- This article is about the original novel. For the graphic novel, see Boy-Crazy Stacey (Graphic Novel). For the Netflix episode, see Boy-Crazy Stacey (episode).
Boy-Crazy Stacey is the eighth book in the The Baby-Sitters Club series. While spending two weeks at the Jersey shore as mother's helpers, Mary Anne objects when Stacey neglects her babysitting duties after falling in love with Scott, the lifeguard.
Back Cover
Stacey and Mary Anne are baby-sitting for the Pike family for two weeks at the New Jersey shore. Things are great in Sea City. There's a gorgeous old house, a boardwalk, plenty of sun and sand... and the cutest boy Stacey has ever seen!
Mary Anne knows that Scott the lifeguard is way too old for Stacey, but Stacey's in love. She fixes Scott's lunch, fetches his sodas, and spends all her time with him... instead of with the Pike kids.
Suddenly Mary Anne's doing the work of two baby-sitters, and she doesn't like it one bit. But how can she tell Stacey that Scott just isn't interested—without breaking Stacey's heart?
Main Plot
Stacey and Mary Anne go to Sea City with the Pikes as mother's helpers. While there, Stacey falls for a cute-looking lifeguard named Scott. Stacey spends all of her time trying to get Scott's attention leaving Mary Anne to look after the Pike kids without her.
On Stacey & Mary Anne's night off, Stacey decides to buy Scott a heart-shaped box of candy, but is devastated when she sees him kissing another girl, who is his girlfriend. Stacey later meets a guy named Toby, who is the cousin of Alex, another mother's helper. After Stacey, Toby, Mary Anne, and Alex go on a double date, Stacey gets her first kiss in the Tunnel of Love.
Subplot
Mary Anne and Stacey learn more about the Pikes including: Byron's fear of the ocean and the haunted house, Nicky feels left out of the whole family, and Mallory would make a good baby-sitter. Stacey teaches him that its okay to be afraid of somethings but not everything.
Kristy watches her stepsiblings and while taking care of an injured Louie, she doesn’t properly supervise Karen and Andrew. They use steel wool to strip the paint from Watson's old car (a car that’s rarely driven). Watson says that Kristy should’ve been supervising them more closely, but that it’s all right because now he has an excuse to paint the car purple.
Characters
Stacey's Family
BSC Members
Kids
- Mallory, Jordan, Adam, Vanessa, Nicky, Margo, and Claire Pike
- David Michael Thomas, Karen and Andrew Brewer
- Hannie and Linny Papadakis (mentioned)
- Kenny, Jimmy, and Ellie - the kids Alex and Toby were watching
Pre-teens
Teenagers
- Scott Foley
- Bruce - another lifeguard
Adults
- John Kishi (mentioned)
- Sharon Spier (mentioned)
- Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer (mentioned)
- Dr. Smith - The Brewers vet (mentioned)
Locations
- McGill House
- Thomas/Brewer House
- Sea City
- Beach
- Burger Garden
- Unnamed souvenir shop
- Fred's Putt-Putt Course
Pop Culture and Real-Life References
- People Magazine
- Agatha Christie books
- The Secret Garden
- Howard Johnson's
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Continuity and Inconsistencies
Continuity
- On page 3, Stacey recalls the playgroup from Claudia and Mean Janine.
Inconsistencies
- On page 51 when Adam made a grab for Jordan, Mary Anne dived between them, separating them and almost losing her bikini. It should be "Adam made a grab for Byron."
- When Mr. Pike is making breakfast in chapter 5. Stacey says that she can't have cheese at breakfast. But she has cheese on her burger at Burger Garden. However, she specified that she can’t have processed cheese (which is what Mr. Pike was using for the omelets). Maybe the cheese at Burger Garden wasn’t processed. Processed cheese is real cheese cut with other non-cheese ingredients. Those extra ingredients can include salt, food dyes, preservatives, extra dairy, emulsifiers, or other artificial ingredients.
Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter
Dear Reader,
When I was growing up, my family often took a trip to the New Jersey shore in the summer. Many summers, we went to Avalon, New Jersey. So did my best friend, Beth, and her family. But two summers my family went to Surf City.
The fictional town of Sea City is based partly on Surf City and partly on Wildwood, the town next to Avalon. And some of the incidents that take place in Sea City are based on experiences that Beth and I had when we were in Avalon. For example, we thought it was fun to attract the attention of the lifeguards—who were much older than we were!
There was a little tiny boardwalk with some shops and an arcade where Beth and my sister, Jane, and I played Skee-Ball. Every time we scored points at Skee-Ball, we won coupons that could be turned in for prizes, like keychains and small stuffed animals. The summers at the beach were a long time ago, but now I can think about them every time I write a Baby-sitters Club book about Sea City.
Trivia
- On the dedication page it reads: "This book is for June and Ward Cleaver (alias Noel and Steve) from the Beav."
- The BSC is separated for two weeks: Kristy stays in Stoneybrook, Claudia goes to New Hampshire, Dawn to California, and Stacey and Mary Anne are going to Sea City with the Pikes.
- Dawn and Jeff haven't seen their dad in seven months.
- Kristy has clip on earrings.
- Stacey says that she's been to the jersey shore before.
- The Pike kids don't know that Stacey has diabetes, but their parents do.
- Mary Anne has played mini golf before.
- This is the first appearance of Toby and Alex, they'll appear again in Mary Anne and Too Many Boys.
- The cover is from in chapter 5.
- This is the first time Mary Anne gets sunburned, which remains consistent in other books where she spends time outside.
- The Pike kids have only been to Smithtown once.
- Adam did praise Nicky during putt-putt golf.
- Watson has an emergency Ford car kept in the back garage that he'll eventually paint purple.
- Stacey develops crushes quickly and gets her first kiss.
- Mary Anne went on her first date.
- Claudia and Dawn do not get a chapter of their own while Kristy does.
- Claire and Margo both just had a birthday.