Rereading My Childhood: The Baby-Sitters Club

#11 - Kristy and the Snobs

I wasn't there when my childhood pet died. His name was Sammy, and he was a gorgeous Australian Shepherd. He died while my family and I were abroad, visiting my extended family in the Philippines. My father had to sit my sister and me down and explain that our dog wasn't going to be there when we got back. I still remember the exact spot in my Grandmother's house, the exact chair I was sitting in, a long bench next to the dining table, and the exact color of the flip-flops that I stared at as my father told me the bad news (yellow).

In The Baby-Sitters Club #11: Kristy and the Snobs, Kristy at least has the luxury of saying goodbye to her beloved Louie, and I don't consider that a spoiler – the dog is limping before the end of chapter one. Anyone who has read a book featuring a beloved pet knows that doesn't bode well for Spot.

The book's title implies that there's some kind of Kristy vs. the Snobs war, and there are a few pranks, but the crux of the novel is heartbreak and loss. Ann M. Martin writes about sadness in a stark and plain way. The pain isn't covered up with flowery language and metaphor; there is no euphemism sufficient enough to describe the death of a beloved pet. It's a sad book, but it's a good one.

SPOILERS AFTER THE COVER!!!

The book starts with breakfast at the Watson/Thomas compound. They cook their own breakfast, Watson helps with the chores, and they clean their own house. They don't have a pool, or a tennis court, or a fountain in the entryway. That's not a compound, you say? Not like their neighbors, who actually have maids, cooks, pools, butlers, and courts tennis? This difference is made apparent by the appearance of Kristy's neighbors, who attend a private school and are all blonde.

"Are you the one who's been sending those fliers around? For some baby-sitting club?"

"Yeah," I said. (Every now and then our club tries to find new people to baby-sit for, so we send around advertisements. We'd put one in every box in my new neighborhood not long ago.)

"What does your little club do?" asked another blonde.

"What do you think?" I replied testily. "We baby-sit."

"How cute," said the blonde with the curls.

The others giggled.

"Nice outfit," called the one non-blonde, putting her hands on her hips.

I blushed. Too bad I'd chosen the jeans with the hole in the knee that day.

But if there's one thing to be said about me, it's that I have a big mouth. I always have. I'm better about controlling it then I used to be, but I'm not afraid to use it. So I put my hands on my hips and said, "Your clothes are nice, too. You look like clones. Snob clones."

Slam, Kristy. You got 'em. Now they'll have to respect you. I feel like I've said and done this exact thing in my past life as an awkward eleven-year-old.

While this is going on, Louie is limping on page seven. The dog is not long for this world and they take him to a veterinarian named Dr. Smith, who is a woman. I only mention that because when I read the name, I thought it was a male vet. I was surprised at my own internalized misogyny when it's revealed that Dr. Smith is a woman. Martin is progressive (most of the time, she could do better with Claudia), especially in the eighties. Dr. Smith informs them that Louie is getting older, has arthritis, and his eyesight is getting worse. She prescribes some pain medication and suggests short walks for Louie. Kristy does just that when they get home and meets one of the snobs, the one who lives across the street, and her immaculate dog, accompanied by another blonde child.