“Enough with the Snow White songs, already.” BSC #104: Abby’s Twin (1997)

Abby and Anna are both sent home from the school health checks told that they have scoliosis. And while Abby’s is minor and doesn’t require attention, Anna’s is more serious and requires a brace. Abby worries about their twin-ness and starts irritating Anna by trying to cheer her up. Of course, Abby’s version of cheering Anna up involves trying to make her do things and wear things Abby likes to do and wear. Anna eventually blows up at Abby, but they make up in the end.

The BSC decides to hold a Winter Carnival to drive away the winter blues. It’s really boring. They’re afraid it won’t snow in time, but of course it does.

Interesting Tidbits

I “love” Abby’s pants on the cover, but I must say she’d be fashionable now. (BTW, isn’t Anna described as having bangs?)

Okay, so this is the other book where Abby’s griping about winter. I knew it was out there.

We had health checks like the ones Abby is enduring in chapter one, but our gym teacher called us in five or so at a time. The way SMS is doing it—calling all the eighth graders to the gym at the same time to wait in line—is really stupid.

Chapter two has Abby rating her friends. Claudia rates a ten in creativity, hospitality and generosity. Kristy (who sometimes rates high and sometimes low) is high in independence and self-reliance. Stacey is a ten in style, “urban cool” and “coolness under stress.” Mary Anne is “Quiet Coolness” and she gets Logan points (worst points ever). Jessi gets grace and elegance points. Mallory gets points for her wit (since when is Mal funny? Anyone?)

This is the second book in a row where Abby says that Richard let Mary Anne “grow up” because he married Sharon. I’m not sure if it’s bad ghostwriter information, or if it’s supposed to be Abby being misinformed about things that happened before she came to town.

Abby says that, as alternate officer, she’s been the president and treasurer at various points. I know she had to be president during Kristy’s Hawaii trip, but I haven’t read a Stacey book between 94 and this one, so I’m not sure when she was treasurer. Maybe Stacey left early for NYC once?

I grinned just a little bit at this. When Abby’s in the middle of overreacting to something, Anna tells her she’s being overly dramatic and Abby basically screams at her. I never noticed before, but Abby totally is a drama queen.

Kristy decides to raise money by shoveling snow, but she stupidly chooses her neighborhood to shovel in. Yeah, the driveways are longer, but the neighbors are rich, so you know they have services to do that.

Heh. Mal says the triplets are easy to tell apart, but Abby says they still confuse her. I can completely understand that. Mal knows who is who because she lives with them; they dress similarly and have the same hairstyle and all that.

Kristy keeps trying to make the kids sing songs from Snow White. The kids get tired of shoveling AND singing after one driveway (and one song.)

I love this, which happens early morning on a snow day: Abby: “Kristy’s had a great idea.” Anna: “Too bad.”

Stacey’s mom volunteers to drive the BSC to the mall, but they won’t all fit in her car (which is a station wagon). How come they all fit in the Junk Bucket then?

Can you picture Sharon buying mint hot chocolate? Yeah. Me neither.

You’d think Abby would understand Anna a little better than she does. She keeps trying to get Anna to do things Abby enjoys, to wear things Abby would wear, etc., when in most ways, the two of them are very different.

Claudia spelling! Yay! Carnivul, redy, reely, exspected. She also uses exited for excited and grate for great. Not bad considering she wrote four sentences.

I know when I decide to make a snow sculpture, I always make snow Stacey.

Oh, St. Charlie. He gives Anna and Abby a ride to the train station. I hope they pay him.

Of course, Anna wears Laura Ashley.

When Anna gets mad at Abby, she turns on the silent treatment. Of course, Abby is more of a shouter when she gets mad.

Kristy actually thinks the BSC Winter Carnival is important enough that the radio station should announce its cancellation.

I have two things to say about this: “’My parents are having a great time,’ Mary Anne reported. ‘Richard’s flipping tapes and Sharon’s inside baking us some more brownies.’”

1.    Since when is MA calling her dad by his first name?

2.    Have Richard and Sharon caught a case of Charlie-itis? Don’t they have anything better to do with their Saturday?

When Abby and Anna make up, Abby admits that her behavior would have even driven herself crazy. That says something.

And because she’s Abby, she has to end the story with a terrible pun about taking the curves life throws at you.

Wow, this review is a short one. There really wasn’t too much to mock. The book was just boring. No outfits or anything interesting.

Next week: It looks like mystery time! I have only one Abby mystery and I forget which one it is. I haven’t read any of them, so we’ll see how that goes.