Class Trip Calamity

This book was one of the most realistic ones in the entire series. When the 7th graders at Wacko Jr. High find out they will be the reigning class next year (as Wacko is becoming a middle school) it's party time! But Jana Morgan soon finds out the downside of the whole thing when a lot of the kids in her class start acting like big deals and planning on showing their "maturity" by taking liquor in thermoses on their class trip to Ellis Island. When Jana, the rest of the Fab Five and some of their other friends decide not to drink, they are ridiculed as 'babies'. (how true!) Meanwhile, Jana is also becoming a bit worried when she sees her worst enemy (Laura McCall) hanging around her boyfriend, Randy Kirwan, a lot. Is something really going on between them, or is she being paranoid again? Plus, Jana is also upset that she hasn't heard from her father lately- is her new stepmom hiding Jana's letters from her dad? And what's up with Beth? This is a great book, and I know you'll like it!

Jana is really upset when most of her class gets all caught up in being the upperclassman the next year and start doing things (like planning to take booze on a field trip) that Jana and her friends don't think are right. I thought the storyline was really interesting and that it was a lot more realistic then some of the other books in the Fab Five series. Also, it was so exciting that she got a letter from her dad! All through the series, I've been hoping things would get resolved between her and her dad, and this is a start. I really really wish Betsy Haynes would write another series about the girls in 8th grade or highschool- there is so much more that can happen! Why are these good books out of print? Also, I thought it was good that Laura got some come-uppance in this book. She always does nasty things and gets away with it, but here she learned a lesson. Though you do feel a little bad for her. I hope you can find this book and read it some day. GO BACK IN PRINT!

This book had a much more serious plot then the other 30 some in the series. At a party celebrating the news that the coming school year the soon-to-be-8th graders will be the upperclassman, some of the boys talk the girl throwing the party into serving everyone a champagne toast to celebrate. Jana doesn't think it's a good idea, but everyone else is for it- after all, what can one little sip do? But things get out of hand at the next weeks class trip when some of the 7th graders smuggle in booze in their thermoses. Jana and her friends keep out of it and try to stop the others, but it doesn't work. Dont' worry, no one gets super drunk or anything like that, but it is a more realistic story-line, even though I'm not sure 7th graders have trouble with drinking. I thought it was very realistic on how Jana felt on the subject. This was really good.