I avoid conflict, or Pony Pals Super Special #5: Pony Problem

I still don't get why Super Specials are so much specialer than the other books. The author runs out of plot after about 70 pages, and this book is 115 pages long.



Plot: Anna wakes up one morning to find Acorn missing - and Snow White hurt! It appears the ponies had a fight, resulting in Acorn's disappearance. They find him at Pam's house, but after that, the two ponies cannot seem to get along! Neither can their owners, for that matter; they both blame each other.
Pam, as you know, can "communicate" with animals, and uses this unique ability to find out what went wrong between the two pony friends. It turns out Acorn is a bit jealous of his friend Snow White, who is receiving lots of attention due to her new barrel racing tricks. Acorn feels a bit left out.
In turn, Snow White is too tired to play with her pony friend and wonders why he is being so "mean" to her.
Pam reveals this to her Pony Pals. They make up and spend the rest of the book planning for the Winter Fest, which goes amazingly well, and everyone is happy.

More notes:
Lulu writes a crappy poem:
Snow White in the moonlight
On a snowy night.
Everything is all right.

Anna thinks Acorn was stolen. After all, he starred in an ABC Family movie, and was in the circus once. Oh, and he played The Magic Pony in that play at the library.

She and Lulu go out looking for Acorn at 7:00 AM without telling their parents! How is it that they NEVER get in trouble??? I can't believe their parents are FINE with this.

Now they're sure someone stole Acorn because there are TRACKS in the PADDOCK! Hello, you guys go into the paddock ALL THE TIME.

Tommy's middle name should be "Trouble". How clever. :P

No duh, it was Anna's footprint.

There's a scene with Pam in the barn with Fat Cat. Fat Cat is depressed because someone put toilet paper in her bed, so now she can't sleep. I swear, if that's not foreshadowing, I don't know what is.

Lulu: Snow White has blood on her neck. Come, look.
Anna: She must have cut herself.
Snow White!!! Didn't I tell you to stay away from those razorblades!!!???

"She was a sweet gray Welsh two-year-old."
If you're talking about a pony (which they are), you wouldn't say it like that. It would be more like, "She was a sweet two-year-old gray Welsh pony," or something.

Agh, it's a misunderstanding. Lulu and Anna are convinced the other is mad at them. Spare me.

"Anna frowned. She hated it when Pam wasn't on her side."
And Pam sort of owes her, too, after the whole abused Cloud thing.

Ugh, Lulu's getting annoying. You know how she gets when she's worried about Snow White, right? THAT'S WHAT SHE'S DOING! "Oh no, it's been 5 minutes! I have to go check on Snow White!"

Anna: How do you know what she's thinking? She's probably thinking, "I wish I had bit Acorn harder."
LOL!!

Anna just feels like being mean. I hear you.

Pam thinks Charlie is bossy.
*cough cough* HYPOCRITE! *cough cough*

Whoa what happened to Charlie and Anna? I thought they were a couple!! I guess not. Charlie's obsessed with Lulu now, and totally ignores Anna when she shows him her drawings.

Wth?? What the heck is skijoring??

"Pam hated it when Charlie acted like he knew more about ponies than she did."
This is payback for all the times you made someone feel stupid because you had to know everything about ponies, Pam.

Omg, that's so awful! "Acorn is happy because Snow WHite isn't here, thought Anna. Snow White might have to move to Pam's. That's okay. The Crandals have plenty of room for another pony."
Whoa. Anna is way evil sometimes.

They're eating spaghetti.
For dinner.
AGAIN.

"What are you doing to Snow White?"
That sounds dirty....

Lulu is a way annoying.

Acorn is jealous. Why isn't Charlie paying attention to him? Why is Snow White learning new tricks? Why won't Snow White play with him?
Acorn needs therapy.

WHOA!
"'You'd be a good snowboarder, Pony Pest,' said Tommy. 'You got good balance."

Pam writes about a time when her mom's horse JB started eating wood, and he told her that he missed his goat friend Queenie.
Queenie? Wasn't that the name of the sheep in #12?

Whoa. Acorn's side of the story is my life.

Remind Acorn that he is special and everything will be all right.

Mwahaha. Anna thinks Snow White should move out. Because it's her backyard, and Snow White doesn't belong there.

Pam: I think Acorn and Snow White are still fighting because you are still fighting. Animals pick up on how people feel.
Lulu: But we're fighting because our ponies are fighting.
Pam: It's a vicious circle.
Lol. A vicious circle. It's a vicious "cycle", Pam.

The exterminator joke is getting old, Tommy.

Charlie sits next to Lulu...and Mike sits next to Anna. :O He's bisexual?
Ha ha, Pam has no one.

Charlie: What's wrong with those guys? Sometimes they're okay and sometimes they're sort of dumb.
Tee hee. Just like the Pony Pals!!

Charlie is starting to sound less like a cowboy and more like a Brit.
"I have an idea! It's positively brilliant!!"

Ha. Lulu got suckered into barrel racing.

Aagh.
Mr. Olson: Mr. Charlie can make you his special Mexican burritos.
What other kind of burritos would they be eating? French burritos?
Charlie: They're muy delicioso.
Someone's been watching Dora the Explorer recently!

