User:Propaniac/bsc/Dawn and the Impossible Three

Dawn and the Impossible Three is the fifth book in the original Baby-Sitters Club series.

Main plot
Dawn Schafer, as the newest member of the Baby-sitters Club, struggles with adjusting to her new life in Stoneybrook, Connecticut. Kristy Thomas is jealous of Dawn's new friendship with Mary Anne Spier, so Dawn tries to impress Kristy and the other girls in the club with her baby-sitting skills.

Secondary plot
The BSC has new clients, the Barretts. The parents are recently divorced, and Mrs. Barrett's house is always a mess. The family comes to depend on Dawn, who is using this as an opportunity to prove that she is a super sitter. Eventually she realizes that she is doing too much for this family and tells Mrs. Barrett to start taking care of her kids and house herself or Dawn is going to quit. This ultimatum comes after Dawn thinks that one of the Barrett children have been kidnapped, but in reality it was just Mrs. Barrett mixing up the days that her ex-husband exercises his visitation rights with the children.

Other plot information
Dawn and Mary Anne redecorate Mary Anne's bedroom. Kristy sees them through the window and joins in. Kristy makes Dawn the official Alternate Officer, after they take turns swinging from a rope in Dawn's barn. Kristy worries about moving into Watson Brewer's house. Mary Anne's father, Richard Spier, gets contacts.

Clients in this book

 * The Pikes
 * The Prezziosos
 * The Newtons
 * The Brewers
 * The Barretts
 * Charlotte Johanssen

Other characters

 * Sunny Winslow is mentioned Dawn's best friend in California.
 * Mariah and Miranda Shillaber
 * Pop-Pop
 * Ashley Vaughn

Places in this book

 * Prescott Room, Stoneybrook Public Library
 * Thompson, Thompson, and Abrams
 * Taylor Street
 * Slate Street

Trivia/continuity

 * Dawn listens to the weather on 1313, WSTO.
 * Karen Brewer is six, and skipped into first grade where she meets Hannie Papadakis.
 * Claudia's handwriting looks different then later in the series.
 * Dawn's mother Sharon doesn't know what to serve at a picnic, even though she grew up in Stoneybrook.
 * Claudia and Stacey use an egg rinse on their hair once a week. On Wednesdays and Sundays they squeeze lemon juice on it, from real lemons.  Dawn plans to try an avocado paste on her hair.

Pop culture references

 * Puff the Magic Dragon
 * Old MacDonald Had a Farm
 * Sesame Street
 * The Sound of Music
 * The Brady Bunch

Back cover
Dawn's the newest member of the Baby-sitter's Club and everybody's glad -- except Kristy. Kristy thinks things were better without Dawn around. That's why Dawn's eager to take on a big baby-sitting job: It's her chance to show Kristy what she's made of.

What a mistake! Taking care of the three Barrett kids is too much for any baby-sitter. The house is in chaos, the kids are impossible, and Mrs. Barrett never does any of the things she promises. Dawn's got more trouble than she bargained for. But she's not going to give up until all four Barretts are under control and she's friends with Kristy. Or whichever comes first.