A review by keepingyouonread
Dawn and the Impossible Three, by Ann M. Martin
4.0
Last year I was really inspired by a few accounts that were reading childhood favorites. This year, one of my goals is to read more older books - not published in the last few years or something I loved growing up.
My first read in 2021 is Dawn and The Impossible Three, book five of The Babysitters Club. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend the Netflix series. This book is narrated by Dawn and mainly focuses on her babysitting for Mrs. Barrett, who is scattered and unreliable. Dawn takes on more and more responsibilities for Mrs. Barrett until one day, one of the children goes missing. Side stories include: Kristi being jealous of Dawn and Mary Anne’s friendship, Dawn and Mary Anne’s parents dating, divorce, Dawn’s move from California, and Kristi’s mom remarrying and moving the family.
This book reminded me of why I loved these as a kid. The BSC kids are clearly in charge and in many cases more responsible then the adults. There’s a scene where Dawn finally confronts Mrs. Barrett and I wanted to cheer for her. She’s professional but clearly sets boundaries. Dawn and Kristi also talk about new friendships and jealousy.
Reading them as an adult, I did laugh that the girls are 12 and watching children for upwards of eight hours a day. One scene made me laugh when Dawn informed her mom you could buy pre-made potato salad. I’m going to assume they sell pre-made foods in California and Dawn’s mother should have known this, although I think the point was more about buying foods their friends would enjoy and not just serve tofu. Dawn also comes across as a little judgy - Mrs. Barrett is a slob and Dawn needs to clean her house.
But did I still love it? Yes! Would I read more? Yes! I’m thinking a Claudia or a Stacey one next. Would I recommend to kids today? Yes! The book’s themes are still relevant and the writing holds up as engaging and interesting.
My first read in 2021 is Dawn and The Impossible Three, book five of The Babysitters Club. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend the Netflix series. This book is narrated by Dawn and mainly focuses on her babysitting for Mrs. Barrett, who is scattered and unreliable. Dawn takes on more and more responsibilities for Mrs. Barrett until one day, one of the children goes missing. Side stories include: Kristi being jealous of Dawn and Mary Anne’s friendship, Dawn and Mary Anne’s parents dating, divorce, Dawn’s move from California, and Kristi’s mom remarrying and moving the family.
This book reminded me of why I loved these as a kid. The BSC kids are clearly in charge and in many cases more responsible then the adults. There’s a scene where Dawn finally confronts Mrs. Barrett and I wanted to cheer for her. She’s professional but clearly sets boundaries. Dawn and Kristi also talk about new friendships and jealousy.
Reading them as an adult, I did laugh that the girls are 12 and watching children for upwards of eight hours a day. One scene made me laugh when Dawn informed her mom you could buy pre-made potato salad. I’m going to assume they sell pre-made foods in California and Dawn’s mother should have known this, although I think the point was more about buying foods their friends would enjoy and not just serve tofu. Dawn also comes across as a little judgy - Mrs. Barrett is a slob and Dawn needs to clean her house.
But did I still love it? Yes! Would I read more? Yes! I’m thinking a Claudia or a Stacey one next. Would I recommend to kids today? Yes! The book’s themes are still relevant and the writing holds up as engaging and interesting.