dawn's dad) awful dates was pretty fun. Dawn learning about people's prejudice was also refreshing, usually it's Dawn doing the lecturing.
The bad: I trust that now days, Scholastic has some time of inclusions editor or similar to help explain different issues and characters. Kristy and the Secret of Susan was awful (sorry Ann, I know it is one of your favourites and was quite of the times), but this one at least explained a little about Down's Syndrome, though some of the terminology is quite out of vogue.
I always love the California books, this one was pretty great.
September 17, 2017
I think this book holds up surprisingly well, and I love how Carol is portrayed here.
I did laugh entirely too hard at one of Jack's dates calling him Richard (the name of his ex-wife's new husband) however. I really wish that had been an intentional diss instead of just a typo.
I did laugh entirely too hard at one of Jack's dates calling him Richard (the name of his ex-wife's new husband) however. I really wish that had been an intentional diss instead of just a typo.
July 1, 2023
It's rare for me to like both the plot and the subplot equally, but I do in this one!
February 15, 2023
Decent, I’m never a fan of Dawn books in general. It was a fun read-aloud with my youngest.
February 6, 2024
3.5 stars
Let's get the cringe part out of the way first: this book uses the word "r*tarded" several times to describe new character, Whitney, who has Down Syndrome. Luckily, it is only used as a medical description and not an insult or derogatory phrase. Aside from that, I think this was one of the better Dawn books I've read in awhile, especially with her being in "Sunny California" (SC). Dawn goes into all the long, selfish details of her move back to SC and how she basically wrecked her dad's relationship so he's now "playing the field", which means he eventually gets to the "date me, date my kids". Dawn & Jeff are lukewarm, at best, about these dates but at least they get a yummy meal from Mrs Bruen: "Endive salad, three-cheese macaroni, asparagus, and raspberry crisp". Dawn's SC bff Sunshine Daydream Willow comes over for dinner. That is something I would have 100% named my future child as a teenager. (Freedom Jack & Poppy Corn were legit on the list at one point.)
Skip ahead to the We <3 Kids Club, with the SC members: Sunny, Dawn, Maggie Blume, and Jill Henderson. We don't get any Claudia outfits in this book, so we'll have to settle for Maggie, who is pretty cool. Maggie keeps her hair short and punkish [with purple raccoon streaks over each ear] with clothes to match, like a favorite leather bomber jacket that she wears rain, shine, hot, cold. She'd brought it with her today, over a black cropped tank top, leopard leggings, and lace-up black boots.
The girls get a new client calling about a long-term job for 12 year old Whitney, who has Down Syndrome, and Dawn agrees to take the job. Whitney's parents tell her that Dawn is a "new friend" not a baby-sitter and they really messed up on that, but we'll get to it later. Whitney is a sweet girl who loves to swim, look at cute boys in magazines, and go shopping. She's also trying to show her parents that she can be more grown-up, by doing chores and keeping her room clean, just like any 12 year old. Dawn and Whitney become fast friends, enjoying their afternoons together, and Dawn starts to feel more and more conflicted about not telling Whitney she's her baby-sitter. She does tell her she is A baby-sitter and they go visit Sunny on a sitting job for Clover & Daffodil. Whitney loves them and wants to become a baby-sitter too.
One afternoon, Dawn accidentally blurts out that she's the baby-sitter. Whitney is understandably upset because she thinks she's a grown-up and wants nothing to do with Dawn for awhile. Unfortunately, she takes being a "grown-up" a little too far one afternoon and takes off with Clover & Daffodil to a local fair without telling anyone. Nothing happens but there's a big freak-out of course. Eventually they do make up and become close friends again. The We <3 Kids Club also makes Whitney an Honorary Member and Special Helper.
