Clubs Books

This book from my childhood is one that lingers in my memory. I recently came across my old dog-eared copy, and hoped to find another one used. Instead, I find that it is (rightly) hard to obtain because it is (wrongly) out-of-print. At least I now know I am not alone in my affection for this volume and series. _The Cat Club_ explores that place between our sense of self-worth and our social status, in ways that still delight me (even at forty-something)

A wonderful story. My six year old loves the Cat Club, but we're having a hard time tracking them down, with 12 of the 13 titles out of print. If any publishers are listening, please bring back Jenny Linsky! All kids seem to love "The Cat Club" and it should always be available.

I also read these books when I was a child, and they were wonderful!!! I used to go to the library and get them over and over and over. I remember my mother would try to get me to get other books and I would read these again and again. I was also looking for them for my daughter - I also wish they would bring these books back into print. I have not been able to find at our library.

I loved this book and a child and wanted to get it for my children, to my dismay i found it to be out of print. I found it in the public library, though, and my kids also fell in love with it and wanted to keep it and read it over and over. They were sure sad the day it had to return to the library. This is a wonderful book about a shy little cat and her adventures with the cat club. A must for any child who loves cats and grownups as well.

It's been at least 25 year since I've read any but I still remember the members of the Cat Club: Jenny Linsky the shy black kitty who always wore a scarf, her adopted brothers Checkers and Edward, Concertina the club secretary, who scratched notes into the bark of a tree...

Why oh why are these books out of print? My favorite was Jenny Goes to Sea, where she visits exotic locales like Zanzibar and Siam.

What this book does is teach a chilkd that the only person that they can truly rely on is themselves. It teaches a child how to be self aware and alerted. It also allows the parent to bond with the child through lesson of education for both. This book also has alot of extras that all parents should have, like a list of emergency contacts and information on how to put together an I.D kit. this alone is worth the money.

As a father I always try to find ways to protect my chiuldren. This book teaches everything I needed to know. A easy book to read and easy book to use as an educational tool for my kids.

The book gets strait to the meat ant holds your attention until the ending. Maurice Woodson did a wonderful Job. I recommend this book very much.

The book gets strait to the meat ant holds your attention until the ending. Maurice Woodson did a wonderful Job. I recommend this book very much.

Exceptional! An Informative Gem! No household should be without this one!

The added material is a major plus. Run don't walk to buy this book!

Wow, by far one of the best books that I have ever read. I usually do not like history because I prefer to be more proactive and immersed in today's world. But the clarity on our society's current situation that this book gives by examining the roots of the movement to capitalism is incredible and was so worth my time that I had to take a week's vacation off work in order to make sure that I could focus to read this. The writing conveys only one thing - complete clarity into the world today. It is an incredible opus; I loved it.

There is no easy answer to the challenges we humans face in organizing and creating a shared activity to enable the greatest overall productivity and happiness. The evolution of humanity during the early Renaissance years provides the explanation for where and why we are organized in this way today. Understanding this time in this way (through the lens of the economics of that time period) gives a much greater appreciation for the world today that we have constructed. The most core problems of humanity - social mobility, equitable distribution of resources, stability, and collective cooperation, have never (and may never) become solvable. This book explains these dynamics so eloquently that I wish I had time to read it again and again - much like a great adventure novel that as a kid you just wished would never end and felt a real loss once it did and you had to re-emerge into the real world around you.

Braudel is phenomenal in his depth of understanding about how society of the 15-18th centuries operated. I can't recommend it more highly.

In the first volume of this series, Braudel sets the stage for life and commerce in the period under discussion. Volume two of Civilization and Capitalism really gets the ball rolling. Or as much as anything ever gets rolling in a Braudel book.

This is fascinating stuff. But it is not easy going. The language is straight forward, but Braudel wanders around his subject, giving us mountains of specifics and following various side currents to their ends. The basic point of the volume is to outline, first, the difference between the market and capitalism, and then to trace the creation of capitalism in the markets centers of Europe between the 15th and 18th centuries.

