Kristy and the Walking Disaster

Book #20, Graphix #16

Original Book - Writer: Ann M.Martin

Graphix Book - Illustrator: Ellen T. Crenshaw

Basic plot

Kirsty starts a softball team for the kids in the neighbourhood who can't join other softball teams, need extra training and confidence, including accident prone Jackie Rodowsky.

Things that are kept the same

• Kristy's siblings and other kids in the neighbourhood take an interest in playing softball, but for a variety of reasons they can't join the little league. 
• Amanda Delaney tells Kristy about a boy her age, Bart Taylor, that has a softball team.
• Kristy goes to talk to him, he doesn't have space in his team for all the kids, and Kristy decides to start her own team. She also has a crush on Bart.
  
• She gets more kids interested in joining including Jackie Rodowsky the so named 'Walking Disaster'
• The team also incudes the 2 Brewer kids, David Michael Thomas, the 2 Papadakis,  3 Pikes kids, Matt Braddock (who is deaf), Jamie Newton and Myriah and 2 and half year old Gabby Perkins.
• Watson helps her with some of the organising.
• The kids vote to name the team Kristy's Krushers, and get t-shirts with ironed on letters, but Karen Brewer insists on spelling Crusher correctly with a "C" on her shirt.
  
• The Pike triplets, who are in Little league, have a game against their siblings and Matt, and are impressed at how they do.
• Practices go well, even though Clare Pike will sometimes through tantrum or Jackie will have an accident (like knocking out his tooth or braking school window).
• Kristy takes Shannon (the dog) for a walk hoping to run into Bart. They meet and arrange for their teams to have a game.
• Vanessa Pike, Hayley Braddock and Charlotte Johanssen form a cheer-leading squad.
• Bart's team come to check out their competition, and while Bart is distracted they laugh and call the Krushers names.
• On game day, Nicky Pike is sick and can't play, the BSC help keep the kids occupied while Kristy concentrates on the game.
• Jackie knocks into refreshment stand and after being laughed at pretends to hurt his leg. After Kristy talks to him, he finishes up the game.
• In the end they are beaten by Bart's Bashers, but they put up a good fight and wasn't the walkover that they were expecting, so they are impressed.
• Kristy walks home with Bart, they both admit to being competitive. Bart tells her the team is clearly dedicated. They hold hands and talk about going out sometime.
  
• When Kristy gets home, she tells Watson about Bart, then she calls Jackie to tell him, how proud she was of him at the game.
  

Things from other books/ Other things to note

• Nothing stood out as an addition from other books.
• At one point, Kristy calls Archie "Red" in the original book this is just a nickname because of his red hair, but in the graphix it doesn't make sense because his hair is coloured brown.
• Jessi babysits the Barretts in the original book at one point, this is changed to Braddocks in the graphix, but in her club notebook entry they forget to change names at the end and reference Buddy and Suzi.
  

Things that are changed

• In the book it says Kristy and Bart talk some more and she thinks about starting team, only after she babysits Rodowskys she definitely decides to do it. In the Graphix, Bart is the one to suggest she starts a team herself.
  
• In the book she also thinks about asking Watson for help, but in the Graphix he just starts to take interest and clearly it's him trying to build more of a relationship with Kristy. There is bonding in both books but it is more focused in the Graphix, like we see him being pleased Kristy asked him to help and when she makes a comment that Watson must really like softball the BSC share knowing looks. He is also first to know about her crush on Bart so when she blurts out at the end that they may go out sometime, seems more of a payoff.
  
• Babysitting chapter is left out of graphix. Mary Anne babysits the Perkins and Jamie Newton comes over and she tells them about Kristy's team.
• In the Graphix they cut back the team to 13 kids rather than 20 in the original book. They leave off  Buddy and Suzi Barrett, Nina Marshall, Max Delaney and the 3 Kuhns (who first appeared in this book).
• Because of this, Max earlier in story still plays game at Brewers but says he he doesn't like playing enough join team and also why Jessi babysitting job was changed from the Barretts to the Braddocks.
• The Bashers have girls on the team as well, not just boys like in the original book.
  
• In the game against the Bashers, because Gabby is so young the pitcher stands closer and pitches wiffle ball, in the graphix they add Karen as pinch runner so she runs the bases for Gabby.
• As well as holding hands in graphix Bart also kisses Kristy on cheek at the end.
  

Final Thoughts

This is a book I didn't own originally, think I got it from library, but I didn't re-read it lot,wasn't one that was super interesting to me. The graphix is basically the same as the original but it's interesting how they make small changes in the graphix or how the visuals can make more emphasis on something. In this case the subplot with Kirsty and Watson is more developed. It makes reading it more enjoyable.In both books having a 2 and half year old playing seemed silly, now that I have had a child that has been age, it is even more ridiculous! They made slight improvement with getting Karen to run for her in the game, and I guess it be hard to leave her out, it would be noticeable in the story unlike some other players. As always I enjoyed the graphix, though it is a pity a couple of mistakes slipped, as they pay a lot of attention to details usually.