Attention seeking and selfish parents are at the heart of the latest Baby-Sitters Little Sister graphic novel release,
Karen's Surprise. Thanksgiving is almost here and Karen's parents, her mum and stepfather in the Little House, and her father and stepmother in the Big House, aren't giving in an inch. Both want Karen and her little brother Andrew to attend their Thanksgiving dinners. Meanwhile, Karen's class at school is putting on a Thanksgiving play. The parts in the play are drawn by pulling a name out of a hat and Karen finds it incredibly unfair when her biggest enemy Pamela gets to play the lead, while Karen has a small role as a turkey. And while Karen is able to use creativity and logic to give herself and the other kids a bigger and more important part in the play, things soon go awry when she decides to steal the show. Meanwhile, things on the home front go bad, with Karen and Andrew missing out on a lot of fun and making themselves sick as they are forced to eat two Thanksgiving dinners with both families.
This was a fun read. As always, Karen is delightfully over the top as she comes up with various solutions on how she can be the star of the school play and how she can one up Pamela. The novel also highlights the unique problems experienced by kids like Karen and Andrew who live between two households, and how conflict between parents can lead to problems for their children. Children will probably enjoy the lesson of how parents can make mistakes, while Karen's part in the play leads to some humorous moments.
Recommended.
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