Unlike many historian of this period, Braudel is more concerned with the world of finance than the world of production, which I find fascinating and innovative. If you care to know how the financiers of Amsterdam dealt with getting a ship in the ocean and bound for America or India, this is the place to look.

While not being an economic determinist, economics is at the center Braudel's work. Unlike many other economic historians, Braudel does take the time to deal with how culture (there a section on fashion in the first volume!) religion and other factors play into the shaping of an economic and social system. This makes for a deeply convincing argument when he demolishes Weber's idea of the protestant work ethic, but is less informed or convincing (and sometimes borderline racist) when he is dealing with non-western cultures.

I appreciate that Braudel didn't assume that by "civilization and capitalism" one can only mean Western Europe, but his sections on the rest of the world I found lacking. They did not have the erudition he exhibits when taking about Western Europe.

I found the book fascinating, but I think Braudel could have done with some editing. This book is not going to lay out point by point the creation of capitalism for you. You'll need to discover the steps through the examples Braudel gives. It's riveting if you're an econ and history nerd, but complicated and meandering work, which could have used a co-author (or a better team of research assistants) to handle the non western areas he covers and a editor to tease out the string of the creation of capitalism that subtly floats through this work.

There are various pretenders to the throne of explaining globalization, such as Thomas Friedman's recent The World Is Flat, but all such efforts seem shallow and pallid compared to the masterwork of the genre, Fernamd Braudel's trilogy Civilization & Capitalism, 15th - 18th Century (The Structures of Everyday Life (Volume 1), The Wheels of Commerce (Volume 2)
and The Perspective of the World (Volume 3)

I do not lightly suggest tackling almost 1,800 pages of reading, but there is simply no substitute (short of a master's degree) if you aspire to a true understanding of global trade's role in the social, political and economic history of our world. It is not a boring read--anything but, for Braudel's depth of research, breadth of knowledge and his appreciation for the limits of current scholarship are matchless. Where authors like Friedman incautiously grind whatever axe they set out, drawing upon work which supports their thesis, Bruadel is ever-cautious about drawing hard-and-fast conclusions from the data he has culled from archives' dusty pages.

What Braudel reveals is a world which has been disrupted by far-reaching trade for hundreds of years. Capital has flowed across the great oceans of our globe for far longer than most people realize, destroying local industries in favor of distant ones in the process. It is impossible to summarize such a rich, vast work, but reading even one of these volumes will give you a deep insight into the long history of globalization, and how entire industries and financial centers have been displaced time and again in the Arab Levant, in Asia, and in Europe. You will also come to understand the rise of European economic dominance, and how it cannot be so neatly attributed to guns, steel and germs, as appealing and powerful as Jared Diamond's thesis may be.

Braudel does not work to create over-arching explantions so much as present the archival facts he so assiduously assembled. (The books were written in the late 1970s; Braudel died in 1985 at the age of 83.) For example, he shows that prosperity, since at least the 1400s if not earlier, is inevitably found in those cities and regions where prices are highest. It is counter-intuitive at first--since shouldn't money go farther where prices are low?-- but the same is obviously true of our era. The most prosperous nations are those with the highest costs, and the poorest are those where prices are lowest.

At a minimum, this sheds light on the centuries-old exodus from rural to metropolis, and on the nature of prosperity itself. I recommend these volumes not just for their vast erudition but for the enjoyment gained from his unparalleled mastery of everyday life in distant lands and distant times. Not much has changed, it seems, except the speed of the ships and the communication between traders.

In The Wheels of Commerce, Fernand Braudel deftly blended history and economics with the result that neither suffers. His goal in this book, the second volume in his Civilization and Capitalism, 15th-18th Century, was "to analyse the machinery of exchange as a whole, from primitive barter up to and including the most sophisticated capitalism" (21). In the process of examining this machinery of exchange, Braudel also proposed an ambitious thesis concerning the origins of capitalism. The book itself is a monumental work, an impressive combination of statistical analyses and illustrations from primary sources.

