Waiting on Wednesday - Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski

So I know this has nothing to do with Sleepover Friends... I hope you don't mind.

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a feature for bloggers to swoon over upcoming releases they can't wait to get their hands on.

My pick:

I am so excited about this book! I've really liked all her other books. I just saw this one on Goodreads today.

From Goodreads:

Devi's life isn't turning out at all like she wanted. She wasted the past three years going out with Bryan—cute, adorable, break-your-heart Bryan. Devi let her friendships fade, blew off studying, didn't join any clubs . . . and now that Bryan has broken up with her, she has nothing left. Not even her stupid cell phone—she dropped it in the mall fountain. Now it only calls one number . . . hers. At age fourteen, three years ago! Once Devi gets over the shock—and convinces her younger self that she isn't some wacko—she realizes that she's been given an awesome gift. She can tell herself all the right things to do . . . because she's already done all the wrong ones! Who better to take advice from than your future self? Except . . .what if getting what you think you want changes everything? Fans of Sarah Mlynowski's Magic in Manhattan series will love this hilarious new novel with a high-concept premise .A new life is just a phone call away!

It comes out April 27th.

#32 A Valentine for Patti

Happy Valentine's Day!

The 5th and 6th grade teachers at Riverhurst Elementary have decided that the students deserve a break since it's been the coldest winter in 35 years, so they are having a Valentine's party. It's not just any party--it's a sock hop, since the last time they had a winter that cold was in 1956. Apparently no one in the class knows what a sock hop is, even though they had a sock hop in another book, #10 Lauren's Sleepover Exchange (when they hosted the kids from the other school). Stephanie gets picked to do decorations for the party.

Then a new girl shows up. Her name is Hope Lenski and they all think she is weird. They think her name is funny and she is wearing a tie-dyed shirt, an Indian-print skirt and leather mocassins. She has long blonde hair that goes past her waist, and she had it braided into about a 100 little braids. The Sleepover Friends all think it's weird that she started school in January. My parents moved when I was in 2nd grade, but since it was just to another part of our town, I got to finish the school year at my school. But I still don't get what the big deal is.

The Sleepover Friends decide they want to get to know Hope, even though they think she's weird. They go up to her in class and introduce themselves, but Hope doesn't seem too interested. Patti thinks she must be shy, but the other girls just think she is unfriendly. Turns out Hope is really good at science, so Patti is excited about that. Hope is also really good at art, so Stephanie hopes she'll want to help with the decorations for the party.

Their Friday night sleepover is at Patti's house this time. Patti is also the narrator of this book (Lauren is the narrator for most of the books, but towards the end of the series, the other girls narrate). They have cheese popcorn, Stephanie's mom's cookies, and Dr Pepper. They talk about what they can wear to the Valentine's party.

Patti is upset because her younger brother Horace skipped into the 2nd grade and he's having a hard time. The kids make fun of him because he's smart and the smallest kid in class.

Kate is convinced something is up with Hope. She thinks it's weird when Hope says her dad will be a chaperone at the party, not her mom. Patti feels bad for Hope, since Jenny and Angela make fun of her at lunch. They try again to be nice to Hope, suggesting she help with decorations for the party so she can meet some new friends. Hope says no. They find out she's from California, and figure she must really miss her old school. Kate isn't willing to give up yet, so she invites Hope for ice cream. Hope says no, because she doesn't like ice cream.

After school, Patti goes to pick up her brother. Some kids are making fun of him, so Patti tries to defend him. Horace gets all embarassed and mad, and Patti realizes she shouldn't have done that because now the kids will make fun of him even more.

