On this day, many many years ago, Dawn Read Schafer came into the world.
Or something like that.
Let me start off by repeating myself: I really like the Dawn of the older books. The later Dawn, not so much. In the beginning, Dawn wasn't a strict vegetarian, she wasn't an enviro-nut, but she still had something about her that I really liked. Maybe it was because she was from California (I grew up in Minnesota). Maybe it was because she had blonde, waist-length hair (I wanted to be blonde so badly between the ages of 8 and 26). I don't really know what it was, but I really liked her until book 50.
Last night, I read Dawn's Big Move. A few days before that, I read The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier. I couldn't believe the differences in Dawn in those two books. [Keep in mind that I haven't read any of the California Diaries.] In Dawn's Big Move, she's so whiny and selfish. In Mary Anne's book, she's totally different. In fact, Mary Anne calls her out on it. Dawn acts like a "superior high school kid," while making the others feel like "twerpy middle school kids." Dawn says she only acts like that because she "feels pressured into not acting like a dork in front of the real high school kids." I thought Dawn didn't care what other people thought of her.
Even in Dawn and the Dawn and the We ♥ Kids Club I think she's totally selfish: running back to Stoneybrook because her dad and Carol announce they're getting married. [Side note: who the hell leaves credit cards scattered all over the place??] I only vaguely recall reading Dawn and Whitney, Friends Forever and Dawn and the School Spirit War, and maybe those let Dawn be a little more like her "old" self. I don't think I read Farewell, Dawn and I'm sure I never read Dawn and Too Many Sitters, which was essentially her last regular BSC book. What I do remember about the Dawn's-in-California-now books is that I liked the different setting, and what Dawn's life was like there (my absolute favorite Dawn book is #23, Dawn on the Coast), even though I was totally shocked when I actually went to California. Not everybody loves tofu and sprouts (hello, Jack-in-the-Box!), not everyone has blonde hair and blue eyes, and not everyone lives right on the beach.
Okay, good things about Dawn: she is fierce about what she believes in, she loves her family very much, and... she's great at keeping herself busy for long flights? Really, all I can think about is how much I wanted to slap her upside the head while I was reading Dawn's Big Move.
Dawn books I do like:
all her early ones except Little Miss Stoneybrook...and Dawn
Especially like: Dawn on the Coast, The Ghost at Dawn's House, Dawn's Family Feud
Dawn books I avoid:
Dawn Saves the Planet
Little Miss Stoneybrook...and Dawn
Overall, Dawn was a great character until they tried to tweak her. It didn't work.
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I liked Dawn in the beginning too. I thought it was cool that she was from California, since I always wanted to go there (I am from IL). Then she just got annoying after awhile.
FYI, if people who live in the Seattle area are looking to add to their collections, I spotted maybe a dozen or so BSC books for sale at both the Kingsgate Library (sort of between Bothell, Woodinville, and Kirkland) and at the Half Price Books at the Crossroads Mall in Bellevue. I can't remember which ones...mid-range numbers, mostly, I think.
I always liked Dawn the best and was so excited when she turned out to be the character with the closest birthday to me (3 days off)..I hope that's not lame :P
Yay I love to not be the only person who associates February 5th with Dawn. I liked her better in the beginning, too, but like all the characters she got like one quality in the later books and it was super exaggerated to the point of shrewishness.
I thought it was cool that she got to eat what I thought were super exotic foods. (Even though my eating habits are still way way closer to Claudia's.) And she was bi-coastal. Oh, and she was an individual. (What did that even mean?)
But yeah, she got way too over the top about being an environmentalist and saving the planet and such.
dawn was alright
until later on in the series
mainly book 60
when she was bitching at mary anne for getting her haircut
and spending time with richard
(and im like gheesh dawn get a grip
mary anne is richard's daughter for crying out loud)
luckily she left for good in book 88
because otherwise
i would reconsider liking dawn
as well as evenutally like mary anne more
9which i did)
i love the california diaries series though
even though sunny was my favorite character in the series
cause im a lot like sunny
so yeah
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