The Pony Pals make a pony scrapbook.
"Mr. Olson came in to get a drink. The stories were so interesting he stayed to listen."
Oh, I highly doubt that.

All of these stories are basically about how amazing Snow White is. "I used to have no friends. Then I met Snow White." "We had a costume parade. Snow White went first because she's so beautiful." "I fell in a hole, but got out all right, because I'm snow White!"

I think one of the stories is from Super Special #4...WHICH I HAVEN'T READ YET!

I don't remember this lamb business. They say they rescued a baby lamb. When was this?

Pwned. They attack Charlie and snowball him. Literally. Lol.

Oh no! If Winter Fest is cancelled, what will Anna's mother do with all the brownies she baked?
Give them to the fatty Pony Pals, of course!

Apparently Tommy is a pro snowboarder.
Anna: At least he can do something right.
Noyce.

BFFs!! I swear, this is like the Bratz movie.

Love means never having to say you're sorry, or FTFO Madison Finn #11: Heart to Heart

AAAAAAAAGH! This one is SOOO SAD. It's mostly about 7th grade relationships and unrequited love. Seriously, it's the saddest thing in the world. I started crying in some spots, it's really sad.



Plot: Valentine's Day is coming up, and Far Hills Junior High is holding Valentine-themed dance! All the girls are freaking out.
Madison is excited, too, but feels left out. Her keypal Bigwheels just got a new boyfriend. Phin is in love with a golden retriever who just moved in down the street. Fiona and Egg are going out now, and there's a rumor that Hart and Ivy are more than "just good friends".
One day, Madison gets an e-mail from someone called Orange Crush...who appears to have a crush on her.
NO WAY!!!
Orange Crush starts stuffing love notes in her locker and sending her chocolate roses through the mail. He even writes her a poem - it's pretty cute.
Madison makes a list of all the boys she knows and, using her mad detective skills, decides it's Hart Jones, her one true love! It just HAS to be.
It's the night of the dance. Madison has a dress, a tiara, and new shoes. Orange Crush sends her 15 carnations and promises all will be revealed at the dance. She asks Drew if he happened to be her "one true love", but he admits that although he likes her (DUH), he wasn't her secret admirer. Things are way awkward for a little while, but Drew and Madison remain friends.
Finally, Dan comes over and makes some pretty obvious hints about his secret life as Orange Crush.
Madison, shocked and disappointed, runs out of the room.
Crying.
Her mom comes outside, where it happens to be SNOWING (aah, so cold!), and comforts Madison. Madison admits she was shocked about Dan being her secret admirer, but doesn't want to face him again because he must surely hate her now.
Well, yeah, Maddie, you sort of ran away crying when he told you he loved you.
But Frannie Finn, in a rare moment of good parenting and smart advice, tells her to go apologize.
Madison runs back into the building and asks Dan to forgive her. He does so, willingly, and the two agree to be friends. Then, because she sort of ruined the dance for him, Madison asks Dan to dance.
It makes Dan happy...
...and Hart jealous.
Awwwwwww....

More notes:
I think this is my favorite book so far.

Madison meets a cute new neighbor named Toby. Oooh.
Toby: Do you go to Far Hills High? I start there tomorrow, and I don't know anyone.
Madison: High school? Uh, no...No. I'm in middle school. Seventh grade, actually.
Toby: Oh, wow.
Yeah. Wow. Lol.

That sort of killed the mood.

Gasp! Phin just cheated on Blossom, Aimee's dog!

Huh, Madison's star sign is Pisces. I wonder when her birthday is. I can't remember her ever having an actual birthday in the series.

Somewhere between March 15 and April 14. Hey, her birthday might be this month!

Her horoscope reads:
Love is in the air! But winds that blow in your direction are not from familiar corners. Keep your eyes wide open. Romance will sneak up on you when you least expect it.
Heh. Mine told me to mosey on home yesterday. Which is where I've been for the past week. So I sort of think the whole astrology thing is a bunch of crap.

Oh no, Bigwheels is in love with a boy named Reggie. He has black hair and hazel eyes. Sounds...Mediterranean.

He just randomly asked her to the Valentine's dance.

Bigwheels wonders if she should play it cool. DO NOT PLAY HARD TO GET!!! Worst idea in the world. Just saying.

From: Orange Crush
To: MadFinn
Subject:
Date: Sun 2 Feb 5:13 PM

I've got a crush on u.

Your Secret Admirer.

Okay, I'm sort of creeped out now, what about you guys?

Aimee thinks it might be Egg, and Fiona FLIPS OUT.
"Aimee, you don't really think the secret e-mail is from Walter, do you? I mean - Walter doesn't like Madison, right? That was just a joke. You're joking, right?"
Dang.

I'm surprised Aimee and Fiona don't know about Madison's crush on Hart by now.
Aimee: Who are the prime suspects? Hart Jones?
Madison: H-H-Hart?

Heh. Ivy tries to act flirty.
"Ta-ta! I hope I'll see you there!"
Ta-ta? Ta-ta??? Jolly good, my dear, that does sound positively brilliant! Superb! Capital idea!

Hart: Well, I already know who I want to go with.
Madison: *Could he mean me?*
Hart: I WANNA GO WITH EGG!
Ugh, 7th grade boy humor.