It's time for another sleepover, this time at Lauren's house. They are trying on outfits for the dance. Lauren wears baggy jeans rolled up at the bottom, a white t-shirt, her brother Roger's jean jacket, and sunglasses. Stephanie suggests she asks her mom if she can borrow one of her cardigan sweaters so Lauren goes to get it. Stephanie shows Patti what she found for her to wear--a poodle skirt that is hot pink with a huge "P" stitched on it. Patti is a little embarassed to wear it, but doesn't want to hurt Stephanie's feelings. Instead of returning with the sweater, Lauren brings barbecue potato chips, her special onion dip, and a six-pack of pop. The girls are going to listen to a 50s tape and practice hopping in their socks, when they hear howling outside. It's some boys from class--Larry, Henry and Willie. They challenge the girls to a snowball fight. Patti has a little crush on Henry, so she's pretty excited. They are all having fun throwing snowballs when they see Hope across the street. They all yell out to her and invite her over, but she just runs off. Kate thinks it's kind of weird that Hope just stood there and watched them from across the street, and I have to agree with her. Although I also think it's a bit weird that they are trying SO hard to be friends with this girl. Anyway, they all go inside for some hot chocolate. Later that night, Kate suggests they all get together later that week and make Valentines.

At lunch on Monday, Lauren talks to Hope and finds out she is a vegetarian. On Tuesday, there is a Quarks club meeting after school. Hope tells Patti she needs to leave early. When Patti goes out to meet her brother after the meeting, she finds Hope talking to Horace. Hope tells Horace she knows what he's going through, since she is new and different. She tells Horace it's ok to be weird. Hope suggests to Patti that next time kids make fun of Horace, he should just agree with what they say. When they see it doesn't bother him, they'll stop making fun of him. The next day, Patti invites Hope to go get a Dr Pepper (or fruit juice) with her, and Hope says sure--but suggests frozen yogurt instead. They go to Sweet Stuff and get Tofutti. Vanilla with nuts and raisins for Hope, raspberry for Patti. Hope asks Patti if she, Kate, Lauren and Stephanie do everything together. (ha) Patti says not everything, since they do different extracurricular activities. Hope admits she only had one best friend in California, and she misses her. She also tells Patti she has a younger brother, and that they moved to Riverhurst because her dad grew up there. He's a veterinarian. Patti gets all excited about this and invites herself over, but Hope gets all weird about it.

That night the girls get together to make their valentines, and Patti fills the girls in on Hope. They decide to ask her to sit with them at lunch the next day. These girls just do not give up. They are determined to be friends with Hope! They tease Patti about making a valentine for Henry. Patti is worried he might not like her, so she decides to cut out letters from magazines so he won't recognize her handwriting.

It's the day of the party! Henry is wearing a leather jacket, jeans with the cuffs rolled up, white socks, and black shoes. Patti thinks he's cute. She is all embarassed about her outfit--the pink poodle skirt, a white blouse and a cardigan sweater. I really don't get why she's all embarassed about her outfit, since they were supposed to dress up. Anyway, Lauren is wearing her regular jeans and "one of those sweater sets--you know, with one sweater on top of the other." (does she mean a twinset?) Patti thinks Lauren doesn't look very 50s--"She looked sort of confused, like the top half of her was in the fifties and the rest wasn't." Kate wore a 50s dress.

Stephanie had on a red shirt with big black polka dots, a pair of black pants that ended just abover her ankles, which she called "pedal pushers" and black flats (with no socks, even though it was February. She said sometimes you had to suffer to be fashionable). Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail with a red ribbon.

Hope wore her usual hippie clothing, which Jenny and Angela make fun of. They say Hope shouldn't be allowed to go to the party. Kate and Stephanie defend her. They invite her to have lunch with them. Hope eats sprouts and tofu-spread on whole grain bread (yuck). They ask Hope about the Valentine's Day party but she gets weird again and leaves. The girls rush back to class to put their Valentines in people's desks. Before the party, they go through their Valentines and Patti got one from Henry. She feels bad for not signing her name on the one she gave him. Stephanie gets 3 from secret admirers.

Then they head to the party. It's set up as a diner. The boys are one side of the room and the girls on the other. Stephanie gets them to play better music and finally people start to dance. Before the last dance, they announce winners for the best costumes. Stephanie loses to Christy Soames, which she is really pissed about. Henry asks Patti to dance, which she is really excited about.

