Karen's Ski Trip

Baby-Sitters Little Sister #58

by Ann M. Martin

Karen enjoys a fun-filled, action-packed trip to the ski slopes where she makes friends, overcomes her fear, and learns how to ski.

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Juvenile

97 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1995

About the author

Ann Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.

Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.

Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.

Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.

After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...

Reviews

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that the book showed something Karen wasn't good at, and even though she conquered her fear, she still didn't get better at skiing by the end. I like how the story explored how not being able to pick up skiing right away bothered the otherwise fairly athletic Karen to the point that she was scared to do it, and how she had to get over her fear for Andrew's sake.

I was also thrilled for Andrew that he picked it up so quickly and was such a superstar at the resort! Go Andrew! I only wish he hadn't gotten injured and missed his chance to compete in the skiing competition. I would have liked him to win.

Also, Karen having a crush on a boy and wanting to go on a date with him to the ski resort dance seemed a bit random? It was set up well in the story, but isn't seven a bit young to have crushes? Then again, she did have a crush on Bart Taylor in another book, so I guess that tracks.

[Em's Adventures · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series makes me laugh. I like how realistic it is showing the way children behave and think when so many books I have read they are like sensible little adults when in reality any children are a bit bratty from time to time, I know I was!
But at the same time it is wildly unrealistic because Karen has so many Christmases, Summer and winter holidays without aging past the age of seven 😂 I remember the first time I read the whole series and realised this then I started counting how old Karen should actually be. She is always in the same class with the same teacher and her poor brother is stuck being four at preschool forever.
I liked this one because for once Karen didn't win any competitions and she wasn't good at skiing which made her feel more real then all the dozens of times she won things and was instantly good at something.

[Kristin Aamodt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes it’s hard to get kids interested in new books, but I have really tried to encourage this series with my second grade daughter because I loved them so much when I was young and I know how fun they are! She really loved reading this one with me. We both could’ve done without the little love interest situation. I don’t really think it’s reasonable for Karen, as a seven year-old, to have a crush. I surely didn’t when I was that age. That kind of thing happens though, including at daughter’s school so it’s something that we talk about — being friends with all kinds of kids and not needing boyfriends and girlfriends when we’re this young. Anyways, another great book in the series!

[Looney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

[Champs Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too childish for me.
Though that's the point. It does a good job of portraying a seven year old in a realistic way.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate that Andrew didn't get his chance to shine!

[Quinlee Krukiewicz]

This book is about a 7 year old lasagna loving little girl who gos on many adventures and lives with her stepmother and 10 other family members including her and her little brother andrew. Together the family decided to go on a vacation to a skiing resort and they are stay in in ahouse next to the lodge in stesad of a hotel. The morning after they arived they ate alot of yummy food for beakefest at the lodge. When they finshed eating all of there beaskefest they headed to the ski shoop to get there skis on and then they had to go wate in a line to get there skis fited and tighend to just the spot. After they got there skis fited and tighrned the sighned up for there corect class and then they headed to the ski lift to where there was to correct sized slope and gaurds on the side of the slope so you don’t slide off you slop on to another slope trak. While Andrew and Karen started to learn to ski karen was having a hard time and when the skiing instructer to everyone to go down the slop every one had the hole skining thing down and looked good at it except for karen. She fell off her skis and crashed in to a snow bank lucly she didnt get hert or any thing.
I loved this book it is funnie, interesting,and just a greate book to read. It is also a verry entertaining book there so good you’ll want to read the other60 books trust me these Baby-sitters books are realy good books.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good story I remember reading it when i was in fourth grade. It was one of my favorites at the time.

[Deborah Harris]

AR Quiz No. 19258 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: MG - BL: 3.1 - AR Pts: 1.0
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP

[Mellanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13118818