Dad takes Madison and Stephanie to dinner. He's about to have a mariachi band serenade them all, so Madison PRETENDS TO BE SICK! Wth, what's wrong with you, Madison? It's just a mariachi band!

Aimee, Fiona, and Ivy claim to have been in love by now. Riiiiiiiiiiight.

Ooh, Reggie sounds like a dream date! He's cute, funny, and smart, and he makes Bigwheels laff like a lolcat!
Did I tell you she met him at math club? I bet he tucks his shirt into his pants.

"She hurried to her dresser and pulled out a pair of heavy black leggings and soft red sweater."
Sounds very Babysitters club.

Ivy's insults still suck.
Madison: *misses a shot into the garbage can*
Ivy: Nice shot, Maddie! You should go out for baskteball.
Ooh, burn.

Agh, another creepy card!
U have a good heart.
Signed, Your Secret Admirer

Code for, "You have nice boobs?"

They make a big deal about a "special" English project on the back of the book, but all they have to do is write about someone from the American Revolution.

So Dan's trying to tell Madison about a llama named Gertrude, and she's busy checking out Hart.
Hahaha, sooooo guilty of this myself.

"Who can think about homework when there's a school dance coming up?"
Some of us manage to do it, Aimee. You're obviously not in honors English.

Ugh, lame. Egg and Fiona reveal their true feelings to each other...ON INSTA-MESSAGE. That is so lame.
: I love you.
: Me 2.
: Sooo
: Sooo
: C u Monday!
: ok c u l8r g8r
That wasn't in the book, but I'm guessing that's what happened.

They decide to prank call boys and giggle. Sounds...fun.

"Take a look at suspects. Who would have access to red construction paper?"
Yeah, THAT narrows it down.

"It seems like anytime I like a boy, he likes someone else. Or else he ignores me. The 'good' thing always seems to happen for girls like Ivy."
Awww, amen to that.

: Hi. I see U R online.
: WHO R U???
: Someone who likes U. :>)
: Is this a joke?
: No.
: Then tell me who U R!!
: MWBRL. Got 2 go.
MWBRL = more will be revealed later.
Aaagh, I'm imagining Anthony Hopkins from "Silence of the Lambs".

Madison makes a list of things she needs to buy before the dance. Crap, I forgot about choosing a hairstyle...and learning how to dance, lol.

Fiona and Egg go on a date...and invite all their friends along. Fun?

Madison ends up buying a sea-blue dress with black trim, long bell sleeves, and a scoop neck. I'm having a really hard time picturing sleeves that are both long and bell-like.

IT WAS ONLY $52.50!!

Lame. Hart ditches them to go sit with Ivy.

Ugh, they make a big deal about Dan being fat in this one.
"He'd loaded up his tray with two hamburgers, a super-size container of fries, and a large drink."
That's not actually not that much. My older brother eats that much. I eat that much.

There's this whole thing about Dan standing up for his musical beliefs. So random.

Another book where Aimee forgets she has FOUR brothers, not THREE.

Ew, Fiona and Egg are all weird and couply, sharing ice cream cones and whatnot.

Oh no, Madison's dad was in a jewelry store! HE MUST BE PROPOSING TO STEPHANIE!
Or maybe he's buying her one of those Kay heart pendants.

REGGIE BOUGHT BIGWHEELS ONE OF THOSE HEART PENDANTS!!!

While talking to Chet, Madison insults Hart, not realizing he's on the other line. Nice.

Aw, Orange Crush sends her a chocolate rose. Anybody who sends you chocolate is a nice person.

OH NO! Madison thinks she knows FOR SURE that her secret admirer is Hart...AND SHE PLANS TO TELL HIM HOW SHE REALLY FEELS! DON'T DO IT, MADDIE! DANGER AHEAD!

Aimee: There's a 20% chance Drew is your crusher.
Madison: Twenty percent? What makes you say that?
Aimee: I think it's possible that he's the one, but here are some complications. I mean, he's too obvious. Everyone knows he likes you...
Madison: What do you mean, 'everyone knows'?
Um, he sort of stalks you and asks you to go to Switzerland and stuff. Pretty dang obvious.

SO MEAN!
Aimee: Dan is a nice guy and all that, but I don't think it's him. I mean, he cares way more about french fries and chocolate-chip cookies than girls, right?
Holy crap, WHO SAYS THINGS LIKE THAT?

Phin hurts his paw, and Madison freaks out. "EMERGENCY!!!"

Awkward dialogue that sort of made me cry:
Madison: I wanted to know if you are going to the Heart to Heart dance. Are you?
Dan: Yeah, I think I'm giong. Why...are you asking me or something?
Madison: Um...not exactly.
Dan: Um...I was just kidding.
Madison: But I am going to the dance. Even with no date. Do you know anyone else who's going? Or someone who wants to go with someone, but is maybe too shy or... I shouldn't be asking you this. Sorry.
Dan: I haven't really asked around. I can, if you want.
Madison: No, that's okay. I didn't mean to say all that. I feel pretty stupid.

Agh, she has NO IDEA!!!

