The Baby-sitters Club #88: Farewell, Dawn

Remember how Dawn kept saying she was never going to leave her mom? And how she was happy to be back? Yeah it turns out that it was all a lie because now she wants to move home. She kind of plays it off like she’s missed it all along, even though she hasn’t mentioned it since coming back. She’s sad because Sunny’s mom is in the hospital and she misses the beach, the sunshine and the warm weather.

She calls her dad just to talk and when Carol’s on the phone, she lets it slip that she wants to move back. Carol is cool with it, tells her to talk to her mom and she’ll talk to her dad. As soon as Sharon comes home, Dawn announces that she wants to move back. Richard walks in on the conversation and both worry that she isn’t happy with them. She assures them that she loves everyone there, but wants to go home. Then she manages to change the subject, so Mary Anne won’t hear her.

Dawn gets right to work planning for her trip. Eventually she decides to call Kristy, who is shocked that she hasn’t yet told Mary Anne. She just wants Kristy to get to work finding someone to replace her in the club. She keeps trying to tell Mary Anne about the move, but something keeps coming up. She finally arranges for the two to spend the night together. Logan calls and tells Mary Anne what’s going on because he heard it from Robert. Mary Anne is upset and kind of cuts her off.

Dawn spends most of the book waiting for Mary Anne to make some big gesture, but it never happens. Mary Anne babysits, spends time with Kristy or Logan and does whatever possible to stay out of the house. The BSC plans a huge going away party for her and make her a special video of photos from their experiences. Dawn gets misty eyed, thinking Mary Anne was involved, but it turns out that she was the only one who didn’t help. She doesn’t even watch the tape, but took a walk with Logan instead.

Just before the book ends, she finds Mary Anne in the bathroom. Mary Anne confesses that she’s sad because when Dawn left before, she always knew she was coming back, but now she’s really gone. She’s also sad because she’ll miss seeing Dawn in the bathroom mirror. They share a sweet moment and make up.

At her last club meeting, Dawn gets even sadder because Shannon is given her job, but makes it clear that she can’t help much when school starts. When she leaves, she starts to cry because she feels like that door is closing on her life. She keeps feeling doors slamming shut and locking behind her. The whole club goes with her to the airport to say goodbye. She hops on the plane and keeps waiting for the door to lock. Then she realizes that the door isn’t locking because she can always go back.

*There’s also a whole Christmas in summer thing because James Hobart breaks his leg. The BSC gets a bunch of kids together and organizes a whole thing for him, complete with games, decorations and a tree. I get it and it’s kind of cute, but I’m not sure why they would go all out.

*Dawn is a spoiled brat here because she spends the whole book wanting Mary Anne to feel down and miserable.

*Apparently Kristy told Claudia, who told Stacey, who told Robert, who told Logan. Do Robert and Logan really run in the same circles?

*Poor Mallory and Jessi! They find out after everyone else that Dawn is moving and only because Mary Anne acts passive aggressive at a meeting and the whole thing comes out.