Braudel's first two chapters, "The Instruments of Exchange" and "Markets and the Economy," investigated the role of circulation. In chapter one, he concentrated on the mechanisms by which goods (and money) were traded. Braudel explained that markets and shops were at the bottom of the world of commerce. Markets took place once or twice a week, and shops were open everyday. Fairs, the wholesale markets, were on the higher level. Participants traded large amounts of goods and settled their accounts at the end. Braudel pointed out the importance of fairs in the development of capitalism: "The fair itself created credit" (91). If one merchant had a negative trade balance with another merchant, he would either offer a bill of exchange (a promise of payment on another exchange) or defer payment with interest until another fair. Additionally, these bills of exchange could be sold to a third party if necessary, introducing speculation. The trading mechanisms of the fair were eventually consolidated into the large exchanges of cities like Amsterdam and London, and eventually these exchanges grew into the stock markets. Chapter two investigated the manner in which merchants engaged in trade. Braudel stressed the importance of trading circuits and the use of paper (especially in the form of bills of exchange) for profitability. One of the key ideas in this chapter is the role of distance on price. Price was not set solely by supply and demand, but was also affected by the distance the product had to travel. His insight into system was helpful. "Any capitalist market has a series of links in a chain, and somewhere near the middle there is a point higher and more remunerative than the rest" (193).

The next two chapters, "Capitalism Away from Home" and "Capitalism on Home Ground," dealt primarily with issues regarding production. Chapter three dealt with what could be considered the lower world of production. One of the key issues that Braudel explicated was the role of fixed and circulating capital. The fixed capital that was invested in production was tied up in equipment and other items, while the circulating capital was more liquid and included wages. Braudel also investigated the role of land in production and capitalism, noting: "The great landowner was not a capitalist, but he was a tool and a collaborator in the service of capitalism" (271). He also focused on the peculiarities of production in these pre-industrial years. In chapter four, Braudel investigated the higher world of production. His explanation of the development of banking practices, which would fund production, was illuminating, as was his discussion on the development of companies from private family business to joint stock companies.

Though the book focused on capitalism's development in Europe, Braudel integrated discussions on other geographical locales as well. Braudel did not present Europe as arriving at its capitalist system in a vacuum. He noted the role that other cultures had in aiding the formation of the European model, not just through trade, but also through Europe's adoption of foreign innovation. However, Braudel surprisingly downplayed the importance of double-entry book-keeping to the emergence of capitalism. He asserted that the practice did not spread quickly and was not universally adopted, giving notable examples (574).
Even though successful merchants were found all over the world during this time period (especially in Islamic lands that provided them with a favorable status), full-blown capitalism developed first in Europe. Braudel attempted to provide an explanation as to why this was the case. His thesis regarding this matter is the raison d'ýtre of the book. Braudel believed that three conditions were necessary for the emergence of capitalism. The first was a "vigorous and expanding market economy" (600). Braudel noted that many regions fulfilled this qualification. The second necessity, which hindered many prime candidates, was a strong hierarchy was necessary. This hierarchy encouraged the accumulation of wealth. Landed positions were not hereditary in India, China, and Islamic lands making the nobility's position precarious and the accumulation of wealth difficult. Braudel only mentioned two areas that fulfilled these first two necessities: Europe and Japan. However, Japan closed herself off to world trade, the third necessity. Braudel noted, "Long-distance trading ... was the only doorway to a superior profit level" (601). Braudel's case is a compelling one that must be addressed by anyone investigating this topic.

The Wheels of Commerce is immense, but immensely readable. Braudel portrayed for his reader a heady, exciting Europe, one in which the prime goal was to spend money faster than it could be made. However, even during his descriptions of the dizzying pace at which money was circulated, Braudel did not lose sight of his objective. His scope was large, but he remained precise in both style and purpose, obviating the befuddlement of the layperson (which I confess to being). The book is a balanced work, exhibiting a variety of historical methods. Braudel made extensive use of statistics and mathematical models (the book contains a plethora of charts and tables), but he also included numerous narratives regarding business practices of the time (demonstrating an astonishing knowledge of the primary sources). Because of the attention with which he supported his claims, historians of all stripes can admire this book.