Aw, Orange Crush writes her an adorable poem.
I am not a poet
And I truly know it
But I think you're really cool
So I thought I'd show it
(I hope this goofy rhyme of mine
Doesn't totally blow it!)

signed, Your Secret Admirer

Hart says hi...and Madison runs away. Maybe that's the reason he likes Ivy so much, Maddie.

Oh no. Oooooh no. Drew has just offered to walk her to class.
Y'all remember Drew, right? Rich, Hart's second cousin, totally stalker-y?

OH NO, HE ASKS HER TO THE DANCE!!!!
Madison: I don't think I can go. No, I definitely can't.
Drew: No? So. You're not going to the dance?
Madison: Not exactly.
Drew: Oh, I get it. You're just not going with me.
Madison: I'm sorry. It's just that I already promised someone else- I'm really, really, REALLY sorry.
Drew: I understand.
Omg, this is one of the parts where I started crying. Not only does she say no, but she LIES about why she can't go. Drew practically started crying, too.

Egg sends her an angry e-mail. She so deserved it.

From: Eggaway
To: MadFinn
Subject: no subject
Date: Tues 11 Feb 3:29 PM
I can't blieve you totally hurt Drew's feeling's like that. dont you know how hard it was for him to ask you to the dance? dont you get it? Drew is a relly good guy, Maddie. I don't know what your problem is. You can't just do that to people.

Egg

PS: So ur going to the dance with someone else? IYD. I don't believe it. And Drew doesnt, either.

Frannie thinks Drew will ask Madison out again.
Psh, not after she ripped his heart out like she did. I think Drew will never love again.

Even anorexia-loving Aimee has a date! True, it's Ben Buckley, but still, a guy asked her.
Maddie has no one.
She could have had stalker-Drew....

Rules for the Heart to Heart Dance:
1. Dance open only to Far Hills Junior High students.
[Heh. My school totally doesn't follow that rule. You can't exactly crash it, but if you have a ticket and a date who's a ninth grader, you're in.]

2. To attend dance, students must have a school dance ticket listing phone number where parents can be reached.
[In case someone dies in a horrible punch spiking accident.]

3. Students may not leave the dance area to go elsewhere, including school classrooms.
[Madison wonders why anyone would want to go to an empty classroom. Aimee says it for her: "No - to go make out!" Or to make a science experiment...without the Bunsen burner. ^_^]

There are a billion more rules, but none of them are quite as entertaining.

Okay, I was wrong.
8. Students are expected to keep the hallways and dance areas free and clear of all wrappers and cups. Keep snacks in the snack zone.
Madison: The snack zone? What's that?
Aimee: It sounds like a made-for-TV movie.
Fiona: When good snacks go bad.

Also, students aren't allowed to wear halter tops to the dance! Since when is there a dress code? And if that's the case, I wouldn't be able to go!!

Fiona: The DJ at my old school was always so lame. Half of the songs he played were country and western.
Aimee: That definitely won't be happening this time. The DJ they hired plays mostly hip-hop and pop, with a little rock thrown in.
:P The DJ at my school always plays hip-hop and NOTHING ELSE. Gets sort of old after a while.

Aw, Fiona and Aimee decide to meet their dates at the dance so they can go with Maddie. That's really nice.

Madison buys a tiara to go with her dress. Jealous.

When Madison saw her dad at the jewelry store, he was getting cuff links engraved for one of his favorite MALE clients. Sooooo what...Jeffery Finn is gay?

Heh, he buys Madison a stuffed pug that says, "I woof u."

Bigwheels is really obsessed with Reggie. Ugh, is everybody wearing a red velvet dress to their Valentine's Day dance? So much for variety.

Agh, Madison freaks out at Bigwheels when she mentions Reggie in an online chat. PMS much? Although, Bigwheels was being pretty annoying. "Omg, I have the funniest story-" "Is it about Reggie?" "Yeah, how'd you know?"

Ew, sappy John Keats poetry. "I cannot exist without you. I am forgetful of every thing but seeing you again. My life seems to stop there. I see no further."
Stalker.

Dan: Hey, look, it's Aimee - and an orange camel!
I think that was a reference to Madison's overstuffed backpack. Lame joke, Dan.

This outfit sounds cute until we get to the red heart pin:
"Madison had on her favorite jeans and a black turtleneck sweater. Mom loaned her a big, red heart pin, which she had attached to the sweater."
Sounds 80's.

Drew buys everyone's tickets, because it was cheaper for 4 sets of two! He even buys Madison's ticket!! That's so nice!

HART IS GOING WITH IVY!!! Maybe you shouldn't have run away from him, Maddie.

Madison gets a balloon from her secret admirer:
You've got my heart on a string.
Tonight all will be revealed.
signed, Your Secret Admirer.

Hart delivered the balloon to her, so she thinks he's the SA, he's just not owning up to it.

Even Lindsay Frost is wearing a red velvet dress. Wth, the book says she has blonde hair? Have you seen the cover of "All That Glitters"? Her hair is definitely brown.

"Fiona looked great in a hot-pink tank paired with a bright orange skirt. Both were made of raw silk, and shimmered slightly under the lights."
Sounds cute. I saw a dress like that at the mall.

Aw, Orange Crush gives her 15 carnations.