Mr Schafer goes on one bad date after another: boring, the suit lady, treats the kids like "kids", mom of an annoying girl from school, this..."Schaf, I don't know what you were thinking of, letting Dawn go buy a bra on her own. It clearly isn't the proper fit. You need a woman's touch for that sort of thing." And then there's the woman who is "repulsed and embarrassed" by Whitney when they see her at a concert. "It's just that the scenery [Whitney dancing] has made me lose my appetite." Like wow lady. Go sit on a fire ant pile. All these horrible dates make Jeff & Dawn realize that they actually miss nice, normal Carol and they decide they have to get dad & Carol back together. Dawn runs into Carol when she's searching for Whitney, Clover, & Daffodil at the fair and mentions to her dad that maybe he should give her a call. He does and they start dating again and eventually have a family dinner, where Jeff accidentally proposes to Carol for Mr Schafer. It's pretty sweet, definitely best Jeff moment of the series lol.
Over in Stoneybrook, Mrs Barrett and Mr DeWitt finally get engaged and their huge group of kids is not happy about it, until they start looking at houses and take the kids along with them. The kids start bonding over the best sidewalks for skateboarding, treehouses, sharing bedrooms, etc. and think maybe this blended family thing won't be so bad after all. So we've got 2 weddings to look forward to in the future!
Blogged at SeeJennRead
Let's get the cringe part out of the way first: this book uses the word "r*tarded" several times to describe new character, Whitney, who has Down Syndrome. Luckily, it is only used as a medical description and not an insult or derogatory phrase. Aside from that, I think this was one of the better Dawn books I've read in awhile, especially with her being in "Sunny California" (SC). Dawn goes into all the long, selfish details of her move back to SC and how she basically wrecked her dad's relationship so he's now "playing the field", which means he eventually gets to the "date me, date my kids". Dawn & Jeff are lukewarm, at best, about these dates but at least they get a yummy meal from Mrs Bruen: "Endive salad, three-cheese macaroni, asparagus, and raspberry crisp". Dawn's SC bff Sunshine Daydream Willow comes over for dinner. That is something I would have 100% named my future child as a teenager. (Freedom Jack & Poppy Corn were legit on the list at one point.)
Skip ahead to the We <3 Kids Club, with the SC members: Sunny, Dawn, Maggie Blume, and Jill Henderson. We don't get any Claudia outfits in this book, so we'll have to settle for Maggie, who is pretty cool. Maggie keeps her hair short and punkish [with purple raccoon streaks over each ear] with clothes to match, like a favorite leather bomber jacket that she wears rain, shine, hot, cold. She'd brought it with her today, over a black cropped tank top, leopard leggings, and lace-up black boots.
The girls get a new client calling about a long-term job for 12 year old Whitney, who has Down Syndrome, and Dawn agrees to take the job. Whitney's parents tell her that Dawn is a "new friend" not a baby-sitter and they really messed up on that, but we'll get to it later. Whitney is a sweet girl who loves to swim, look at cute boys in magazines, and go shopping. She's also trying to show her parents that she can be more grown-up, by doing chores and keeping her room clean, just like any 12 year old. Dawn and Whitney become fast friends, enjoying their afternoons together, and Dawn starts to feel more and more conflicted about not telling Whitney she's her baby-sitter. She does tell her she is A baby-sitter and they go visit Sunny on a sitting job for Clover & Daffodil. Whitney loves them and wants to become a baby-sitter too.
One afternoon, Dawn accidentally blurts out that she's the baby-sitter. Whitney is understandably upset because she thinks she's a grown-up and wants nothing to do with Dawn for awhile. Unfortunately, she takes being a "grown-up" a little too far one afternoon and takes off with Clover & Daffodil to a local fair without telling anyone. Nothing happens but there's a big freak-out of course. Eventually they do make up and become close friends again. The We <3 Kids Club also makes Whitney an Honorary Member and Special Helper.