Finally, the student of economic history should not overlook one of the finer aspects of The Wheels of Commerce. This book contains over 120 excellent illustrations from the 15th-18th centuries. The pictures, which vary from woodblock prints to oil paintings, depict the lives of those involved in commerce at the time. Not only do the abundant illustrations make this book a more attractive read, but also they provide the book with a certain level of completeness, giving the reader more tools by which he or she can comprehend the emergence of capitalism in Europe

I don't even LIKE history or economics...but I love this book.

In the course of researching some historical background for an English Lit paper, I ran across two of Braudel's books -- this was one of them.

It was so fascinating that I read the entire book (even though what I needed for the paper was a few pages); and then I went ahead and bought my own copy, plus others by this author.

The Copacabana flooded me with memories of one of my first dates with my then future husband. It was a big deal because we didn't go into New York very much, so it was a special occasion. Kristin Baggelaar's book evokes these special times in our lives. These are wonderful memories of a bygone era filled with elegance, romance, and high-living. It is an easy book to pick up, browse through, and look back on the different times in our lives.

Other books have been written about the famous Copacabana nightclub, but none have captured the feeling of that era the way Kristin Baggelaar has - every page is a joy.

Edna Ryan, former Copa Girl

The Copacabana personified the nightclub era of 1944 to 1953 in the country. Kristin Baggelaar's nostalgic book captures those days of mega stars and their acts in 126 pages of page-turning comments and photographs.
- Former Copa Girl Wendy Bartlett

book is great, it shows and tells of all the happenings at the wonderful
nightclub on 60th st. in manhattan for so many years. It brought back
wonderful memories. I wish it was still there.

The Copacabana captures the essence of entertainment, particularly the1950's, during which time my parents and relatives in the Midwest savored the music and comedy of these young emerging stars. Though they never attended the performances at the Club, they were well aware of the biggest names in show biz through radio and newly emerging television.

Performers like Jerry Lewis, Dean Martin, Jimmy Durante, Eddie Fischer, Frank Sinatra, Julius La Rosa, Red Buttons, Tony Benett, Sammy Davis Jr. Johnny Raye, Milton Berle, Mel Torme, Sid Caesar, Xavier Cugat, and Joe E. Lewis among many others entertained our families and captured our attention while we were gathered around the television at my grandmother's house. My parents and grandparents owned most of their albums.

Kristin Baggelaar makes all of these stars come to life in her book, which celebrates this famous Manhattan Night Club. Her interviews create an intimacy with the characters as if she knew them all personally. In a few words she cites their place in history and highlights their accomplishments and personality. Billy Eckstine was a "robust" baritone, "big hearted" Jimmy Durante was a "perennially crowd pleaser," and Tony Bennett "grew as a performer" at the Copacabana.

Her writing is lively, historic, fast moving and makes all of us who have read this book wish we were indeed a part of the glamour and sophistication of this era of American history.

Jean E. Baldikoski

I'm the mom of two boys (13 and 10) who usually hate to read. The only books they have devoured are Harry Potter and the Stinky Boys Club series! And the Stinky Boys Club books are amazing because I think four year olds would like them, too. My kids cannot get enough, and even FIGHT over who gets to read them in the car. My 13 year old thinks they are hilarious (he writes his own humor); my ten year old loves to read about burps and farts. These authors know kids!

Our son, age 8, is addicted to the Stinky Boys Club! He cant get enough. He re-reads each of these books...which is a huge achievement for a boy who didnt want to read. He will even sit down and read to his little sister! He loves all of the gross and cool things the stinky boys do (who wouldnt love a throw-up recipe?). Sam and MJ are so good at coming up with pranks, kids of all ages will laugh.

I am a parent of two children who loved this book. It was very fun and funny to read... and even funnier when my kids read it to me. The character descriptions are particularly cool and interesting, we loved all the characters. A really good start to what I hope is a nice, long series. I look forward to more.

One of my friends recommended The Stinky Boys Club because her two kids loved it. So I read them to my 7 and 9 year old boys and they thought the Stinky Boys were the best! They loved the characters and to hear Mom say 'poop' and 'fart', oh they thought that was the highlight. The nicest thing I can say about The Stinky Boys Club is after I was done reading, I noticed both my boys picking them back up and reading the books on their own, what more could a parent hope for! I think the stories are great fun and I highly recommend them for young readers.

