Comments | bsc_snark: Kristy and the Secret of Susan (6-10)

syphabelnades in bsc_snark

Kristy and the Secret of Susan (6-10)

Apr 20, 2015 10:03

Judging by the comments on my previous thread, this book strikes an emotional chord with a lot more than just me.

Also wtf is up with the title? Susan isn't a damn secret. The fact that she's autistic isn't a secret.

( Brace yourselves for lots of headdesking )

shut up kristy, zombies would starve in stoneybrook, bullying is never okay, kristy's bitch face, babysitting fail, kristy, #32 kristy and the secret of susan, meddling in other's business, rageragerage, kristy to the rescue, facepalm, what is in stoneybrook's water?

Comments 20

author_by_night April 20 2015, 16:28:40 UTC

Also wtf is up with the title? Susan isn't a damn secret. The fact that she's autistic isn't a secret.

I'm NOT saying I agree with this, but my guess is it's a reference to the idea that children with autism are "mysteries" locked in their own "secret worlds." While some of the flaws in this book can be attributed to it being the 90's, that's something I still see/hear people say, even though a two second google search explains otherwise.

.."Down's Syndrome people have slanted eyes, flattish faces, and are usually docile, affectionate, and friendly"

... wow. And AMM was a special ed teacher?!

syphabelnades April 20 2015, 16:45:39 UTC

She WAS?! O_O

zoaster_toaster April 20 2015, 18:23:58 UTC

Yup. And she has another book about an autistic girl: http://www.elle.com/culture/books/interviews/a15526/ann-m-martin-baby-sitters-club-interview/

design_star_21 April 21 2015, 01:46:44 UTC

Not to be nitpicky, but it is actually Down Syndrome, not Down's. I was told this by someone who has Down Syndrome and it was explained to me that it is very offensive to misuse the term.

Thread 7

bleeding_thorn2 April 20 2015, 20:27:45 UTC

My niece has problems eating; food has to be cooked a certain way and placed a certain way. She doesn't like the feel of certain food and since she doesn't speak; usually a tantrum can happen. And then sometimes, that leads to a meltdown; with kicking, screaming and the rest.

Once again; FUCK YOU MRS. FELDER!! HOW THE FUCK DO YOU RUN OUT THE DOOR, K-RON'S LUCKY SUSAN DIDN'T MELTDOWN WHEN HER MOM LEFT!!My niece used to all the time when I babysit and it lasted for HOURS!! And at that point, no one knew yet.

FUCK THE SITTERS TOO, FOR NOT DEALING WITH THOSE LITTLE ASSHOLES!!

syphabelnades April 20 2015, 20:49:47 UTC

Both Mrs. Felder and Kristy are very lucky Susan doesn't have any over-the-top, violent meltdowns, nor is she prone to violent or self-injurous behavior. I'll show you fucking "can't escape fast enough." :\

bleeding_thorn2 April 21 2015, 15:47:35 UTC

Hell Yea, I had black and blues, scratches and other things on me from my niece. And that was just from her showing affection, she was smiling the whole time. Upset, is a WHOLE different story.

anabellabobella April 22 2015, 08:22:36 UTC

Last summer, we had about a month of daily meltdowns. The lasted several hours, and were harrowing. I had several bloody noses, and my precious daughter was hurting herself. She those things happen, kids are superhumanly strong. The first day my husband was off work to see it, after we got her calm, after about six hours, he went to our bedroom and cried. It's HARD. And for our daughter, it seems to have started over being frustrated she couldn't figure something out one day, and in the next days, she would go right into meltdown, like she "knew" she "couldn't" do it right away. It was a cyclical problem.

Thread 5

shatisarockgod April 21 2015, 00:31:20 UTC

Imagine being 4 and finding out your favorite sitter is only there for you because she lost an argument...--It's like I said on another reply, they need to do other things for Jenny. Okay, so all the other clients like being roped into doing stupid shit the other girls come up with. But Jenny doesn't and if Jenny is doing something harmless and she's entertaining herself, why bother her ( ... )

design_star_21 April 21 2015, 01:48:48 UTC

OMG, the whole thing with Mal and what you just explained about the wondering is literally my life. It hurts so bad when things like that happen....argh. The rest of this book pisses me off and makes me wonder how anyone could even publish it.

shatisarockgod April 21 2015, 02:34:10 UTC

I feel for all of us that go through this and I also feel for the people that genuinely like us and end up getting pushed away because we think so poorly about ourselves. I really do shake my head at a lot of Mallory's situations because I know how she feels about herself and how she really doesn't have a good support system anywhere. What would the words of encouragement have been if Stacey or Claudia had the hots for a guy? They would've been falling all over themselves to urge them to go for it. What would've been the problem if the attitude had been "He's pretty cute, Mal. I think you should go for it!" compared to how I'm picturing what happened during the scene in my head is of that Marcia Brady "Sure, Jan" gif from The Brady Bunch movies with a mixture of laughter. I'm surprised Mallory really opens up to any of them after a few times of getting shut down like that.

syphabelnades April 21 2015, 02:43:28 UTC

They did encourage Mal to go for it...after spending two pages giggling and laughing about her crush.

Thread 6

pi_beta_alpha April 21 2015, 00:56:46 UTC

Oh no, a sitting job for the horrible Jenny Prezziozo! The girl who likes to be clean and doesn't abide by BSC-approved methods of play!

I'm totally a lurker, but I have to chime in on the "just what the fuck is wrong with Jenny Prezzioso?" bandwagon. My daughter was EXACTLY like this kid at that age (and a lot like California Stephie later on); she much preferred wearing pretty clothes and keeping them clean, and was a quieter kid who was happy drawing pictures, looking at picture books, quietly playing with toys, etc. I would have shanked anyone who said she was "prissy" because she, unlike the Pikes Californian DeWitts, didn't enjoy lighting things on fire and flinging shit at one another. I hate the whole idea that "Kids totally have to be spirited, all the time! They must be loud, rude, obnoxious, annoying, and yell a lot in order to prove that spirit! If the kid is quiet, they must be emotionally damaged!" Just..ugh.

So this is a babysitting chapter with the Karen Show playing Let's All Come the Fuck In.Please don't ( ... )

anabellabobella April 22 2015, 08:16:51 UTC

Kristy goes on to say that she cries real tears about how "isolated" Susan is and that if her horrible parents only let her go to Stoneybrook Elementary...

Gotta love how this edges on blaming parents for "causing" autism.

So why the hell is Mrs. Felder acting like her daughter is such a total beast of a child that "she couldn't escape fast enough?"

Because these parents have no interest in Susan. I do think she could have a higher quality of life spending some vacations at home, but nooooooo, gotta keep her shipped off unless there's absolutely no choice. Poor child probably registered her parents not wanting to be around her.

Just because Susan is nonverbal does not mean she can't think DAMNED RIGHT. My daughter can talk a storm now, but for the longest time, she was non-verbal Gibberish was an improvement. But you know what? We know she was thinking. In fact, she describes events to us that happened when she was an infant, in detail that doesn't exist outside of memories. How did she remember that the cake for her ( ... )