User:Propaniac/bsc/Mallory on Strike

Mallory on Strike is the forty-seventh book in the original Baby-Sitters Club series.

Main plot
Mallory is determined to win the prize for Best Overall Fiction in the Sixth Grade in the short story contest on Stoneybrook Middle School's upcoming Young Authors Day. But the incessant demands of her family, plus baby-sitting and school, are making it hard for her to find the time to write. While Mallory's sitting for the Barretts, Buddy hurts his foot while bicycling because Mallory didn't notice he was barefoot, and she feels so guilty about being distracted and being too busy to take on sitting jobs that she tries to quit the BSC, but is persuaded to leave for only two weeks. To get some peace for her family, she goes "on strike" and refuses to let them give her any extra tasks or errands. Dawn and Mary Anne come over to sit for the Pikes, and Mary Anne encourages Mallory to talk directly to her parents about her feelings. When she does, her parents apologize for taking her for granted, and the next day they take Mallory and Jessi out for a special day at Washington Mall, plus ice cream and a movie. On Young Authors Day, Mallory's story wins the contest. The next day, Mallory and Jessi give Mallory's siblings their own special day, including a treasure hunt.

Other plot information

 * Jessi sits for Claire and Margo Pike while Mallory is at the orthodontist. Claire and Margo complain about how grouchy Mallory's been lately, and put on a play called Mean, Old Mallory. Mallory comes home in time to see the end and is very irritated.
 * Kristy's mother and stepfather have an emergency and Kristy is forced to give up her plans at the last minute to baby-sit for her siblings, making her empathize with the stress Mallory is under from her family.
 * Mallory's winning story is called Caught in the Middle. It's about a girl named Tess in a large family, whose parents are so distracted by her many siblings that they don't seem to value Tess much at all, until they put her in charge while they're away.

Clients in this book

 * The Pikes
 * The Barretts
 * The Brewers
 * The Braddocks

Other characters

 * Mr. Dougherty
 * Howie Johnson
 * Justin Forbes
 * Carver Ensign
 * Benny Ott
 * Pamme Reed
 * Mr. Taylor
 * Rebecca Mason

Places in this book

 * Stoneybrook Middle School
 * Chez Maurice (mentioned)
 * Stoneybrook General Hospital (mentioned)
 * Stoneybrook Library (mentioned)
 * Washington Mall

Trivia/continuity

 * In this book, Mallory understands the concept of a fictional story, something she seems to forget between now and #80, Mallory Pike, No. 1 Fan.

Pop culture references

 * Marguerite Henry
 * Sports Illustrated
 * Coppélia
 * Fozzie Bear
 * Kermit the Frog
 * The Nutcracker
 * Cinderella
 * The Three Little Pigs
 * Pamme Reed*
 * Bradley and the Great Chase*
 * Miss America
 * Robin Hood
 * Emily Dickinson
 * Old MacDonald Had A Farm
 * The Secret Garden