I have a six year old boy and a ten year old girl. My daughter loved the full page illustrations with desriptions of kids at the school. My son was interested in the throw up recipe, but really loved being able to read the word FART. Fun reading for all.

I am a female new to the business. I was very nervous to enter the health club industry. The dialog in this book has helped me avoid the drilling of endless questions from customers that I had worried about. Not only did I sell 3 memberships my first week, with the dialog in this book, but I searched the internet for more info on Ron Thatcher and found his workbook! They both have been extremely helpful. I am signed up for one of his upcoming sales seminars!!

I just read fitness, memberships, and money and it is an income producing system that was created to help sales people in the health club industry improve their ability to recruit and enroll new clients. This book was written in a basic form and I learned a lot from it!
I am not a sales person I am a personal trainer and I was looking for a book that could help me implement a fitness program or train a client. Many books may cover the latest and newest when it comes to exercise. These books are great for impressing my clients but when it comes time to make a living, I am looking for a book that gives it to you straight. One that teaches real techniques used by the best closers and producers in the "personal training industry." I was than told about a new book that had all the things this book was missing! "Selling Personal Training" by Ron Thatcher is the book for any serious small club operator or career personal trainer the techniques will lead you down the path of success. I bought the new book at Trafford.com and it covered things that were missing like how to do P.T. Re-signs , How to Work the Floor, The Wall of Fame, The Closeout, Selling Supplementation, Interacting With the Staff ,Giving a Free Gift with Purchase, Confirming Appointments and Cancellations my small personal training studio is booming because of "Selling Personal Training!"

I've been in the business for over 14 years. I've been operating 2 personal training studios for the last several years. I'm now moving back to the club management side of the business again and was looking for a refresher on sales, prospecting etc. The book was well done, but very old school. Lots of cheeesy closing lines, scripts, etc. Lots of the techniques are outdated in the new era of club sales. Pretty "used-carsalesman" like. However, good stuff on forms, tracking, setting up personal planners etc. Don't get me wrong, this is a good book if you're a young buck just getting into club sales... just skip over the closing sections and you'll be ok. If you want a VERY current, highly informative book on working in a club... get "Making Money in the Fitness Business" by Thomas Plummer. That one is 5-stars!

I owne a small ladys only club in las vegas. I was looking for a way to improve my selling ability. this book was my first step to a thriving sales department. I use it on a daily basis to keep my new members coming in! first I used fitness memberships and money then with all my success I bought selling personal training what a great way to make your business grow!!!

erin brown

I learned more about fitness sales while working with Ron for 6 months than my other 10 years in the business combined!!! Ron's system is simple to apply and it works!!! If you want to immediatly increase your sales, buy this book!!!
Chad McCleary - Riviera Country Club and Sport Center

squirt,jessi,becca,and aunt Ceclia are all involved in a car crash. Squirt gets hurt and jessi predicts it will be the worst Kwanzaa and Christmas ever. Buy the book if your into drama and love towards your family.

It's the Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa time, (AGAIN,) for the BSC and Jessi decides to educate the BSC's sitting charges about Kwanzaa by putting on a play based on the old African legend Malindy Meets the Devil, (or something like that.) But then tragedy strikes. While Jessi is riding in the car with her Aunt, younger sister Becca and her baby brother Sqwirt, they get involved in a car crash, resulting in young Sqwirts head injury. Jessi starts to think that her Holidays are ruined, but are they?

In Happy Holidays Jessi, Jessi wants to have the kids in the neighborhood celebrate Kwanzaa. But then when Jessi, her sister, Aunt Cecelia, and Squirt get in a car accident, Squirt gets hurt. Will the Kwanzaa celebration happen? Or is it history?

Jessi is filled with holiday excitement. She loves Christmas, and she can't wait for Kwanzaa, when her whole family- including out-of-town relatives-will celebrate together.
But then a terrible accident occurs. Squirt hurst his head in a car crash and is rushed to the hospital.
Everyone is relieved to find out that Squirt will be okay. But meanwhile, the stress of the accident has taken it's toll on the family.
If holidays are supposed to be being together, then why is Jessi's family being pulled far apart?