Mr Schafer goes on one bad date after another: boring, the suit lady, treats the kids like "kids", mom of an annoying girl from school, this..."Schaf, I don't know what you were thinking of, letting Dawn go buy a bra on her own. It clearly isn't the proper fit. You need a woman's touch for that sort of thing." And then there's the woman who is "repulsed and embarrassed" by Whitney when they see her at a concert. "It's just that the scenery [Whitney dancing] has made me lose my appetite." Like wow lady. Go sit on a fire ant pile. All these horrible dates make Jeff & Dawn realize that they actually miss nice, normal Carol and they decide they have to get dad & Carol back together. Dawn runs into Carol when she's searching for Whitney, Clover, & Daffodil at the fair and mentions to her dad that maybe he should give her a call. He does and they start dating again and eventually have a family dinner, where Jeff accidentally proposes to Carol for Mr Schafer. It's pretty sweet, definitely best Jeff moment of the series lol.
Over in Stoneybrook, Mrs Barrett and Mr DeWitt finally get engaged and their huge group of kids is not happy about it, until they start looking at houses and take the kids along with them. The kids start bonding over the best sidewalks for skateboarding, treehouses, sharing bedrooms, etc. and think maybe this blended family thing won't be so bad after all. So we've got 2 weddings to look forward to in the future!
Blogged at SeeJennRead
January 19, 2021
I feel bad for Dawn. BSC has always been wonderfully savage at making flawed characters of its preteen heroines, and Dawn always feels especially flawed. from sauntering into a new town and taking Kristy's bff, to deciding stoneybrook isn't enough for her cali sensibilities, and the LA girl stereotype... Dawn was a nightmare. probs explains the lack of Dawn books in my collection - her and Boring Mallory both. (found this gem in the b:read stash at the box!)
but as an adult, Dawn appears to me in a new light. the netflix adaptation captures this perfectly - Dawn has always been Kristy's foil, the voice of reason and cool in a sea of archetypal extremes. sure, Stacey is cool, too, but NY and Gossip Girl-cool, that it'd be no surprise if she's a Serena character today. not Dawn. Dawn keeps us all grounded.
which makes her the best narrator for the issue addressed in this book - on sitting for a charge with Down Syndrome. Dawn is hired to care for Whitney, under the pretense of befriending her (Whitney's only a year younger), and drama ensues ofc. This is BSC, so all's well that ends well, and Down Syndrome is sensitively portrayed, as it the topic of divorce and modern families wrt Dawn's dad and his disastrous dates. surely this is one of the darker BSC books?
gripes: this book was written in the 90s and contains unsettling terminology (Whitney is described as 'retarded'). but the 90s isn't that far back though?
3.5 stars for changing my mind re: Dawn, but enough with the cali setting. take me back to Stoneybrook.
but as an adult, Dawn appears to me in a new light. the netflix adaptation captures this perfectly - Dawn has always been Kristy's foil, the voice of reason and cool in a sea of archetypal extremes. sure, Stacey is cool, too, but NY and Gossip Girl-cool, that it'd be no surprise if she's a Serena character today. not Dawn. Dawn keeps us all grounded.
which makes her the best narrator for the issue addressed in this book - on sitting for a charge with Down Syndrome. Dawn is hired to care for Whitney, under the pretense of befriending her (Whitney's only a year younger), and drama ensues ofc. This is BSC, so all's well that ends well, and Down Syndrome is sensitively portrayed, as it the topic of divorce and modern families wrt Dawn's dad and his disastrous dates. surely this is one of the darker BSC books?
gripes: this book was written in the 90s and contains unsettling terminology (Whitney is described as 'retarded'). but the 90s isn't that far back though?
3.5 stars for changing my mind re: Dawn, but enough with the cali setting. take me back to Stoneybrook.
February 24, 2026
3.5 stars. Of the BSC books tackling disability, this one felt by and far the best to me (a non-disabled ally). Perhaps partially because Whitney was an older character than other disabled babysitting charges, it felt like she was given a lot more personality, a clearer inner life, and more going on than just being disabled, than characters like Susan in previous books have had. Her agency and her desire to prove herself and stand up for herself made her such a compelling character. I really, really hope she’s not a one-off character and that she comes back in future books.
