Book #19, Graphix #15
Original Book - Writer: Ann M.Martin
Graphix Book - Illustrator: Arley Nopra
Basic plot
While babysitting a new client, a practical joke goes wrong, leaving Claudia with a broken leg and questioning if she wants to continue with babysitting.
Things that are kept the same
- The BSC go to comedy film festival, afterwards lots of people in Stoneybrook are enjoying practical jokes.
- Claudia gets a job babysitting a new client, Betsy Sobak. She talks to some of her old babysitters who tell her they stopped babysitting because of all her practical jokes, which makes Claudia nervous.
- On the day of the sitting job, Betsy looks innocent enough but soon the jokes begin, Claudia gets given a drink with fly in her ice and hot chewing gum. Playing outside seems like a safer option but during a swinging contest, Claudia's swing breaks and she lands badly on her leg.
- Betsy is sorry, she knew the swing was broken, but then forgot about it when it didn't break straight away and got excited by contest.
- Betsy rings for an ambulance as Claudia's instructed and Dawn and Mallory who are babysitting nearby.
- Claudia is taken to hospital, she has a bad break and will have stay in hospital in traction for a week.
- She gets a lot of visitors, but in the quiet moments, she starts to think about what if it had been her arm that broke and she couldn't do art.
- She thinks babysitting might be too dangerous and wonders if she should quit the BSC.
- The BSC have to deal with practical jokes from their clients, they secretly declare a practical joke war on Betsy. It doesn't seem to have affect on her until Kristy tricks her at movie theater, she switches seats and Betsy starts to worry when she can't find her and gets embarrassed in front of classmates.
- After Kristy explains how her jokes can embarrass people and they have consequences.
- They go to Claudia's house so Betsy can apologize in person.
- After their talk Claudia comes to decision to stay in the club,
Things from other books
- Nothing stood out as an addition from other books.
Things that are changed
- While we do see Ashley Wyeth visit Claudia in the hospital in the graphix, in the book they also have a few phone calls.
- Claudia mentions Dawn often stays for dinner after the BSC meeting as she doesn't like being home alone so much now Jeff's in California and her mom works long hours.
- They cut out some extra scenes of Mimi helping Claudia with homework.
- Claudia gets a prank phone call that goes wrong. In the book its is "Do you have Prince Albert in a can?" (an old joke) in the graphix it's "when was the last time your toilet was flushed."
- Mary Anne brings Claudia a stuffed teddy in the hospital rather than sneaking in Tigger the cat for a visit.
- While those were all small things, the biggest difference I noticed was that in the original book Betsy is more responsible in the swing incident. She suggests going to swing and tells Claudia to sit on the broken one, she thinks it will break straight away and frowns when it doesn't and then forgets about it when Claudia suggests the contest. In the graphix Claudia suggests they play outside and then they start swinging, Betsy still apologizes after the accident saying she knew it was broken. But it really doesn't have the same set up or affect.
Final Thoughts
This book was fine, it's not one of my favourites, but still fun to see it in graphix. I do think Betsy in the book is more to blame for the accident, think they could have shown that more in the graphix. In both book and graphix, Kristy playing tricks at her at the movies in front of her classmates is what leads to the talk and resolution with Claudia, but I do think making a kid think they have been abandoned in a public space is too mean (and potentially traumatising!). Not the BSC's most responsible moment!