I really liked this installment. Jessi, the narrator describes Kwanzaa, the African holiday and the history and traditions about Kwanzaa.

Jessi's redoubtable Aunt Cecilia is just as overly punitive as ever, until her father intervenes and reminds her that as long as she is living in HIS house, she will have to abide by HIS rules and not try to enforce her own. He defends his children and reminds his sister yet again that Jessi and her 8-year-old sister are still children and to cut them some slack. Chastened, the girls' aunt vows to do an about face and once again takes them Christmas shopping. Instead of chewing them out for being hungry or clowing around, the aunt bites her tongue. The only thing I had trouble with was her allowing the girls' baby brother to ride outside of his car seat when he becomes restless and fussy.

Unfortunately, they are involved in an accident and Squirt (John, Jr.) has to be hospitalized. Distraught over the baby's injuries, the parents chew the aunt out for her sheer irresponsibility (why would any ADULT allow a baby to ride in a car without being properly harnessed)? The Kwanzaa gatherings with other members of Jessi's family are strained and everybody is up in arms over the harm done to poor Squirt.

The subplot is excellent. Ann Martin has a real gift for creating dialog and scenes. The other members of the BSC plan a Kwanzaa skit and the BSCers and charges alike all get into the spirit of Kwanzaa and actually learn a few things. I laughed at the hilarious story of Malindy's Soul, the story the group put on. It was a delightful farce and really quite well woven into the story.

Fortunately, Squirt recovers and everybody has a wonderful holiday. Instead of Santa, everybody follows the Kwanzaa celebration. This book is really good.

I coulden't figure it out! I diden't think one of the nisest people there could have stolen the money. If you like a horsey mystery this book is it! I agree, there should be a TV show or something like that. ~Rachel~

I could not put it down, and had it read in two days! I've always enjoyed the Saddle club books, but the lasted ones have been really good.

My name is Shannon and I got this book today and have already finished. I think its a realy good book although it didn't realy make it sound good on the back. But once again its all stuck up Veronicas fault, although she may not be the culprit. The clue Stevie foundgives it away if you think about it but it is pretty tricky. From Shannon Horse Crazy and Saddle Club Crazy. PS I think there should be a Saddle Club movie or Tv series it would be a big hit, because the saddle club is ten times better than "Pony Pals" yuk.

I have almost all of the saddle club books and this is one of the best! It all started when there was a pony club rally including all local pony clubs, that means Stevie's boyfriend Phil will be there too. Then $500 goes missing Veronica says she saw Phil hanging around the office where the money was. Can the saddle club prove Phil's innocent? ~Sarah~

If you are into mystery's this book is definitely for you! The first day I got it I couldn't put it down. I think this one is one of Bonnie Byrant best book ever. I loved the Saddle Club series the first day I got them. This book kept you thinking the whole time. I definitely think this book is a have to read.

This is an extremely realistic thriller for the post-Enron age. It forces the reader to look past the headlines of corporate scandals, where villains and victims are not so obvious. Should be required reading for any business professional. It's easy to get lost in the masterful character development and fascinating plot twists. Reman makes complex concepts very readable and wonderfully intertwines the personal lives of the characters with the main plot. A true page-turner. Hard to believe that this is Reman's first book!

This is a well-constructed story about white collar crime. The narrative revolves around four friends who started together at a major accounting firm and are still close friends 24 years later. The story is dramatic, it looks at how perceptions can vary from the inside and the outside of a corporate scandal, and it shows how good people can get caught up a scandal through no fault of their own.

This is a good story for any reader, but I would especially recommend it for accounting or business students because it provides another perspective on some of the topics that can be pretty dry in the academic setting. It also puts a human face on the issue of white collar crime.

Superb thriller covering white collar crime & friendships. The Iron Horse Club: Fast paced; Brilliantly developed main characters that were respectable, likable and had friendships one could only envy; Technically intriguing, while clear; completely unpredictable; interestingly real; very believable; a real page-turner; a fantastic ending!

