Club-Read: The Baby-Sitters Club #13: Goodbye Stacey, Goodbye

Hey, remember how I said I love worldbuilding and status quo shifts? Well, I wasn't fully expecting us just up and losing a main character so soon. I know that she does come back (Spoilers I guess) but yeah. We're losing Stacey in this one, at least for now. How does Stacey react to this, how does the club react to this, hell, how are we going to react to this? Those are all some big questions this book intends to fill as we say Goodbye Stacey, Goodbye. 

So I did say there's not much change with the covers going forward. But this one does mildly change a few elements, namely Claudia's face, Charlotte's design and the colors are a little cleaned up. Otherwise, it's about the same. And it gives us a straightforward cover, with Stacey leaving Stoneybrook and the "See you soon, Stacey" banner above, which is also cropped in the updated art. Claudia being the focus in the goodbye also makes sense since she's Stacey's best friend in the stories to this point. I mean with the exception of what happened last book. The lack of the whole BSC crew is a bit odd though.

Which is why I think the reprint and the graphic novel do a better job. The graphic novel is a bit more basic, but it makes it pretty straightforward that Stacey is leaving and it sucks for the club. The second is closer in tone to the original cover art, but now features the entire club, which adds a bit more to how terrible it is that we're losing Stacey. So overall, each cover does a good job, but if I were awarding points, it would be the later reprint as our winner.

We open with Stacey dreaming about a land of candy. Since it's been two years now that she's had diabetes, she's been craving sweets, but can't have them for obvious reasons. She babysits for Charlotte Johanssen then heads to the club meeting where we get the preamble about the characters. But as the meeting is underway, she gets a call from her parents to go home ASAP. She at first thinks it must be them finding another doctor with a hack cure, or her mom's pregnant, but nope. The branch in Stamford that her dad was moved to hasn't been doing so well, so the branch is combining with Boston and her dad's going back to his position in New York, which means that they're moving back to New York. Stacey is, of course, floored at this, but her parents tell her that she loved living in New York. It's not like she hasn't established a series of year-long friendships in Stoneybrook and a job or anything, but, hey, Central Park eh? Eh? Stacey tries to see the positives, hoping for a year until they move, but it's in four weeks, so yeah,

Stacey then calls Laine Cummings (Who we met in Stacey's first book. Former friend to enemy to friend again) to tell her about the news, when she then realizes that she also has to tell Claudia, given she's her best friend in Stoneybrook. She heads over to the Kishi residence to tell her about her sudden move. They both hate that it's happening, mainly Claudia as she's never had a best friend before Stacey. Which the book establishes that Mary Anne and Kristy were already best friends and Claudia always did things outside of friend groups that didn't give her anyone to relate to until Stacey showed up. So both try to come up with ideas to get her to stay in Stoneybrook, but of course none of them are plausible. At school the next day, Stacey informs Kristy, Mary Anne and Dawn about the impending move and how it's pretty much going to screw up the balance of the club, which is already chaotic as it is. They aren't happy about it, but it's concrete. As she leaves, the girls realize they're extra screwed. They want to throw a going away party, which, in fairness, should go better than the one they threw for Mary Anne. But they only have 16.50, which even for 80s money isn't that great. Also, they're down a member, they need someone new to join the club. Not to fill Stacey's place, but more so that four members with so many clients is pretty bad for the club in general.

Mary Anne babysits Jeff, which continues what the books have been building around lately. He's still in a bad mood, hates living with his mom and Dawn and wants to go back to California with his dad. Mary Anne even sees a torn up note that Jeff was writing to his dad. He catches her, is angry, but Mary Anne tries to tell him that things aren't that bad, that she was babied like he was by her dad and things changed, also that Stacey's leaving Stoneybrook. Doesn't seem to change his mind on anything, but again, put a pin on all this on the ol' "Baby-Sitters Club Continuity" board for later down the line I guess. Back to the McGills, Stacey's family have found an apartment in New York, but need to get rid of a lot of stuff beforehand. So Stacey suggests a yard sale that she and the girls can organize. They split the money five ways, so this is obviously solves one of the girls' problems for the party. 

Stacey talks with Laine some more, who mentions having tickets to a musical called Mad About Millie, which was a comic book, so is this a reference to add? Anyway, Laine's excited for Stacey to come back, but notes that her friends still aren't on board, given that Stacey was puking a lot before going on insulin. So leaving great friends for fair weather. Add that to the issues pile. Claudia babysits for the Pikes and all but Mallory are playing secret agents. A new family moved next door and the kids think they might be Russian spies. I see it's not just Karen who's a conspiracy nut in Stoneybrook. Stacey's narration notes that Mallory is usually the most level-headed of the Pike kids, as if we're dropping certain hints about something. They have a bunch of spying equipment and are pretty much invading their property, with Nicky up a tree with a tape recorder. It goes really nowhere, but they learn the new family is French. Claudia leaves, but thinks that Mallory could be a good club member. The girls all begin working on the yard sale, but then consider "heck with it, make it a bake sale as well" since that should lead to good sales one way or the other.

Kristy babysits Karen and her friends which means it's time for our regular dose of Agent of Chaos. Still on the "Mrs. Porter is Morbidda Destiny" stuff, thinking she's making potions to turn people into witches which, honestly, sounds pretty good to me. Kristy and the others scoff at it, until they hear Mrs. Porter mentioning that she can help them with the lemonade for the big sale. They go in her house and drink the lemonade, with nothing bad happening. But when the kids see a broom and a black cat in her house, that's enough for them to make their exit, because at this point we're just bullying an elder. Although this book series having maybe-witches and maybe-spies would be a heck of a creative touch. Stacey babysits for the Johanssens which means she has to babysit Charlotte, who really likes Stacey. So, as you'd expect, the news of Stacey moving doesn't go too good. But Stacey calms the situation by showing her house being prepped for the move, and the news of the yard sale. Stacey then gives her a copy of The Cricket in Times Square to remember her by. Dawn babysits the Barrett kids. Thankfully no almost-kidnapping, but the kids hold a toy sale and learn about the plans for the going away party for Stacey, which gives Dawn an idea.