The girls get a great idea. They invite Hope to hang out with them the next day for a tour of Riverhurst. She agrees. Patti goes home and her brother Horace is doing much better. He took Hope's advice and has made some friends.

Then it's time for another sleepover! That's 3 in one book. This one is in Stephanie's playhouse. She has planned a big Valentine's Day celebration for them. She gives them each a pair of white socks that she decorated with little black and red hearts (cute). Kate gives each of them a pair of shoelaces with little red hearts on them. Patti gives them each a little heart pin. Lauren brings cupcakes that she made herself. Then they play Truth or Dare. Patti admits she would pick dancing with Henry over dancing with their favorite celebrity, Kevin DeSpain. Patti dares Stephanie to call her crush, Taylor, to see if he was one of her secret admirers. They laugh about it but don't say if she actually does.

Then next day they all hang out with Hope. They go to Pizza Palace for lunch and Hope asks Patti if she has ever had pineapple on pizza. Patti says no. I LOVE pineapple on pizza! However, I will admit I probably wouldn't have eaten it when I was in 5th grade. I really don't even remember it being an option for pizza back then. Maybe just in California. They eat lunch and do some shopping, and then Hope invites them over to her house for lunch the next day.

Hope makes them tacos (without meat, of course). When they ask her where her mom is, she says she's at work. Hope's dad overhears and asks to speak with Hope. She then admits the truth--her parents got divorced and her mom, a lawyer, stayed in California.

After lunch, they have fruit bars (healthy and sweet) and then watch a movie. Patti says it feels funny to be a fivesome instead of a foursome, but it felt nice, too.

I have to admit, I'm not crazy about Hope. I guess they needed a new friend eventually, but she just doesn't seem to fit in that well. And I don't get why they were so determined to be friends with her! I guess they were just trying to be nice. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the recap!

Update and Sleepover Squad #1 Sleeping Over

Hey everyone! I am back. I've missed this blog and the Sleepover Friends. I hope some of my former readers are still around! I am going to try my hardest to update on a regular basis. I've decided I'm not going to do the books in order. I think that is why I stopped the recaps. I just didn't feel like doing the books in order. So now I am going to just pick random ones.

I am back in school now for speech language pathology, which I really enjoy. Last summer I took a sign language class, which I loved. For our final project, we had to videotape ourselves signing along to a song or a children's book. I thought a song would be much more fun, but since I had only taken one semester of ASL, I just didn't know enough signs. So I started looking at kids' books. Then I got a great idea--the Sleepover Friends! I signed the part where Lauren talks about the Sleepover Friends. You know... My name is Lauren Hunter and I like sports. My best friend is Kate. She likes movies. Stephanie's favorite colors are black, red and white. Patti is really smart... Only one problem though--apparently there is no sign in ASL for sleepover! I looked online and asked my instructor. Apparently you can't just sign "sleep" + "over" because that translates as "oversleep." Since sleepover is such a long word, I couldn't keep spelling it out every time. So what I finally ended up doing was spelling it out the first time and then just signing "sleep" the rest of the time. I got an A on the project and an A in the class! :)

Yesterday I started reading "Queen of Babble" and came across this.

"Shari's boyfriend, Chaz, comes over to us and scoops up some onion dip with a barbecue-flavored potato chip."

Has Meg Cabot read the Sleepover Friends?! I know it's not Lauren's special onion soup-olives-and-bacon bits dip, but still, I have never heard of eating onion dip with barbecue potato chips--except in the Sleepover Friends books!

Anyway, onto the Sleepover Squad. I came across this book while I was at the library picking up some Sarah Dessen books. I couldn't believe how similar the book is to the Sleepover Friends! I always thought it would have been fun to do an updated version of the Sleepover Friends, but I would have gone older, like middle school or high school. See how the sleepovers progressed as the girls got older or something. The girls in Sleepover Squad are in 2nd grade. What kind of adventures can a bunch of 2nd graders get into? Also, the pictures in this book are pretty awful. They remind me of the Babysitter's Little Sister books. And the worst part? No fun descriptions of clothes! Oh well.

