LS #63, Karen's Movie

This book makes me hungry. At the beginning, Karen has breakfast, which includes Krispy Krunchy cereal (this is the made up brand that she always eats), blueberries, milk, juice, and a basket of tiny rolls. I'd eat that (minus the milk). Fresh blueberries are awesome. Then Karen and Andrew go out and play with some neighbor kids. The neighbor kids in Mommy's neighborhood are Nancy Dawes, Bobby and Alicia Gianelli, and Kathryn and Willie Barnes.Kathryn and Willie are in several of the Little Sister books. They have no defining characteristics. They are basically just filler for crowd scenes.

Sorry, where was I? Oh right, food. At dinner that night, they have watermelon, which is the second best summer fruit. (Cherries are the best.) Karen drips juice all over, and then she arranges the seeds on her plate to form a picture, but I like watermelon enough to not be grossed out by that. As they are finishing up dinner the phone rings. It is Seth's mother, calling to tell him that his father has had a heart attack and will need surgery. Seth immediately makes arrangements to fly to Nebraska in two days. Three weeks after that, Mommy, Karen, and Andrew will fly to Nebraska and visit and the whole family will come home together. Karen is very concerned about Grandad's heart attack.

She suggests that they can make get well cards for Grandad. Mommy thinks this is a good idea, and everyone makes a card. Note the bowl of scribbles on the counter behind them. I told you this book makes me hungry. Also, enlarge this picture and look at the scissors. Then imagine how you would have to contort your hand to cut anything at all with the scissors as they are shown. Karen's card with the cut-out heart looks a lot more impressive now, doesn't it?

The next morning, Seth announces that he has decided to buy a TV and VCR for his parents as a get well gift for his father. They do not have TV on their farm. Karen's a little worried because Granny had told her that television sets are a waste of money, but Seth thinks Grandad will like having the TV when he is in bed after the surgery. They still won't have cable or get any broadcast channels though, hence the VCR.

Kristy babysits Karen and Andrew while Mommy takes Seth to the airport. She helps them make a big pitcher of fresh lemonade. I hate lemonade, but I like the idea of making it fresh. I just never do it because I wouldn't want to drink it. Then Karen says she wants to give Grandad a present. Kristy helps her brainstorm, and Karen decides to ask to use Daddy's video camera. She will make Grandad a movie to watch on his shiny new VCR. Hannie and Nancy come over and help Karen write the script. Daddy says she can use the video camera and Sam promises to help with the editing. Because that is something Sam has ever shown an interest in before or since.

The next day, Karen gathers the neighbor kids plus Hannie and assigns them all parts in her movie. Then on another day she makes them all make their own costumes. I am sure that all of the costumes looked just as good as Nancy's on the cover, considering that they were made out of paper bags and old pillowcases. Karen has acquired a clapboard from somewhere. Maybe Sam had it, because he's into video editing.

Karen manages to force all the kids to rehearse for two days and shoot on another two. I don't know how she manages this. Again, this is the sort of thing I always tried to get the neighborhood kids to do when I was a kid, and nobody would show up for the second rehearsal, except my sister and brother and only because I made them.

Karen is really bossy (surprised face) and all the other kids quit, but she thinks there's enough film to make the movie. She and Sam watch it together and she tells him which takes to use and in which order. He is going to use the video editing equipment at the high school, but they are having a summer workshop so he will have to wait his turn. Also Sam asks her if he should leave in all the bits with Karen yelling at people. Karen doesn't think this is very funny, but she doesn't know how to edit movies so she can't fire Sam over it.

Soon, it's time for Karen, Andrew, and Mommy to travel to Nebraska. Andrew's never been to Granny and Grandad's farm before, so Karen tells him all about it. Somewhere in between making the get well cards for Grandad and getting on the plane, Mommy got way prettier. It's like magic. Seth meets them at the airport and they ride back to the farm in Granny and Grandad's rusty green and white pickup truck. Karen shows Andrew around but it's not as fun for her as it was the last time she was there, because Grandad isn't there to do things like give them rides on the tractor. They go visit Karen's friend Tia (defining characteristics: has short hair, wears overalls) and feed the chickens.

Finally Grandad is allowed to come home from the hospital. They have a small welcoming party for him and Seth presents him with the TV and VCR. The book makes me totally hungry again:

All the food was spread out in the kitchen. There was roast chicken, corn on the cob, cooked zucchini with onions and snow peas, and a gigundoly beautiful salad. (Guess who made it.) We could put anything we wanted on our plates.

They also have blueberry pie which Tia's mother has made for the family. Then Karen and Andrew watch the movie with Grandad. He says the movie must have taken a lot of cooperation, which is the sort of thing you say when you hated the movie and want to say something kind to a small child. Karen starts to feel guilty because she was so bossy, and the movie was not a cooperative work at all.

I love the framed artwork on the wall, particularly the duck. I also like Karen's sailor dress.

When they get back to Stoneybrook, Karen gets permission from Mommy to have a viewing party of the movie at her house. Seth makes brownies for the party, and there is punch to drink and popcorn to eat during the movie. Karen gives a little speech about how she is grateful for all of her friends' help, and gives everyone a souvenir movie poster (hand drawn by herself.) All of her friends decide not to be mad at her anymore. (All of Karen's friends are mad at her but she has a party to make it up to them is kind of a running joke between me and my sister in regards to the Little Sister series. I added a tag for it.)