I also enjoyed the subplot with Dawn’s dad and his terrible dates—honestly I could have read a whole book of just that.
As for the other subplot with the Barrett-DeWitt kids. It was fine but felt unnecessary in a book that already had a good amount going on. Cut the chapters with that and add more time for the resolution of Dawn and Whitney’s fight at the end, and I’d be a lot happier.
I also enjoyed the subplot with Dawn’s dad and his terrible dates—honestly I could have read a whole book of just that.
As for the other subplot with the Barrett-DeWitt kids. It was fine but felt unnecessary in a book that already had a good amount going on. Cut the chapters with that and add more time for the resolution of Dawn and Whitney’s fight at the end, and I’d be a lot happier.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2017
Now this was a Dawn book I liked as a kid that I still like today! I always appreciated the character of Whitney, because I knew someone with Down's when I was a kid and it was just so refreshing and nice to see them not only in a book, but to see them represented in a normal way. I liked that, and I still like it now. I mean obviously some of the terminology and ideals are dated, but what do you expect from a late 80s/early 90s BSC book? Most of it held up pretty well over time, and I love that.
Except for the B-Plot. The B-plot can suck it.
Except for the B-Plot. The B-plot can suck it.
December 21, 2020
(LL)
This book was way better at speaking about children on the spectrum. There were still some problematic language and treatment in this book, but it was better than Susan’s book.
Also, Carol and Richard getting back together at the end was ridiculous. Your problems as a couple don’t magically disappear after being away from one another for a few months. If the issues were serious enough to break off an engagement getting married after dating other people because you missed someone “normal” isn’t the answer. Terrible message to show the readers.
This book was way better at speaking about children on the spectrum. There were still some problematic language and treatment in this book, but it was better than Susan’s book.
Also, Carol and Richard getting back together at the end was ridiculous. Your problems as a couple don’t magically disappear after being away from one another for a few months. If the issues were serious enough to break off an engagement getting married after dating other people because you missed someone “normal” isn’t the answer. Terrible message to show the readers.
October 26, 2021
The best Dawn book I've read in what feels like a long, long, while. Probably because of the fun of meeting her dad's many dates, but I think the main and subplots played out well, too. I'm still amazed at how I remembered the Barrett/DeWitt family so well from childhood that I forgot they weren't the same family from the beginning when I started re-reading this series, yet their merger happens relatively late in the series.
Keep in mind that there's some outdated language in this book that can be hurtful--it was written in '94, but it's still worth knowing before stepping in.
Keep in mind that there's some outdated language in this book that can be hurtful--it was written in '94, but it's still worth knowing before stepping in.
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.
May 26, 2021
Dawn gets a "secret" baby-sitting job for Whitney, a 12-year-old girl with Downs Syndrome, who's striving to be more independent. When Dawn accidentally reveals the secret that's she is being paid to babysit, Whitney is upset...but Dawn manages to mend their friendship. All this time, Mr. Schafer is dating many women, who all end up being terrible options. He ultimately decides to propose to Carol again. Another engagement recently happened in Stoneybrook: Mrs. Barrett and Mr. DeWitt.
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.
May 8, 2025
4.5 stars. Protect Whitney at all costs. I loved her character so much. What a sweetheart. Her friendship with Dawn was so precious and I loved how protective she was of her when they were out in public. A lot of the adults are absolute assholes to Whitney and Dawn was having absolutely none of it. This was definitely one of my favorites in the series in a while. Loved it.
June 22, 2025
I do think this one handled the issue of Whitney’s Down syndrome well overall. There are some moments of people being cruel but that’s unfortunately realistic. Whitney’s parents should definitely not have lied to her about Dawn.
October 29, 2019
Review on www.Audible.com please listen to this book
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October 25, 2020Read my recap at A Year with the BSC via Stoneybrook Forever: https://www.livethemovies.com/bsc-blo...