It's the first day of the last week of school. Emily, the main character of the book (but not the narrator, since it's told in 3rd person) is smart and shy. Her 3 best friends are Kara, Jo and Taylor. Kara has red curly hair and is loud. Jo is latina and notices things, like when her friends are upset. Taylor is African American and has trouble paying attention. That is about all that we find out about these girls. I guess there's not much to say about them yet.

Emily, also called Emmers and Em, has big news for her friends. Her parents are going to let her sleep without her night light!

Um, ok. For some reason I had no problems reading about a bunch of 5th graders. Change it to 2nd graders and it just seems... weird. Especially since I don't even have any kids of my own. But anyway.

Taylor has bigger news, but she makes her friends wait til lunch before she'll tell them. Her parents are letting her have a party that Friday night. And it's not just any party--it's a sleepover party! Everyone is excited to stay up late, play Truth or Dare, eat lots of junk food (of course!) and watch scary movies on tv. Then they get a great idea--they will have sleepovers every weekend!

"It's perfect!" Taylor cried. "We could be the Sleepover Friends!"

"No--the Sleepover Squad." Kara smiled. "That means the same thing, but it sounds better."

Um, whatever. I like the Sleepover Friends better.

Emily is all nervous and crying because she knows her parents will say no. She's right. When she asks her parents that day after school, they say no. She's too young. Emily cries and calls Kara to tell her. That night at dinner, she acts like a total brat and then goes up to her room.

The next day at school, her friends help her come up with a plan. Instead of continuing to act like a brat, she'll apologize to her parents for the way she acted. They'll be so impressed with how grown-up she is, that they'll let her go. It works!

Emily's dad makes some cupcakes for her to take to the sleepover party. When everyone gets there, they all change into their pjs. Oh, we do get some outfit descriptions!

Taylor was wearing her frog pajamas and a pair of fuzzy, neon green slippers. Emily had put on her favorite nightgown, which had a pretty blue and yellow flower pattern and lace around the collar. Kara was dressed in a flouncy, bright pink nightie with ruffles. And Jo had on a pair of plaid flannel shorts, a baggy T-shirt, and dark blue slippers.

Jo's outfit is the only one I would have ever worn to a sleepover.

The girls play ping-pong and other games. Then they have dinner--salad, spaghetti, and garlic bread. Then they decorate the cupcakes that Emily brought. They each decorate three, topping them with stuff like strawberries, mint leaves (why?), mini gum drops, pineapple slices, etc.

Sounds like Kara is the Lauren of the group: Kara picked up one of her cupcakes and stared at it hungrily. "So can I eat it now?" The other girls laughed. Kara was always hungry.

They take pictures of their cupcakes and then each eat two. Then they get in their sleeping bags and tell scary stories. They decide to eat the last cupcakes but Emily is too full to eat hers. So they decide whoever falls asleep first will get the cupcake smashed on their forehead. After some Truth or Dare, Kara falls asleep. As Taylor goes over to her with the cupcake, Kara wakes up, grabs the cupcake and eats it. Then they all go to sleep, saying "Long live the Sleepover Squad!"

Seriously? Sound familiar? The Sleepover Friends would always end with "Sleepover Friends forever!" (the inspiration for the name of this blog).

The next morning they wake up and have pancakes. They tell Kara how she ate the cupcake in her sleep. Then Emily's parents come to take her home. She is happy to see them but excited about the next sleepover.

The book includes a "free activity" at the end. Slumber Party Project: Frosting Frenzy. Basically what the girls did in the

story. Make or buy some plain cupcakes. (I have never seen plain cupcakes at the grocery store, but then again I only ever shop at Jewel so I don't know). Then make or buy some frosting and find stuff to use as toppings, like candy and fruit, and again with the mint leaves. What 2nd grader wants to eat mint leaves on their cupcake?! The only thing I like with mint leaves is mojitos. Anyway, then take pictures with your cupcakes and eat them.