The yard sale goes down and it's a success, giving the girls a lot of money out of it. Charlotte shows up and gives her a book she made to remember her by. The next day, the girls hold their surprise party for Stacey which features most of their friends including Logan and Shannon, as well as the kids they babysit for. It goes well, with the girls having spent all of their earnings for the party, since they didn't feel right spending money for selling someone else's goods. Props to these girls, they have better consciences than I do. I'd have blown that wad. Everyone gives her going away cards, with Charlotte's noting that she wishes Stacey was her sister. We then have Stacey's final meeting where we learn that Stacey isn't even her first name. Her real name is Anastasia Elizabeth McGill. I guess Anastasia, or Ann or Annie didn't fly with her, so she just used the name Stacey. They move Dawn to treasurer for the club and all agree that if there's a perfect new club member, it's Mallory Pike. Since she's younger than them, she can fit as a junior sitter to work afternoons. They don't know anyone that could also work as a junior sitter (pin to the continuity board) but it's definitely in consideration. Mallory accepts the offer, we'll see how she fares next book.

The day of the move finally arrives and Stacey sees that the girls made a going away banner similar to what's on the book cover. They say their goodbyes, with Stacey showing the girls that she made calling cards for when she's in New York. So I guess to help the club expand outside of Stoneybrook. Stacey gives her a letter mentioning the boy she was interested in earlier in the book broke up with the girl he was with, and that she'll never have another best friend like Stacey. And with that, Stacey McGill is out of the series... for now at least.

So, outside of the Brewer/Thomas wedding, Mimi's stroke and Louie dying, this might be the biggest status quo shift in the series. And why wouldn't it be? We're losing a key member of the series. Which feels so weird to do so suddenly, only 13 books deep into the series. To no surprise, a lot of readers at the time weren't happy with it, though Ann M. Martin did respond years later saying that she didn't plan to have Stacey be gone forever. She wanted to continue focus on Stacey, most likely with more focus on her in New York. The babysitting card is definitely a dead giveaway. What these books have always done is be real and honest with the readers. Trying to base stories around real situations that kids would have to go through. And a person moving is a big deal. And the book juggles how big of a deal it is not just for Stacey but for the girls and the kids she babysits, notably Charlotte. Again, I kick myself for not reading these as a kid. But given the fans not being really happy about this, Martin did bring Stacey back. 

We're a ways away from that and we do get a book with her in New York, so while this is a sad moment for the series, it's also one that doesn't feel like Martin intended to just write her off forever, even with hindsight being in front of us. But I can imagine a fan in the 80s when these were just coming out being upset by it. This is a really good Stacey book, which balances a lot of the story very well. Enough time to build on Stacey, her anxieties over moving, and dealing with not being around her friends and the kids she babysits, while also still having some fun babysitting bits and building on other little bits and pieces that the series intends to build on. The Jeff situation, the impending addition of Mallory Pike, that we're not so done adding new members, Karen being a shit disturber, those sort of things. It's a book that never fully feels like anything inside is added filler. Each piece holds an important part not just to the central plot, but the series as a whole. And my "lore"-lovin' heart really enjoyed it. 

It also solidifies how important the characters and their interactions are, making Stoneybrook feel alive. And Claudia gets some focus too. Not much, but enough. Her feelings about her best friend leaving and also her focus on the club and how things will change with Stacey gone. Again, we'll see how that goes soon. I will say it's a book that is a little dated. Given the modernization of technology, it makes it feel off that their line of communication with Stacey is so cut. In a modern setting, while they won't be together, they could still chat online. But, again, 80s book with 80s sensibilities, so we can't really blame the book for showing its age. How do I feel personally about Stacey leaving? Well, I know that she returns, so the shock of cutting Stacey from the series isn't a massive blow, but given I think Stacey is one of the stronger characters in the series, second book excluded for the most part, having her be gone feels like a part of the series is gone, and while we're going to see how Mallory fits in, it's still not going to feel the same. Which is the point, and why I think this book handles the emotions of the situation perfectly. Giving us, not so much a mega happy ending, but a satisfying one.

So, yeah. I liked this book. After the last book was frustrating on purpose, this one was more emotionally rough, again on purpose. It's a definite recommend, not just because it's an important book for the series, but also because it's a strong book in its own right. I'll give the tens of the Baby-Sitters Club this. If the first ten were intended to build the series and be in their own way a self-contained ten, then these books have been ones unafraid to grow and evolve, leaving the reader not fully sure what Ann M. Martin's plan is, but ultimately you can tell she has a good idea for where they are headed. So next up is Mallory's turn. How does the eldest Pike fare as a member of the club? Do we continue this worldbuilding streak? We'll find out soon, but for now, Goodbye Stacey, Goodbye gets an A. 

Candy Land

Twinkies

Ring Dings

Yodels

Lincoln Center

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Central Park

Donnell Library

Bloomingdale's

Sak's

Tiffany's

Benetton

Laura Ashley

Ann Taylor

Bonwit Teller

Bergdorf Goodman

B. Altman's

The Borrowers

Iggy's House

Barbie

Boggle

Operation

The Cricket in Times Square

Goodwill

Transformers

Slinky

Gummi Bears

Fritos