January 11, 2022
Actually a really solid and sweet book
February 1, 2024
Given the time this was written I was waiting for the cringe. And since this was an audiobook I was braced to cringe. A lot of audiobooks that have characters with mental disabilities use voices that are very disrespectful. But for the most part this book handled the story and narration of the story pretty decently. Dawn is still in California and she should not be getting BSC books anymore but I think there's just one more until we meet Abby. Anyway Dawn is given a different baby sitting job with the We Love Kids Club. She is hired to babysit/be a companion to a 12 year girl Whitney. Whitney has Down's Syndrome and her parents need someone to keep an eye on her until her day camp starts. She also thinks she's very grown up and mature. Whitney thinks Dawn is hired as her friend not her babysitter. For the most part things go okay until Whitney wants ice cream and Dawn let's it slip why she's there with her. Whitney gets pissed and turns to crime. Literally crime. She kidnaps two kids that Dawn is caring for two prove she's a responsible babysitter. Everyone seems fine with her doing that. She's even made an honorary member of the We Love Kids Club. Once again no one in this series faces consequences. I get she's a kid, but what the hell? It's fine because she's good with the kids? Way to teach her shit like this is fine. I have worked with many people with Down's Syndrome and they are aware of what is wrong and right. They might have a mentality of a young child but they do know that especially if it's explained to them. That kind of bothered me and belittled Whitney a bit but otherwise that part of the book was fine. The b plot I'm California has Dawn's dad trying to date again and dragging the kids off on these disastrous dates until he realizes that Carol is the one. Jeff continues to be an obnoxious jerk who needs a good smack like a lot of kids in this series. The main b plot takes place in Stoneybrook. Mrs. Barrett is engaged and the soon to be blended family has mixed feelings. The kids who liked each other Haye each again, the parents are too doe eyed to see the issues. It's a cute and fairly realistic storyline. I'm glad to see Mrs. Barrett find happiness and of course it works out okay in the end as always. Overall this was a good one. Whitney was mostly written respectfully except for the kidnapping part much better than poor Susan a few books back. So good on you for improving BSC writers.
April 11, 2025
Sweet story and the b-plot about Dawn's dad dating hilariously horrible women was fun.
Couple peeves:
- i think Whitney should've faced much more serious consequences for
- and on a more minor note, I dunno about Mr Schafer doing "family dates" after going on only one or two dates with a woman. Is that actually standard for single parents who date?! I'd think you'd want to get to know each other a bit better before introducing them to your kids, no?
+
Re-read 2025: the bit about Whitney facing zero consequences for basically kidnapping Clover and Daffodil pissed me off even more this time around. It feels infantilizing. Like, either she's mature enough to be trusted with more responsibilities, in which case, she should be held to account when she does something this egregious, or she isn't. 🤷🏻♀️
Couple peeves:
- i think Whitney should've faced much more serious consequences for
- and on a more minor note, I dunno about Mr Schafer doing "family dates" after going on only one or two dates with a woman. Is that actually standard for single parents who date?! I'd think you'd want to get to know each other a bit better before introducing them to your kids, no?
+
Re-read 2025: the bit about Whitney facing zero consequences for basically kidnapping Clover and Daffodil pissed me off even more this time around. It feels infantilizing. Like, either she's mature enough to be trusted with more responsibilities, in which case, she should be held to account when she does something this egregious, or she isn't. 🤷🏻♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 14, 2011
Dear readers,
I read this book called Dawn and Whitney, Friends Forever by ann M. Martin. The setting is in sunny sunny California and it is summer time. I might hear seagulls, the sea side, and children playing on the beach. I might smell ice-cream, seaweed and a beachy,oceany smell. I might see children splashing in the water, people relaxing, people playing vollyball, the blue sea, the green seaweed, the small bits of sand, seashells, small fish, buckets and pales, an ice-cream stand,and sand castles. I might taste sand if someone throws it in my mouth, the cool cold water, and the cold, cold ice-cream. I thought there was only citys in California and i was suprized that there was a beach there. If I could visit California I would defenitly go there because I love to visit the beach and I only visited the beach lots of times when I was little but not when I was 7 years old I never visited the beach once and now I'm 10. My character Dawn loves the sunny California, dawn thinks casual dressing is great.
