Karen's Goldfish

Baby-Sitters Little Sister #16

by Ann M. Martin

Deeply attached to her new goldfish, Karen goes into mourning when it dies, and she is unable to come out of this state until her strange neighbor does something to make her feel better

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Fiction, Juvenile, Realistic Fiction

112 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

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

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still love the writing style of these books-- short chapters, conversational tone, relatable characters-- its great for the age and stage we're at. However, Karen is very dramatic and kind of bratty. In this one she and her little brother get goldfish to have at her dad's house and hers dies pretty quick. She has a funeral for it, etc. and is VERY dramatic. She's really mean to her step brother who was supposed to be taking care of it (and did take care of it) and she never really apologized. Lesson missed!

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Karen losing her goldfish so quickly. And poor David Michael for being unfairly blamed for Crystal Light's death! As Mrs Porter says, fish are tricky pets.

Also maybe it changed in later books, but I could've sworn Karen's rat Emily Junior and Andrew's crab Bob go with them between houses. I guess not yet here? Or maybe only when they start spending full months in the big house?

As it is, TBH, I dunno about Watson and Elizabeth agreeing to give Karen and Andrew big house pets when they're only there every other weekend. That's totally unfair for David Michael who has to care for them most of the time.

[Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was younger, I didn’t see the big deal in losing a fish cause we lost some too, but Karen reacted in such a sad way, and blamed her stepbrother. She even had a funeral for it and painted a little box for it to be buried in. At the end, her neighbour tells her to choose a fish from her little pond and she saw one just like the one she lost. I now see this as an important lesson for kids who grieve or have lost a beloved pet

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Karen was so dramatic and bratty in this book. I felt bad for David Michael because of how Karen treated him (accusing him of killing her goldfish). I liked that Karen wore the same black velvet outfit every day because she was in mourning, complete with a black velvet hat with a veil covering her forehead and eyes. She needs to add more black to her wardrobe, apparently.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The divorced family dynamic is interesting to me. Karen is very firm that she lives in both houses even though she’s actually only at her dad’s place for 5 or so days a month. So David Michael is doing the lion’s share of work for those goldfish.

And her brother is only four so that was a really fast turnaround for both her parents, given that both are very solidly remarried and happy about it.

[Keshia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Cute, easy read. Read this one for an old reading challenge I’m trying to complete. Prompt: read a book you loved as a kid. ✅

[Looney · Rating 1 out of 5]

0/5

[Ari · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was sad when the goldfish died after one week. I enjoy the character Karen in this series.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crystal Light, we barely knew thee.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

RIP, Crystal Light. We hardly knew ye.

[A_Chirping_Aquarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun good book for sure

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh Karen. She is always so dramatic. This was a good story about the responsibilities that come with owning a pet, even as small as a goldfish.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

10/16/09 I LOVED the "Karen books" when I was a kid. (Imagine that!) I loved her blonde hair, blue eyes and freckles. I must've been very intrigued with the whole social aspect of her life. This particular story was a good one, but like the rest of the "Karen books" they follow the thinkings of an elementary aged girl. Very frustrating from my perspective as an adult. I would do things differently with that girl! But intriguing from the perspective of a youth. Annabelle is a little young still to follow all that happened and all that was implied by the "fish-killer!" or the "my husband" comments and the like. Nevertheless, she enjoyed listening to it today.

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this was a good book i could relate to it easily because my dog passed then we got a new one.One of my friends say i choice wierd books to read,i read books with fish and chocolate and school and diary's but they are all GREAT books!And i also did a project on this book to!Hope you read it!

[Sayo -bibliotequeish- · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you were too old for childrens books, but too young for The Baby Sitters Club.
Ann M. Martin really is a genius to piggy back on the success of The Baby Sitters Club.

After reading the little sisters series I remember feeling like a real adult opening up that first BSC book.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

In which Karen's goldfish takes that journey to the great toilet bowl in the sky.

[Melenia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved these books as a child

[Hannah S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a sad book,but I liked it.

[Alex Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book.

[Deborah Harris]

AR Quiz No. 9414 EN Fiction
Accelerated Reader Quiz Information IL: MG - BL: 3.0 - AR Pts: 1.0
Accelerated Reader Quiz Type Information AR Quiz Types: RP

[Mellanie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Karen was so mean to David Michael in this one!

[Jackie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

What young girl did not love the Baby-Sitters Club and Karen, the Baby-Sitters Little Sister?