Mallory on Strike, #47

"I'm an artist and my craft is calling."  Okay, that was Ashley Wyeth, but it definitely applies to Mallory in this one. Plus, it's just an awesome quote. I'm surprised someone hasn't done an artistic rendering of it and put in on Etsy yet. By the way, I can totally see Claudia having an Etsy shop as an adult, can't you?

Now this is a story all about how Mal's life got flipped and turned upside down (and now that song will be stuck on your head all day. You're welcome).  Mallory is part of an invitation-only creative writing class at SMS with only, like, ten students. Is that realistic for middle school? Maybe high school, but sixth grade? Pfftt. Anyway, Mal's teacher announces that SMS will be hosting a Young Author's Day in four weeks, which will be a writing workshop/contest, with prizes for Best Poem (6th grade poetry, oh boy), Short Story, Mystery, Illustration of Story, and Overall Fiction, plus a famous author will come help judge to competition. This is the defining moment of Mallory's life.

Now, in chapter two, we get our typical BSC introduction, and Mallory describes herself (and the rest of the Pike family) as having chestnut brown hair and blue eyes. What? Mallory has red hair, has always had red hair, and I'm pretty sure she's always had brown eyes (most of the books talk about how she and Jessi have the same eye color). AMM needs to work on continuity, y'all. Plus, Mal talks about how she hates her nose, and that one is a first for me, too. And I'm beginning to think the bra fixation is all Mallory, because both mentions I've come across of Kristy not wearing a bra yet have come in Mal books. Are you there, God? It's me, Mallory.

Dibble alert!! When the BSC gets a rash of jobs for Saturday, Claudia mentions that it's because the local French restaurant, Chez Maurice, is having, like, coupon day or something. Then Claudia mentions that Chez Maurice has the most "dibble food." I'm pretty sure that Claudia knew nothing about French food when she had her date with Terry in California, but maybe her tastes have progressed since then.

Anyway, Mal hunkers down to write her story, but she keeps getting interrupted at home by her brothers and sisters, and even her parents, wanting her to clean up spills, make sandwiches, and mediate fights. Mal gets more and more frustrated, and starts sniping at all of her brothers and sisters.  They even start to call her Mean Old Mallory. One day, Claire and Margot even make a play called "Mean Old Mallory," and when Mallory gets home and hears about it, she goes all "NO...MORE...WIRE...HANGERRRRRSSS!!!!"

Meanwhile, she starts getting spacey at her sitting jobs as well, and realizes that she has to give up babysitting until she finishes her story. When she announces that wants to be demoted from junior officer in the BSC (what is lower than junior officer?) and even threatens to quit, she is met with a moment of stunned silence (apparently no one has ever voluntarily quit the BSC, it's like the Stoneybrook Mafia). Kristy suggests that Mallory take a two week hiatus to write before she decides to quit. Wow, a logical suggestion. And they were way more supportive than they were when Claudia need time off for art.  

Once Mallory gets home, she takes a poster board sign downstairs that says "Mallory on Strike!!" She insists that she must have peace and quiet all day to write and that she cannot be disturbed for any reason (obviously, it never occurred for her to go to the public library...). Her parents are like, "umm...ok?" and leave her alone. She finishes her story, and talks to her parents about how she feels that she gets taken advantage of because she's the oldest, and her parents apologize. Aww...

Young Author's Day rolls around, and Mallory gets to meet one of her favorite authors, Pamme Reed (I am totally confused how to pronounce that name - Pam? Pammy? Pah-may?)  Her story ends up winning Best Overall Fiction, and she decides that she can continue to write and manage to be a junior officer in the BSC as well. I love a warm, fuzzy ending.

Oh, and Mr. and Mrs. Pike decide to have a "Mallory's Special Day" to make up for using her for free childcare so much. She and Jessi get to spend the day shopping at the mall and go to a movie. This made me think about the episode of The Cosby Show when Rudy gets her period and her mom celebrates "Woman's Day" with her. Good times.

Let's get some fashion in the house!!

What Claudia wore: "Like she'll wear polka dot leggings with a short red skirt.  Then she'll wear a long-sleeved T-shirt with a black vest (covered with cool pins that she's made herself) over that. Sometimes she decides to go fifties and wears penny loafers with white anklets."

What Dawn wore: "Dawn wears whatever she wants, like three different colored T-shirts at once with lots of necklaces (plus she has two holes pierced in each ear) and a short jean skirt."  Mallory thinks Dawn is an "acute" dresser.

What Mallory wore:  "On Tuesday I wore my navy blue wool skirt and knit sweater vest with a white starched blouse and penny loafers, so I would look more studious." Sounds very Rachel Berry.

Mallory, shopping edition: "I wore a jean skirt and jacket, bright red tights, sneakers, and multi-colored earrings that Claudia had made for me."

Jessie, shopping edition: "Jessie dressed in a new purple jumpsuit with a gold turtleneck." Sounds very LSU-ish.