So what did you think? Doesn't this book sound a lot like the Sleepover Friends?? Is it too childish? Should I pick up a few more in the series and recap them? Does anyone still read this blog?!

Sleepover Squad?!

I found this book at the library today. Sleepover Squad #1 Sleeping Over by P.J. Denton. It looks like a ripoff of the Sleepover Friends!! It was written in 2007. It is about 4 best friends who have sleepovers every weekend. Sound familiar?? The one girl even says, "We could be the Sleepover Friends." Her friend says, "No--the Sleepover Squad. That means the same thing, but it sounds better." I'm going to read a few of these books and see how similar they are. I just can't get over it and I can't believe they'd publish a series that is so similar. If I would have know, I would have written my own sleepover books!

6 months?!

I can't believe it's been over 6 months since I last blogged. I miss this blog and I miss all of you--so I am determined to get back into it! I promise an update sometime this week. Hopefully Wednesday or Thursday. I have 2 big tests in Anatomy this week, so once I get through those, I should be good.

I know you guys don't know much about me aside from the fact that I loved reading the Sleepover Friends when I was younger. But here's a quick recap of what I've been up to this year & why I neglected the blog.

In January, I found out my company was going to do massive layoffs. I had to go through an assessment interview & things were crazy. I was laid off in March. Since then I have been trying to find a new job (with no luck) and I decided to go back to school. Right now I am stressing about money, trying to find a place to live and a new job, and studying. At first I tried to think positively and remain optimistic, but I have since given up on all that.

Anyway, I will try my best to update soon. Did I ever post that I completed my collection? I have ALL the books!

Mrs. Green's Peanut-Butter-Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Here is the recipe for Stephanie's mom's peanut-butter-chocolate-chip cookies. Becky, let me know if you decide to make these! They sound really good and I want to make them myself. These recipes can all be found in the Super Sleepover Guide. It's a fun book! There's recipes and tips for throwing your own sleepover.

Mrs. Green's Peanut-Butter-Chocolate-Chip Cookies

1/2 cup margarine or butter, left out to get soft
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter or margarine. Add the peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones until everything is mixed together. Add the chocolate chips and mix them in with a spoon. Wash your hands. Then split the dough in two, and on a clean surface, roll each half with clean hands until it is a tube 1 1/2 inches in diameter. (It will look like a peanut-butter-chocolate-chip snake! Lauren) Wrap in waxed paper and chill in the refrigerator for at least three hours. Unwrap and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick. Place on a slightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Makes about 5 dozen medium-sized cookies.

#27 Where's Patti?

This recap is for Nikki (http://whatireadbackthen.blogspot.com/) who mentioned on one of my posts awhile ago that this is her favorite Sleepover Friends book. At the time, I didn't know which book she was talking about. Since I got this one recently and finally figured it out, I thought I'd do the recap now.

Lauren, Kate, Stephanie and Patti are going to Maine to visit Stephanie's grandma, Nana. Not to ruin the surprise, but Nana remarried in book #25.

The girls are flying to Crab Island on a seaplane, and Lauren is freaked out. The girls land safely and Nana is there to greet them. Patti brought along a book, Birds of the Northeast, and is all excited about seeing birds. According to Nana, there are several kids on the island who are around their age--twin boys and a girl named Mindy Sue. Nana and the girls head to see Dan (Nana's new husband) and his friend compete in a sloop race. She tells the girls about all the fun activities going on, like a sand castle contest and kite flying contest. The girls are all excited to participate. There's also a clambake and a dance.

After the race, the girls meet the Tyler twins, John and Fred. They don't look anything alike and Lauren describes them as "two short twerps with freckles and too much energy." The twins say they are hoping to win the most points in the contest so they can win a Sunfish, which is a boat. They already won a race earlier in the day, and are hoping to win both the kite-flying and sandcastle contests. The twins are not happy to find out that the Sleepover Friends, who are "off-islanders," are entered in those contests as well.