"'I think I want to get some punch. Want some, Aimee?'
'Sure thing,' Aimee said, beaming. She'd worn her favorite pink slip dress and shimmery stockings. Her hair was braided and piled on top of her head."
Sounds kind of cute. Really ballerina-y, but cute.

Lindsay is in love with Dan. Wth? Didn't that Suresh guy ask her out? Why isn't she dancing with him?

Heh, Fiona is taller than Egg.

Hart is just about to ask Madison to dance...when Drew and Chet run over with gossip that a 7th grader and a 9th grader have been found making out IN THE SCIENCE LAB! THEY WERE TOTALLY MAKING AN EXPERIMENT W/0 THE BUNSEN BURNER!!!

Aaagh, Joan Kenyon's mom catches them. Aaaaawkwaaaard.

Aimee: What's this about a seventh grader getting caught with a ninth grader?
Madison: You know as much as we do.
Ben: I heard that the guy had his shirt off.
Madison: Okay, you know more than we do. What were they doing? [What do you think?]
Ben: Kissing. I heard that the girl's hair was all messed up.
Hart: That doesn't sound like such a big deal.
Really, Hart? Sounds like you've done it before.

Oh no, Madison's about to confront Drew!!! She thinks he's Orange Crush!!

Madison: Hey, having fun?
Drew: Yeah. That's a nice dress you have on.
Madison: Thanks. I liked your flowers, too.
Drew: Flowers? Oh - you mean these? *holds out tie, which is covered in bright splotches of color* I think they're just blobs, actually.
Madison: Oh. Well, not exactly. Look, Drew, there's something I've been wanting to say to you.
Drew: Yeah?
Madison: I'm really sorry about the way I acted - when you asked me to the dance.
Drew: Oh, that. No biggie. I'm over it. We're friends again. That's cool.
I like how he totally forgave her. Sort of. Things are still pretty awkward.

Orange Crush is Dan!!!

And Madison runs out of the room crying.

Her mom comes out to comfort her and tells her that Dan is still her friend and that Madison should apologize so that they can continue being friends.
Huh. Thanks Fran. That's actually some good advice...for once.

Here we go. The big scene:
Madison: Dan. Wait. Dan, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to flip out. It's just that - you caught me by surprise. I mean, looking back on it, I guess I should have known that Orange Crush was you, but I didn't, and then when you said that it was you, I was just like, "Wow, I had no clue," and...and...and this is the part where you stop me from babbling. Please. Say something. Say anything.
Drew: I didn't mean to get you angry or sad. I'm really sorry if I embarassed you.
Madison: No, no. I'm sorry. It's not you. It's just that - I can't deal with this whole boyfriend thing right now.
[And also, you don't actually have any feelings for Dan, because you like Hart, but hey.]
Madison: I really like you, Dan.
Dan: But as a friend. Right?
Madison: Yeah. A good friend.
Dan: As a friend. Well, that's cool.
Madison: Cool?
Dan: It's cooler than cool. We have a lot in common, you know?
Madison: Like the animal shelter?
Dan: And - you know - we both like peanut butter.
Madison: And pizza.
Dan: Yeah. Tons of stuff in common. I just wanted to do something nice for you. You deserve it.
Madison: You're the best.
AWWWWWWWWW. This seriously made me cry!!! Dan is so nice about her ripping his heart out and tossing it across the floor. And they're still friends!!! What a concept!!!

So Madison asks him to dance with her, and he accepts.

"I want the chocolate rose back." "Oh no, I already ate it!"

Hart kept staring jealously over at Madison while they danced. Okay, I personally think she should've gone out with Dan. Hart is a major loser.

The moral is: Romance is nice, but friendship is more important.

The moral also is: Madison's Computer Tip: If you are getting e-mails from strangers, you should hit DELETE and tell your parents.

Ah yes, good morals.
So there will be Avalons and Madison Finns galore. Hopefully #12 is coming soon, too. *sniff* That was a good one.

It's not Christmas without selfless volunteering, or FTFO Madison Finn #10: Give and Take

I know, I should have done this at Christmas time, but you know how I am about series order!! I finally have the 6th Madison Finn, so I'm pretty excited about that. Consider this a belated Christmas present from me to you.



Plot: Fran and Jeff are fighting again. Jeff had promised to take Madison on a ski vacation, but he bailed on her at the last minute. Madison is disappointed, but hates it when her Mom disses her Dad in front of her.
Besides Madison's mom being a b**** and her dad a flake, Madison's BFFs start ignoring her, acting distant, and excluding her. Weirder than that, Ivy is being NICE!!! It's very odd.
So far, Madison is having a sucky Christmas, so she decides to volunteer at the local nursing home, where she meets Eleanor Romano, a nice old lady who is slightly obsessed with birds. Mrs. Romano hates the holidays, too, because her deadbeat kids won't visit. She and Madison bond.
So do Madison and Ivy. :O
There's a few sort of saddish parts where Mrs. Romano's Alzheimer's acts up and she forgets Madison's name, Aimee and Fiona basically just suck, and Madison listens to her parents fight over the phone. The last part sort of made me mad, because her parents act like their disagreement is her fault. Way to be crappy parents.
Finally, things start getting better. Fiona and Aimee were being distant because they were making Maddie a CHRISTMAS PRESENT!! How lame is that??? No present is worth three weeks of hell. Her parents make up and go to the Winter Jubilee concert together, and her dad takes her skiing anyway. Mrs. Romano makes Madison a hat, and Madison makes Mrs. Romano a snowman (long story), which makes her nursing home charge cry (in a good way).
Okay, lamest part in the whole book: Madison figures out that Ivy is just a fake. Whatever. Ivy was being genuinely nice the entire book, but once Fiona and Aimee come around, Madison's like, "See ya, Ivy." And you said SHE was fake??

