NNtG: Spinetinglers #10: The Dead Kid Did It

It's time to open up another Spinetinglers. We've had an interesting batch of books so far. A few I like, a few I didn't. This time we're dealing with a dead kid. Not just that but a dead kid who's a bit of a prankster. Did this predict Dead Bart? Probably not, but I can't say I'm not intrigued. Let's find out why The Dead Kid Did It. 

Oh gee, I have absolutely no idea who could have illustrated this cover. That's sarcasm, just as a head up. This might be the most Tim Jacobus cover ever. The checkerboard ceiling, the massive warped angle, the design of the kid in general. If his feet weren't obscured I'm certain he's have Chuck Taylor's on. The cover also weirdly feels like an alternate of the cover for The Haunted School. Books and papers spilling out of a locker with a creepy being inside. Weirdly also feels like a flip with the lockers being green and the ceiling having red, where it's vice versa for Haunted School. This book predates Haunted School by at least over a year, so maybe Tim just went back to the well for the Goosebumps cover? Wouldn't surprise me. Either way, it's a great cover. 

Club-Read: The Karen Tax: Baby-Sitters Little Sister #05: Karen's School Picture

It's tax time. We're getting closer to these being lumped into a multi-review, but for now we're back to talking about the agent of chaos. And this one is an important one in a way as Karen is now wearing glasses. We also have a book about image issues and dealing with school pictures. Does that lead to a good book? Well it's Little Sister, so I guess passable book makes more sense? Let's find out with Karen's School Picture.

Three covers to talk about this time, each varied just enough to actually have a reason to talk about them. The original cover is, I don't know why, eerie to me. Just this very static school picture shot of Karen's class. The tagline is "Look what Karen's wearing!" But I'll front with you, I couldn't really pick Karen out of that lineup. I guess she's the blond one with glasses given the story and all, but she's not even centered so she wouldn't even be the first kid you'd pick out. The reprint is better at this. Karen center in the back, with the glasses, clearly not happy about said glasses. It also is less off-putting compared to the original cover so it stands out so much better. The graphic novel is fine, but doesn't exactly scream "book about a school picture". Easy winner for me on this front is the reprint.

Club-Read: The Baby-Sitters Club #28: Welcome Back, Stacey!

All the way back in book #13 Ann M. Martin made the daring decision to have Stacey McGill move out of Stoneybrook and return to New York. The result did lead to Mallory getting a bigger role and Jessi debuting for the series. But there's always been this feeling of a void being left since her departure. And even with subsequent appearances that followed, it just never felt right to not have Stacey back. But now the long national nightmare is over, and Stacey's finally back in Stoneybrook. That's good news. But why exactly? Let's find out as we say Welcome Back, Stacey!

Both covers are solid. Both do feel like it's a big deal that Stacey is back in Stoneybrook. The reprint's is cute with the big hug and all, but does feel a bit "just there" by comparison to the original. Also no Mallory or Jessi feels odd. I get it, this is about the core five reuniting, it just feels weirdly regressive to me. The original in my eyes works better. I think having the station wagon in the background sells this one for me. With Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye having her in the car and this one having her out of the car, does finally feel like a case of all is right with the BSC world. Also Claudia's outfit is just great. Purest of pure 80s vibes. Good stuff.

Club-Read: The Baby-Sitters Club #27: Jessi and the Superbrat

We haven't really gotten much in terms of the popular culture in the BSC universe. More often than not, it's media that exists within the real world. A whole slew of Meatballs and Disneyworld references. So now we get a brief window of that as Jessi has to deal with a pompous child star. Does that make for a good book, or would we be better off changing the channel? Let's see with Jessi and the Superbrat.

Technically, we have two covers to talk about, but given that the cover got a slight update in the 90s reprint and eBook, it's still fair game. The original cover is solid. Both covers showing Jessi's frustrations when it comes to dealing with Derek Masters, who doesn't seem to be getting along with the Pike triplets in a game of tennis. The 2023 reprint does a better job in my opinion, giving Jessi a more fed up in a silly way face while setting up that Derek is definitely a Hollywood kid. I think the reprint also sells the gimmick better that Derek is a TV star, while in the original he could be any kid and it's the tagline that does the heavy lifting. See? I don't always knock the reprint covers. 

Point by Numbers: The Dead Girlfriend

Well, at long last we've made it. The final Point book from R.L. Stine that I haven't covered for the blog. And hoo boy, it's been a rocky road for Stine and Point. Some of his highs and a ton of his lows. But this book at least on paper could be okay. I give the man too much undeserved praise. He's posting AI slop on Instagram, he absolutely doesn't deserve that praise. But there's only one way to find out if praise is deserved. Let's get talking about The Dead Girlfriend.

This cover is pretty good. I think it would have definitely creeped me out as a kid. You have our titular Dead Girlfriend, and she seems at least partially dead. That or she's wearing like a really freaky half-skull mask. The shadows work as well to add this creepy otherworldly vibe to her. As is the white veil behind her that gives this creepy glow to her. It's all great stuff, much like most of the Point Stine covers. That's usually a bad sign though, but we'll see...

Club-Read: The Karen Tax: Baby-Sitters Little Sister #04: Karen's Kittycat Club

Well we've covered a few BSC books, so it's time to pay the tax once more. It's time for the next Little Sister book. Fitting we're talking about cats here since we started this month with a book about a missing cat. Karen and her friends form a club over their love of cats. Hey, a club I can get behind. What could paws-ibly go wrong? Let's see with Karen's Kittycat Club. Oh thank god she didn't spell club with a K.

Three covers and a whole lotta cats. First cover is fine, but doesn't really do much. Cats look a little out of it, but otherwise it's a cover with cute cats, does what it needs to do. Reprint cover is a bit better as we also seem to build that there's a conflict going on. But I honestly like the graphic novel cover more, and it's entirely on the angry cat faces. Just full-on cat stink eye that makes the scenario more fun to get into. Look, I'm doing a cover story on a book called Karen's Kittycat Club. The fact I got anything out of these to talk about is sort of a miracle in itself.

Club-Read: The Baby-Sitters Club #26: Claudia and the Sad Good-bye

Yep. The time has come. Since book one, the readers have become well acquainted with Claudia's grandmother Mimi Yamamoto. And since the seventh book in the series, Claudia and Mean Janine, they've also had to deal with Mimi's stroke and declining health. Mostly through her inability to remember certain words and sentences. But as the series progressed, she's declined far worse, especially in Kristy and the Mother's Day Surprise where it felt like we were headed for the inevitable. Well, it's here. Hey kids, hope you like reading about dead relatives, because this one's gonna be rough. It's time to say farewell to Mimi as we talk about Claudia and the Sad Good-bye.

Both covers are good. Neither really variate from the other. Heck, Claudia is wearing a similar outfit with suspenders in both. But both do the important job in selling the relationship between Claudia and Mimi and pretty much preparing the reader with this being the book where Mimi dies and how devastating this will be to Claudia. Again, neither really land on being too varied to pick, but I'll go with the original as I just like the art a bit more on it. The reprint is, again fine, but doesn't land as much to me. Both are still good regardless.