Just then, Mindy Sue shows up. She's about Lauren's height, with long straight hair parted in the middle and bangs. Lauren observes that she must take ballet because she has incredibly perfect posture. She's wearing a great-looking yellow wool cape with a hood and bright green sweats. As Mindy Sue introduces herself, they notice Patti has disappeared!

The girls meet the older Tyler brother, Robert, who is in high school. Stephanie thinks he is much better looking than the twins. He's tall, with reddish-brown hair brushed to one side, big brown eyes, a golden-brown tan and no freckles.

Nana, Stephanie, Kate and Lauren head back to the car, where Patti is sitting on the hood, looking at her bird book. When they ask her where she went, Patti makes up a lame story about seeing a fulmar and wanting to check in the book to make sure. They all head to the house, where the girls get to stay in the attic--apparently Nana and Dan had it remodeled just for them! As the girls are looking out the window, they see the Tyler twins, who smirk and give them a V for victory. The girls eat lunch--beef stew and Nana's homemade Boston brown bread. Then they get out their kite. It's a huge red box kite.

They head to the beach for the kite flying contest. Lauren is in charge of holding the spool of string and running, Patti will hold the kite up in the air, Stephanie will help Patti, and Kate will give directions. As they get the kite up in the air, Mindy Sue shows up and Patti disappears again. The girls are doing pretty well with their kite but it's really windy and next thing they know, their kite crashes into the Tyler twins' kite. They all watch as the kites land in the water. The Tyler boys are furious. The girls end up winning a trophy for having the largest kite.

As the girls head back to the car, they spot Patti sitting by a rock, bird watching again. However, Lauren observes that Patti doesn't really seem to be bird watching, she seems to be hiding. Patti claims that she saw a petrel and wanted to look in her book, which is why she ran off again. She also says she got sand in her eyes and that is why she left. Stephanie thinks Patti cares more about the birds than them, and acts all pissy about it.

For dinner, Nana makes chicken and dumplings and apple pandowdy. (I have no idea what apple pandowdy is and I'm too lazy to look it up). After dinner they all head upstairs and go to sleep. During the night, Lauren wakes up from a dream and notices Patti leaning out the window into the cold wind, which she thinks is odd.

The next morning, they have scrambled eggs and fresh cinnamon rolls. Then they talk strategy for their sand castle. They decide to build a big sandcastle and find all sorts of buckets and tools to use. They head to the beach and get started. As they are working on the sandcastle, Mindy Sue and her friend Jane show up, and Patti disappears again. The girls figure Patti is off chasing birds. However, Jane tells the girls that Patti can't possibly be looking for petrels or other shore birds, because it's the wrong time of year and the birds are all out at sea.

The girls have no idea what is up with Patti. Then Dan shows up. Nana drove Patti back to the house because she wasn't feeling well. They all drink some hot chocolate. When they go home for lunch, Patti is taking a nap. Nana says she has a bad headache and not to bother her. After lunch, the girls head back to the beach to work on their sandcastle some more.

That night is the dance, and they all talk about what they are going to wear. Kate: denim skirt and purple tights. Lauren: new turquoise sweatshirt with pink & yellow splotches on it. Stephanie: red and black striped wool pants. Mindy Sue asks if Patti will be going since she hasn't even met her yet, but they don't know if she'll be feeling up to it. However, Patti ends up going because if she stayed home, Nana would have to stay home with her, and she doesn't want to ruin her fun.

They head inside and there's lots going on. There's a refreshment table in the corner with two types of punch, and all kinds of cake, cookies and other snacks. There's a band and everyone is dancing. An old guy asks Kate to dance, a 7th grade boy asks Stephanie to dance, and a short 5th grader named Josh asks Lauren to dance. She recognizes him from the kite flying contest, where he won first place along with his sister. He points out his sister, Becky, who is dancing with Robert Tyler, the older Tyler boy who Stephanie thought was cute. Becky is a small, dainty girl with pink cheeks and curly dark hair. She had on a hot pink blazer, black jeans and black sneakers with lime green laces. Josh tells Lauren that his sister and Robert are going steady.

