Part of The Baby-Sitters Club, book 64
First published 1993
Dawn Schafer eagerly awaits her younger brother Jeff's arrival from California. She believes Jeff will adapt perfectly to their blended household with the Spiers. Jeff struggles in Connecticut from the moment he arrives. His former friends have transformed during his absence, leaving him feeling isolated. Richard Spier, Mary Anne's father and Dawn's stepfather, makes excessive efforts to bond with Jeff, which only increases the boy's discomfort. Dawn pins her hopes on a family vacation to Boston, convinced the trip will unite everyone and solve their problems. The Boston excursion backfires spectacularly. The Schafers and Spiers stop communicating entirely, creating a household divided by silence and resentment. Dawn watches her carefully constructed vision of family harmony crumble. The tension escalates to the point where divorce becomes a real possibility for her mother and stepfather. Dawn must confront the reality that blending families requires more than good intentions and wishful thinking.
Genres: fiction, contemporary, young-adult, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: California, Connecticut, Boston
Period: 20th-century
145 pages · Paperback · Apple