The Baby-Sitters Club #57: Dawn Saves the Planet

Mrs. Gonzalez, Dawn’s science teacher starts an ecology program for the class. Stacey is in another session, but gets the same project. The two girls talk and decide that they should teach a class for kids in the neighborhood. The teacher agrees to let them work together because it would be a great project for the class.

The girls end up with a lot of neighborhood kids, like the Kormans, Buddy, Nicky, Vanessa, David Michael, Suzy, Andre and Karen. In the middle of the first class, Dawn mentions that there is only one recycling center in the whole town and wonders why there aren’t more. That leads to a new idea about creating a recycling center at SMS.

She goes to Mrs. Gonzales, who agrees with her proposal and lets her meet with the vice-principal. He agrees to let her start the program, as long as the students vote on it and want the program. Dawn turns into an environmental Nazi, constantly attacking people in the halls and demanding that they recycle. The votes come in the school unanimously approves the program, but also demands the teacher be the leader.

Dawn is sad about losing the chairperson job, but plays it off to everyone else. She tells them that the only reason picked the teacher is because she is an adult. Then she overhears Grace and Cokie in the hallway, talking about how obnoxious she is and wonders if other people feel the same way.

Once the project gets off the ground, Dawn wants nothing to do with it. She writes the newsletter, but stays away from planning and everything else. When the big ceremony starts, she goes, but pouts the whole time. They make a big announcement and praise the person behind the project. Dawn is shocked when they praise her teacher.

Dawn has another surprise in store when the BSC members go off on her. She’s been lecturing them constantly, riding their butts about recycling and being a huge pain in the ass. She and Stacey planned a Green Fair for the kids and she completely took it over. Stacey goes off on her, followed by the other members. She finally realizes that she was acting obnoxious and apologizes.

The Green Fair goes brilliantly. Their teacher even shows up and praises Dawn. They decide to give the money raised at the fair to the recycling program. The teacher asks Dawn to join her as chairperson and she agrees, but it’s never mentioned again in any of the other books.

*Two of the boys make birdfeeders from pinecones and peanut butter. I know the idea works, but I don’t know how they could transport those and sell them without getting peanut butter all over the floors.

*Dawn comes across as way more nutso here than she does in the other books. She literally accosts one girl in the hall over throwing away a can and follows another around lecturing her about Styrofoam.

*Dawn also comes across as really selfish. Once she isn’t asked to chair the program, she completely quits. I think it’s pretty unrealistic to expect a teenage girl to run a whole recycling program.

*Kristy sits for the Korman kids and they make a comment about how they “always” get hot dogs when they have a sister, so their mom lets them have pizza. I swear this same thing happens in another book.