Lauren decides to go talk to Stephanie about Patti disappearing again. They get Kate and all head outside, where they find Patti waiting in the car again. They tell Patti they know why she keeps running off--it's because of the Tyler twins. Patti says no, she isn't upset about them... it's Mindy Sue. The girls are confused since Patti never even met Mindy Sue. Turns out, Patti and Mindy Sue were in the same 3rd grade class together. Mindy Sue used to make fun of Patti . She said Patti was too tall and too skinny, a bookworm and a baby, and that no one would like her because she's such a geek. Patti says she was afraid to tell them because she was worried they'd think it over and agree with Mindy Sue!

Didn't we just go over this in the last book?! Patti was all nervous about telling her friends that she was in the Quarks Club, because she thought they'd think she was a geek and not want to be her friend. And of course they don't care, and are still friends. Hasn't Patti learned anything?

Stephanie thinks maybe Mindy Sue was jealous of Patti and that is why she made fun of her. They assure Patti that 3rd grade was a long time ago (it was only 2 years ago--they are in 5th grade now!) and that Mindy Sue has changed. They all head back into the dance. However, Patti still refuses to see Mindy Sue.

During the night, there is a really bad thunderstorm. The next morning it's beautiful out, but it's too late--because of the storm, the tide wiped out most of the sandcastles. They grab some cranberry muffins and then head to the beach. Their sandcastle is gone and the girls are pretty bummed.

Mindy Sue shows up. Patti is actually there--she decided to stay and help with the sandcastle. At first, Mindy Sue doesn't even remember Patti. But Patti reminds her that they were in 3rd grade together. Mindy Sue is all "I was so jealous of this girl! She was the smartest kid in the whole school, she was tall--I was a total shrimp--our teacher loved her. She had everything!" Mindy Sue seems genuinely excited to see Patti again, and Patti is pleased and surprised, and realizes she overreacted.

The girls, including Mindy Sue and Jane, decide to join forces with the Tyler twins and build one really big castle since they don't have much time. The girls know how badly the Tylers want to win the boat. They end up building a sandcastle on a planet in outer space. (huh?!) In case you are wondering what that might look like: It was about Lauren's height, and twice as long as it was tall. Ramps crisscrossed the castle from one arched doorway to another. It had 15 towers of all sizes, and lots of round windows. It even had a flat launching pad for spaceships, like the one in a movie called Altair Three. Fred and Patti made a flying saucer from the big pottery plate on which Nana had brought their lunch (ham sandwiches).

A real architect goes around to judge the sandcastles. They end up winning first place! They are praised for their imagination and originality.

That night is the clambake. I've never been to a clambake but it sounds fun! The grown-ups dug a big pit in the sand, and the kids lined it with rocks and collected driftwood. They let the fire burn for awhile and then piled in clams, potatoes, apples, chicken, hamburgers, mussels, crabs, lobsters, hot dogs and sausages. They they packed the seaweed over and around all the food to steam it. As they waited for the food to cook, they sang songs and told ghost stories (maybe the Sleepover Friends told the story about the big white hand!) They all eat dinner together.

The next morning, Mindy Sue and the Tyler boys come over to see the girls off. Nana and Dan decided to drive the girls to the Portland airport so they don't have to take the seaplane again. Mindy Sue and Patti agree to stay in touch, and the boys tell the Sleepover Friends they'll teach them how to sail next time they come.

"Nothing's quite as good as the Sleepover Friends!" - Lauren.

Next up: Should I do #14 Lauren Takes Charge, or should I go back and recap all the books I didn't have before? I still need to do #1 Patti's Luck, #3 Kate's Surprise, #8 Lauren's Treasure, and #9 No More Sleepovers, Patti? Let me know what you'd like!