Dawn and the Impossible Three

I've been reading through all the Baby-sitters books in order and this is my favorite so far. I quickly remembered how much I liked Dawn as a kid---I think she was my favorite character. She's funny, acts way more mature than the other babysitters, and she's from the West Coast like me. I also had super long blonde hair and a little brother.

This book reminded me about latchkey kids---a term that always seemed weird but very 80s (I was one, too). Also that having a VCR was a really big deal (my spell check doesn't recognize the term, VCR-- hahaha!)

One thing that SUPER bugged me is that the noncustodial father in this book was able to kidnap his kid and get off with a warning. Regardless of whether or not it was "his week", I'm pretty show more sure there would be much more serious consequences for that in real life. show less

So the BSC is expanding, and it needs more members to keep up with its growing clientele. Enter Dawn, who has just moved from California due to her parent's divorce. Course, it doesn't hurt that some of the members of the BSC are fighting, and Mary Anne needs a new friend. The BSC are initially skeptical of her, so they decide to put her through the wringer by assigning her a trio of difficult kids, and boy howdy, they do give her a hard time, and this teaches us readers that when kids are poorly misbehaved, it is sometimes the parent's fault, since Mrs. Barrett does not control/discipline her kids. But Dawn deals with it, and in the end, proves her mettle. Fun book.

The fifth book and the fifth babysitter, this time Dawn Schafer, the newest member of the Babysitters Club. Like Stacey, she is new to Stoneybrooke and values the club not only for the jobs it provides, but also the opportunity to meet new people and make friends. Since this is her first point-of-view book in the series, we learn a lot about Dawn's personality: she misses California and the sunny weather, she loves healthy food, she is undecided about boys (are they gross or fascinating?), and dresses casually. She is a clean and organized person, unlike her mother, who takes absent mindedness to a whole new level. This contrast actually becomes a major part of the plot of the novel, as Dawn meets another mother who is even more show more scattered than her own.

Mrs. Barrett is recently divorced, just moved to the neighborhood, and looking for a new job. She hires Dawn from the club, and Dawn immediately hits it off with the children. She can sympathize with them, because their mom reminds her of her own. However, when she gets to the house for the first time, she realizes that Mrs. Barrett is far more disorganized and distracted than her own mother. The house is a complete wreck, every room, and the kids are dirty and running wild. When their mom comes down the stairs, she looks elegant and beautiful, the only put-together thing in the house. Dawn rallies herself, and channels all of the kids' energies into cleaning the house and playing games, and when Mrs. Barrett returns, she is astonished to find happy and quiet kids and a clean house.

Once might not have been so bad, but every time Dawn returns, it's the same story: dirty house, dirty kids, complete chaos. Dawn is more than a little annoyed, especially since she is taking jobs at the Barrett house three or four times a week, and still the mess reasserts itself every time she leaves. On top of everything, Mrs. Barrett has a very unhappy relationship with her ex-husband, and instructs Dawn to never let the children speak with him when he calls. The situation quickly escalates out of control, and Dawn must figure out what really is best for the Barrett kids and their mom, which is not necessarily what they want.

I enjoyed this story. It examined issues that would be very difficult for a preteen to handle, such as confronting an adult who is not taking responsibility and placing too much on the child's shoulders, and showed how the child can successfully deal with such problems. It also addressed the scary subject of child abduction, but thankfully settled the matter with an easy happy ending. The stakes were a little higher in this novel than in some of the previous entries in the series. Also, it was fun getting to know another member of the club, even though Mary Anne remains my favorite. The series continues to be a great nostalgic reread. show less

A cute and enjoyable series… I love that you are with a different character in each book and with them comes a glimpse into the different households.

This was actually okay until the end which was so unbelievable and poorly written it's a wonder I finished the book completely. The silver lining is that the very end (the photo) is quite sweet so I'm glad I got to read that. I like Dawn a lot and reading about her was interesting but she babysits for the exact same kids throughout the book which ended up being tedious and redundant. Not a favourite.

Dawn tries to fit in with the Club, but Kristy doesn't like her and she landed a nightmare job.

I loved this series in middle school. I think there were always a couple I missed here and there, but at some point I read most of the series.