More notes:
I just realized: how did it go from summer (book #9) to winter (book #10) and they're still in 7th grade??

The whole first two pages are an IM chat between all three friends, and Maddie and Aimee make fun of Fiona about Egg. Like always.

Jeff Finn hasn't e-mailed Maddie about details for the ski trip, so Maddie lies to her mom and says it's all taken care of. Honey, that'll come back to bite you in the butt.

I HATE FRAN FINN! "I guess it was unfair of me to assume your Dad would just propose these big plans and...well, I won't say it." That's so mean!! Why would you say that to your daughter?

And Madison has to apologize for getting mad at that comment.

Whoa, Madison lives on Blueberry Street, not Blueberry Road. Get it straight, Laura Dower.

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" is a song? I thought that was just a poem. Try my favorite poem ever. Besides "Silver" and that one about summer.

Aaargh. Get a grip, Madison. You can volunteer without your loser friends!

Lol. Hart signs up. She gets a grip pretty quick.

Ew. Fiona is way annoying in this book.
Fiona: Maddie, do you...do you think Egg likes me?
Madison: Yes, Fiona. How many times are you going to ask me that? And Aimee thinks so too.
Fiona: *giggle* Sorry.
Madison: Are you blushing?
Fiona: Should I ask him out?
Madison: Absolutely not. Wait for him to ask you.
Fiona: But that's so twentieth-century.
I agree with Fiona on that.

Okay, Maddie's dad sucks, too. "Oh, we can't go skiing anymore. And Stephanie will be coming with us. But that's cool, right?"

Madison wants to tell her mom about her bad day, but her mom is like, "I'VE HAD THE WORST DAY EVER!" Aargh, I feel like crap when that happens. Don't you hate that, though? I wouldn't want to do that to someone ever.

Ivy has a soul????

At the nursing home, Egg gets paired with a guy who has PTSD.

There are two women left: one with an orange hat, and one who looks mean and has a lame dress. Guess which one Madison gets paired with?

Hint: It's not the one with the orange hat. That chick gets paired with Ivy.

Lol.
Mrs. Romano: I'm obsessed with birds.
Madison: That's nice.
Mrs. Romano: You're just saying that. Don't even try to lie.
Madison: I'm not just saying that. *is so just saying that*

ROFL. Ivy gets paired with someone named Mrs. Holly Wood.

Madison's friends ditch her. I would cry, too.

Bigwheels writes a lot of emo poetry. Her parents have been fighting, too. :(

Ivy's friends are lame, too. She and Madison should make a club: The Lame Friend Club.

Oh, and it turns out Fiona and Aimee ditched Maddie TOGETHER. Oh. Before I felt like crap, now I feel like mega crap! Thanks, guys!

"Madison guessed that Ivy was probably making eyes at Hart through the barrier." HA.

Lame. "Oh, sorry, Maddie, but Aimee's coming over. Sorry we can't hang out!"

Ivy seems way protective of her adopted grandparent.

OMG!! Madison finally stands up for herself!
Ivy: What a freak.
Madison: Sometimes you can be so...so...
Ivy: What? So...what?
Madison: RUDE! I can't believe you're even volunteering. Why do you bother?
OWNED!

And Ivy APOLOGIZES!

"Madison liked the word beau instead of boyfriend. She wondered what if would sound like to say that Hart was her beau."
Sorry, Maddie, but I like boyfriend 10 times better.

Okay, Mrs. Romano tells sort of a lame story about how she and her best friend would meet up every year and make a snowman together. Then her friend gets sick and sends her a snowman snowglobe instead. Then her friend dies. The moral is always tell your friends what's on your mind. Hm... I have something to say to Fiona and Aimee.
"You guys suck. Merry Christmas!"

Joanie: Why did you volunteer for The Estates anyhow? A bunch of old people? What a party!
Rose: The real reason you're doing it, Ivy, is because Hart's doing it, too. Right?
Ivy: Why don't you just zip it?
Joanie: He's such a hottie, though. I don't blame you.
Sadly, this is how junior high girls ACTUALLY TALK!

Um, Drew, wth??
"Uh...is Somkey all covered with snow?" If you're trying to impress Maddie, IT'S NOT WORKING.

Aimee flips out when Madison and Fiona say that Ivy is okay without her drones.

Aw, Madison's grandpa had Alzheimer's, too.

Dan Ginsburg plays flute?? That strikes me as kind of odd.... I picture him as more of a low brass man. I know, stereotypes!

Madison, Fiona, and Aimee discuss what they're getting their parents for Christmas. Madison tells them she's considering a snowglobe, because of Mrs. Romano, and they make fun of her!! Wth? Aimee is literally like, "Maddie, that's a horrible idea. You could do so much better." You're getting your parents a YOGA MEMBERSHIP, Aimee.