Shawyuan
I read this book called Dawn and Whitney, Friends Forever by ann M. Martin. The setting is in sunny sunny California and it is summer time. I might hear seagulls, the sea side, and children playing on the beach. I might smell ice-cream, seaweed and a beachy,oceany smell. I might see children splashing in the water, people relaxing, people playing vollyball, the blue sea, the green seaweed, the small bits of sand, seashells, small fish, buckets and pales, an ice-cream stand,and sand castles. I might taste sand if someone throws it in my mouth, the cool cold water, and the cold, cold ice-cream. I thought there was only citys in California and i was suprized that there was a beach there. If I could visit California I would defenitly go there because I love to visit the beach and I only visited the beach lots of times when I was little but not when I was 7 years old I never visited the beach once and now I'm 10. My character Dawn loves the sunny California, dawn thinks casual dressing is great.
Shawyuan
June 7, 2014
I love all the Baby-Sitters books. This one was my favorite. I loved seeing Whitney ignoring all the insults thrown at her. I would never have been able to do that!
Dawn is in California now, visiting her father, and here she has a club very similar to the BSC- only more laid back. Sunny and Dawn herself, and a few other girls made a club called the We Love Kids Club. Dawn takes the job to keep a twelve-year-old with Down's syndrome, named Whitney, company every day while her parents are out. Whitney quickly makes friends with Dawn, and Dawn with Whitney. But Dawn has one worry- what if Whitney finds out that her parents are paying Dawn to be her friend, and that Dawn is kind of baby-sitting her?
Dawn is in California now, visiting her father, and here she has a club very similar to the BSC- only more laid back. Sunny and Dawn herself, and a few other girls made a club called the We Love Kids Club. Dawn takes the job to keep a twelve-year-old with Down's syndrome, named Whitney, company every day while her parents are out. Whitney quickly makes friends with Dawn, and Dawn with Whitney. But Dawn has one worry- what if Whitney finds out that her parents are paying Dawn to be her friend, and that Dawn is kind of baby-sitting her?
May 1, 2013
Fantastic books for young girls getting into reading!! Great stories about friendship and life lessons. The characters deal with all sorts of situations and often find responsible solutions to problems.
I loved this series growing up and wanted to start my own babysitting business with friends. Great lessons in entrepreneurship for tweens.
The books may be dated with out references to modern technology but the story stands and lessons are still relevant.
Awesome books that girls will love! And the series grows with them! Terrific Author!
I loved this series growing up and wanted to start my own babysitting business with friends. Great lessons in entrepreneurship for tweens.
The books may be dated with out references to modern technology but the story stands and lessons are still relevant.
Awesome books that girls will love! And the series grows with them! Terrific Author!
November 1, 2023
I enjoyed reading this book. Dawn and Whitney got along well, and this book touches on Down's Syndrome. I like when they looked at magazines and talked about fashion, and went shopping, where the public werent treating whitney very well, and dawn for once shows empathy. Also, I especially enjoyed the side plot where Dawn's dad is going on family dates with new women after his breakup with Carol, including to a carnival, a pirate themed seafood restaurant, and a classic music concert in the park. Looking back as an adult, that part interests me more than the babysitting! lol
August 18, 2017
P. 95 contains an error calling Buddy "Bryan." Buddy's standing in front of the fridge with Lindsey behind him when all of a sudden "Bryan reached in and grabbed the ketchup and the pickles and the tuna salad, one at a time, and passed them back to Lindsey, who set them on the table."
There's no Bryan in this scene. There's a 2-year-old Ryan, but I'm pretty sure he didn't squirm past Lindsey and Buddy to get the food items Buddy had just been singing about.
There's no Bryan in this scene. There's a 2-year-old Ryan, but I'm pretty sure he didn't squirm past Lindsey and Buddy to get the food items Buddy had just been singing about.
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