Reman has done for accounting and finance what Grisham did for the legal profession. This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller complete with power hungry government lawyers, spineless corporate executives, self-serving Big 4 accounting partners and an honest man caught in the middle. Solid character development and a plot that moves at break-neck speed make this book hard to put down. What happened to Kavi could happen to any one of us.

So it starts out something like the beginning of a bad joke, "two tax accountants, a CFO, and an auditor walk into a bar...", then still skeptical as to where it would go, I wandered into what I thought would be a novel full of boring cliches about business ethics and the story of a Company not called Enron (but where you figured they were talking about Enron).

Fortunately, this is not a novel about boring cliches and a rehash of Enron. There are more than a few startling plot twists, that really keep you on the edge. I agree with the other reviewers, reading this book really puts a face to certain players in the modern business scandal turning regular notions about who is the good guy and who is the bad guy upside down. It provokes you to think about how you would react given the situation. Highly recommended not-too-heavy reading (from an auditor who would normally not want to spend his evenings off reading about four accountants who walk into a bar)!

Yes I did like this book because it's by one of my favorite authors and I have almost read every single book in the series.
The book was about this girl called Jessi who has just moved into a new neighborhood. Jessi Jessi has this really great group of friends called the Baby Sitters Club. Jessi gets a sitting job for this deaf boy called Matt. Matt uses sign language instead of lip reading. Jessi is going to be in a ballet show called Coppelia and Matt's mom has been making arrangements so that the 8 kids in Matt's class can go see Coppelia. They have arranged for Haley to be the narrator and for Matt and Haley's mom to stand up on the stage and sign everything that Haley says so that Matt isn't left out. After the show Jessi finds out that Adle came to watch the show. Jessi's cousin Keshia is from Okley, New Jersey came to see Jessi be Swandelia. To celebrate the show being a success everybody who knows Jessi went to a restraunt to have ice cream.
Anybody will like this book.

this book shows jessi to be a passionate, caring and even talented protagonist/narrator of the story. She is very much into ballet and recently joined the babysitters club, so when she babysits for a deaf 7 year old boy who communicates in sign language, she befriends him and is interested in learning it and does so and also teaches it to the neighborhood kids and help matt make friends that way who were very understanding of his situation. Also, jessi had a great awareness of how the deaf and disabled are marginalized by society for their disability and invited a bunch of deaf kids to a ballet she is dancing in and got a translator to do sign language onstage to show what the plot of the story is like as they watch the beautiful dancing, and in turn empowers them and gives them the message that just cause they can't hear music doesn't mean they cannot appreciate the arts. Also because jessi experienced racism from neighbors after moving to stoneybrook from new jersey, she could probably relate to the pain of being marganlized. Great start for jessi I love this book!

i'm taking ASL in school and i was looking on my books shelf and found this book and i decided to re-read it. its really good. the only thing that bugs me is that on the cover jessie is using see sign when the book said it was ASL. it doesn't matter to much though. it is a really good book and shows how people who may seem diffrent at first glance can have a lot ion common with you. i hope you enjoy it.

A very touching and realistic story. It features a young boy named Matt who was born deaf and this family, the Braddocks, move into Stoneybrook. Putting Jessi as the main character in this Babysitter Club book is very interesting because the deaf cannot hear music and therefore, none of them had exactly went to watch a musical or a ballet concert. Jessi's a ballerina and she feels especially sympathetic towards the deaf in that very aspect.
This story touches on the sensitive areas of a deaf person's life, about being ridiculed by others, looked down and thought of as weird. However, the babysitters were intrigued by Sign Language and the other kids int he neighbourhood begin to slowly accept Matt and were fascinated with sign language.
We also find out more about the deaf in this book, we learn some sign language, we learn that it is crucial that the deaf are kept well away from busy roads as they cannot hear cars approaching. We also find out how some families are being inconsiderate in not bothering to take up sign language to communicate with their deaf family member and instead, expect him/her to lip-read instead. Lip reading is extremely difficult.
The story has a happy ending and reveals what Jessi does to make the children in the school for the deaf happy. A must-read.

When Jessi baby sits for Matt Braddock, Matt is a special child. So Jessi teaches him a sign language.