Then they go over to Fiona's together...AGAIN...WITHOUT MADDIE. And they're so obvious about it. "Oh, I um...left my BOOK at Fiona's. You can come if you want, I guess, but we can't really hang out...."

Fran keeps badmouthing Jeff, so Madison finally sticks up for him.

Madison asks her to go to the concert with her dad, and her mom's like, "Don't play games with me, young lady."

"I dunno what is going on with that guy Hart either. Sometimes I get the vibe that he likes me, and then he talks to smoe other girls."
Because if he talks to any other girl, that means he hates you.

She sees Aim and Fi (I'm only calling them that because I can't stand typing their names) in a chat room, and they're talking about her.
Aargh, this is going to be so lame, because they're just making a gift or something for her, so their mean behavior is justified.

Madison listens to her parents fight via phone, and Fran starts insulting Stephanie!! What is your problem????

Finally, Madison, who's on the extension, screams, "STOP IT!" Then she yells at both of them.

AARGH. She has to apologize to her mom AGAIN. And her mom's like, "You can talk to me, rather than letting things get to the boiling point." Um, SHE DID.

LAME. Her grandma has a recipe for gingersnaps that she calls "Fred'n'Ginger snaps". Did anyone else get that? Not laughing.

Random. Madison is talking to Fiona on the phone and Fiona's all, "Maddie, what's your favorite color? Orange? And your lucky number is 13, right?" And Madison doesn't suspect ANYTHING.

"Drew was nice. He said he'd make a goal for me, whatever that means."
Aww, Drew, you little stalker pants.

Aw, I know how you feel, Maddie. I wish it snowed every Christmas, too. It snowed THIS Christmas, though!! And today!

Okay, all Maddie wants her mom to do is go to the concert, and her mom keeps leaving her hanging! "You have to be patient, I haven't decided." Cuz you're a self-centered ho.

Hart looks cute even when he's sick and coughing phlegm into a tissue. Awwwww....

The principal gives recognition to the volunteers, and Madison's like, "Oh no, center of attention! Must hide!" Whatever. I love the spotlight.

OMG, Bigwheels is Jewish! That's so cool!

Aaargh. Lame poems and chain letters.

Fiona has a solo in "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", and she has to wear antlers and a clown nose. Hawt.

Madison: That went surprisingly well. Your solo was awesome, Fiona.
Aimee: Omg, TOTALLY. I couldn't stop listening.
Duh, what else are you supposed to do?

Chet: You look hot, Aimee.
"Fiona punched his shoulder for saying that, but Aimee thanked him. She wouldn't turn down a compliment from anyone, not even an annoying boy."
He might be annoying, but he's a boy, and he called her hot.

Aww, Hart comforts Maddie about the ski trip dilemma. Ew, bad grammar. Oh well.

LOL, Drew, I love you.
Drew: Actually, my family is going skiing, too. To Switzerland. My parents have a reservation to some spa there. Anyone else want to come to Switzerland? *hint hint* Maddie? *hint hint*
He reminds me of Ryan Evans from HSM.

Madison wants to marry Hart. .....

Ivy tells her friends to shut up and is all nice to Maddie.

Maddie thinks up some crappy captions for the school website.

Lame, Aimee and Fiona made Maddie a collage box. NOT WORTH IT!

Aw, Madison makes Mrs. Romano a snowman.

Her mom ruins the moment and is all, "Well, I guess I'll go to the concert with your dad after all." I HATE HER.

And her dad comes around. Three day ski trip, woo!

Madison's Computer Tip:
Remember that chat rooms are not really private or anonymous.

Yeah. Pony Pals coming up. AARGH, I hate my library. I KNOW they have these books. WHY DO THEY LIE?

Why can't they call it Thanksgiving like normal people, or FTFO Madison Finn #5: Thanks For Nothing

I honestly HAAAAAAATE my library. I put a hold on "Caught in the Web" WEEKS ago, but it's STILL not here. Thankfully, I had #5 as a backup. It's about Thanksgiving, too, so I thought it would be appropriate.



Plot: Madison is depressed (again). It's her first Thanksgiving since her parents divorced and her parents are fighting, both wanting her to spend Thanksgiving with them. Not only that (you knew there was more coming), but there's a special Thanksgiving extra-credit project she has to finish, only Egg is her partner and he's being unreliable - AS USUAL. To calm her nerves, she's taken a volunteer job at the Far Hills Animal Shelter, where Dan Ginsburg works. Remember Dan? He played the Cowardly Lion in the Wiz, and everyone calls him Porko?
Bla bla bla, drama and rumors. Egg is still being a jerk, Madison has to choose between Mom and Dad, Phinnie is acting weird, and IVY STARTS A HORRIBLE RUMOR THAT SHE AND DAN ARE DATING!!! OH NO!!! Thank goodness she has Sugar, a lovable Schnoodle she met at the Animal Shelter.
Finally, everything in Madison's life is back on track. When Dad decides to go to Texas with Stephanie for the holidays, Madison chooses to stay with Mom. She and Dan stay friends despite Ivy's cruelty. Egg and Madison get an A on their social studies project and Ivy doesn't. But Sugar has been adopted!!! Madison is superbummed (her word, not mine) until she realizes she has Phinnie. She literally runs home and apologizes. No lie. Then her Thanksgiving is a success. Hurray.

More notes:
How is it that Madison's Dad isn't Canadian but her uncle is?

I hate Thanksgiving, too, Madison.

LOL! She blames her bad luck on a black cat. "I knew everything would be ruined when I saw a black cat yesterday."

Aimee: *wearing a new parka* Whaddya think? I ordered it online from Boop-Dee-Doop. Well, my mother did. We ordered it on her credit card. My first Internet purchase ever.
Madison: It's nice. But in case you hadn't noticed, Aimee, it's like fifty degrees outside.
Wth??? 50 DEGREES IS COLD!!!!! At least it is in Washington. Isn't that cold in New York, too?

I really wish I had sea monkeys. No clue why. Lol, that's what I want for Christmas. SEA MONKEYS! She had a cat named Ick? Since when? Didn't she say something about her dad hating cats?

OH NO!!! DAN'S MOM IS AN ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST!

So begins Dan's crush on Madison. Psyche. I just ruined future books for you. Dan is apparently the Fat Kid. Wth, that doesn't mean you get to call him Pork-O to his face.

Aaah, he calls his Mom "Ma" like Mike Lacey (see Pony Pals series).

Turkey Trot. Heh. That's funny.

I HATE POWERPOINT! But doesn't everyone know how to do a powerpoint by the time they're in like, what, 4th grade? Omg, that totally reminds me of last year when I partnered with Kenny in history and HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO DO A POWERPOINT!!

Wait, if Ben Buckley's a nerd, why doesn't he want to do extra-credit?? Man, that was such a good powerpoint. Only we got graded down. Thanks, Kenny.

"Poor Freddie. Wounded in a cat fight. He's under a little medication. That's why his eyes are all glassy and he's so talkative. We'll keep him sedated for a day or two until he has a chance to start healing." I didn't know she was talking about a cat at first.

Laaaaaaame. Drew named a dog Pepper (wait for it)....BECAUSE SHE MADE HIM SNEEZE! HAAAAAAHAAAAHAAA!!

Madison totally starts singing that song from Veggietales. "Puppies are cuddly, puppies are cute, they're never nasty or mean. I'd give a home to all the lost puppies if ever a day I were queen."

Fiona, Fiona, Fiona....

What the heck, all Madison does is talk about Hart's beautiful hair in this book.

Hm, their password is falcon. What a coincidence....

Schnoodle? Part schnauzer, part poodle. STILL!!!

Ew. They name it SUGAR. I despise that name. It was the name of my little brother's bear, and it's my least favorite type of donut.

Madison: Hello, Sugar. Schnoodle-oodleeee-oh."
Dan: WHO are you talking to?
I don't know what I'm more disturbed by: Madison's odd song, or Dan suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

Dan: You were in pretty bad shape before, but now you're one hot dog.
At first I thought he was talking to Madison.

"House of Finn! Finn land!" Man. I wish I had a cool name like that.

Madison and Egg are so Elvin and Sandra.

Bigwheels: Whatever happened to your crush? Write back soon. I'm waiting.
Yeah, what happened to Hart? And why isn't he mentioned?

Dan is creepier than Stalker Drew.

They go out on a little ice cream date. Dan drops his ice cream. "Aw, no! Good-bye, chocolate chips!"

Wait. Madison said in one book she didn't speak Spanish because she was in French 1, but forever after they have said she was in Spanish class. Whatever.

What is Ivy doing at Drew's houes? Innuendo??

Fiona complains that Aimee and Madison are too hard on Egg. Shut up, Fiona.

AAARGH, WE GET IT, GRAMMA FINN SUCKS AT COMPUTERS!!

Smooth, Hart. "Hey, Finnster. What's the deal??"

Dan = so clueless.

Egg: Ivy Daly is a dork. Don't worry about it. No one ever believes her, anyway.
She's not a dork. You think she's HOTTT.

Lol. "Drat! Drat!"

BEN LIKES AIMEE!!

What kind of response is this?
Ivy: Looks like someone has a problem.
Madison: Looks like you're the one with problem, Ivy.
Drew: HAHAHAHA!
Wth? What does that even mean?

Yay! They get a gold star!

Lol. Ivy's presentation sucks.

Dan and Hart dress as turkeys and do the "Turkey Pokey". .... If Madison and Egg are Sandra and Elvin, they are so Theo and Cockroach. COCKROACH'S REAL NAME IS WALTER!!! Coincidence? I think not.

Wth? Since when are there wild turkeys running around New York?

Wow. Drew has a half brother and Dan's dad died. A long way into the series, Ivy's mom gets breast cancer. Ouch. This is killing me.

Aaaaagh. Mr. Wollensky, the Russian volunteer, asks her if she still feels Sugar IN HER HEART. What is this, Carebears?

Yes, Madison. You have a pug.

Madison's Computer Tip: Double-check any information you might get online, because not all Web Sites have accurate facts.

Amen to that. Okay, next up we have "Movie Star Pony", since "Lonely Pony" is not in yet.