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Claudia's Big Party is the 123rd book in The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin.

Back Cover Summary[]

Lately Claudia's been wishing she could clone herself. She just can't be everywhere she needs to be—doing her schoolwork, keeping up with the BSC, hanging out with her seventh-grade friends, and seeing her new boyfriend, Josh. If she could bring some of those people closer together, her life would be a lot easier. A party might help, but her parents probably won't let her have one. But wait! Her parents are going away for four days. Claudia convinces her sister that a quiet little gathering of friends will be okay. But unfortunately for Claudia, the party isn't quiet or little — and it's definitely not okay.

Uh-oh.

Main Plot[]

Claudia wants her BSC friends and her seventh-grade friends to get to know each other. When her parents go to Chicago, they leave Janine and Claudia home alone. Claudia convinces Janine to let her have a party so her groups of friends can get acquainted. Unfortunately, she’s not clear on who is invited and more people show up than expected.

Subplot[]

Bill and Melody Korman aren’t getting along. After a few disastrous jobs with them, Jessi says that they need a situation that’ll force them to work together. On a sitting job, Mary Anne takes them for a walk and pretends to lose the house key. Bill and Melody work together to find a way into the locked house before finding the house key in Skyler’s stroller (where Mary Anne planted it).

Characters[]

Claudia's Family

Extended Family


BSC Members

Kids

Pre-Teens

Teenagers

Adults

  • Mr. Korman
  • Mrs. Korman
  • Jim Simpson - one of Mr. Kishi's friends (mentioned)
  • Mr. Christian - One of Mrs. Kishi's colleagues
  • Mrs. McGill (mentioned)
  • Richard Spier (mentioned)

Locations[]

Pop Culture and Real-Life References[]

  • Twist Magazine
  • Ramona Quimby Age 8
  • Mask of the Avenger (movie)
  • Titanic
  • Sense and Sensibility
  • Catherine the Great
  • Yahtzee

Continuity and Inconsistencies[]

Continuity

  • It is narrated that Mallory is having problems at school that started in Kristy in Charge.
  • Claudia's favorite food is still spaghetti which was first mentioned way back in California Girls!.
  • When Claudia hears about her parents' trip to Chicago (before finding out she and Janine aren't invited), she hopes she'll get to visit the Art Institute again. She visited the Art Institute in BSC in the USA.

Inconsistencies

  • Claudia and Janine count 21 people at the party but only 18 are there.

Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]

Dear Reader,

In Claudia’s Big Party, Claudia and Janine are left on their own for a weekend, and Claudia finds that her relationship with her sister is changing. Claudia and Janine have never been close, but now Claudia sees that her sister would like to be her friend too. When I was growing up, I was the big sister like Janine, and Jane was my little sister, like Claudia. We were just two years apart, but for a long time we weren’t very close.

We had different friends and very different interests. I excelled in school, and my sister excelled in sports and was involved in lots of activities. It was not until we had grown up and each moved to New York City that we became friends and spent a lot of time together. Now my sister is not just my sister, but a mother too, and I have a brand-new nephew Henry, named after our father. Relationships constantly change—so who knows...maybe one day Claudia and Janine will be best friends too!

Trivia[]

  • Just before the events of this book Janine and Jerry broke up.
  • Mr. Kishi is good at social studies.
  • This is the first time Ethan Caroll comes to Stoneybrook, he'll come again in Stacey's Problem.
  • Skylar Korman is going to a baby gym class.
  • Janine likes Snickers.
  • Claudia think that Ethan is cute.
  • Josh wore a tie to his triple date with Logan, Mary Anne, Ethan, and Stacey.
  • Claudia still sees a pediatrician. But in Claudia and the Great Search, she says that she sees a doctor who specializes in “adolescent care.”
  • Claudia isn't aware that Carolyn Keene isn't a real person.
  • Stacey, Shira, and Rick try balancing pizza boxes on their heads.
  • There is no explanation as to why Bill and Melody are fighting.

Gallery[]

Baby-Sitters Club Books
The Summer Before | #1 Kristy's Great Idea | #2 Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls | #3 The Truth About Stacey | #4 Mary Anne Saves the Day | #5 Dawn and the Impossible Three | #6 Kristy's Big Day | #7 Claudia and Mean Janine | #8 Boy-Crazy Stacey | #9 The Ghost at Dawn's House | #10 Logan Likes Mary Anne! | #11 Kristy and the Snobs | #12 Claudia and the New Girl | #13 Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye | #14 Hello, Mallory | #15 Little Miss Stoneybrook... and Dawn | #16 Jessi's Secret Language | #17 Mary Anne's Bad-Luck Mystery | #18 Stacey's Mistake | #19 Claudia and the Bad Joke | #20 Kristy and the Walking Disaster | #21 Mallory and the Trouble with Twins | #22 Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter | #23 Dawn on the Coast | #24 Kristy and the Mother's Day Surprise | #25 Mary Anne and the Search for Tigger | #26 Claudia and the Sad Good-bye | #27 Jessi and the Superbrat | #28 Welcome Back, Stacey! | #29 Mallory and the Mystery Diary | #30 Mary Anne and the Great Romance | #31 Dawn's Wicked Stepsister | #32 Kristy and the Secret of Susan | #33 Claudia and the Great Search | #34 Mary Anne and Too Many Boys | #35 Stacey and the Mystery of Stoneybrook | #36 Jessi's Baby-Sitter | #37 Dawn and the Older Boy | #38 Kristy's Mystery Admirer | #39 Poor Mallory! | #40 Claudia and the Middle School Mystery | #41 Mary Anne vs. Logan | #42 Jessi and the Dance School Phantom | #43 Stacey's Emergency | #44 Dawn and the Big Sleepover | #45 Kristy and the Baby Parade | #46 Mary Anne Misses Logan | #47 Mallory on Strike | #48 Jessi's Wish | #49 Claudia and the Genius of Elm Street | #50 Dawn's Big Date | #51 Stacey's Ex-Best Friend | #52 Mary Anne + 2 Many Babies | #53 Kristy for President | #54 Mallory and the Dream Horse | #55 Jessi's Gold Medal | #56 Keep Out, Claudia! | #57 Dawn Saves the Planet | #58 Stacey's Choice | #59 Mallory Hates Boys (and Gym) | #60 Mary Anne's Makeover | #61 Jessi and the Awful Secret | #62 Kristy and the Worst Kid Ever | #63 Claudia's Freind Friend | #64 Dawn's Family Feud | #65 Stacey's Big Crush | #66 Maid Mary Anne | #67 Dawn's Big Move | #68 Jessi and the Bad Baby-sitter | #69 Get Well Soon, Mallory! | #70 Stacey and the Cheerleaders | #71 Claudia and the Perfect Boy | #72 Dawn and the We Love Kids Club | #73 Mary Anne and Miss Priss | #74 Kristy and the Copycat | #75 Jessi's Horrible Prank | #76 Stacey's Lie | #77 Dawn and Whitney, Friends Forever | #78 Claudia and Crazy Peaches | #79 Mary Anne Breaks the Rules | #80 Mallory Pike, No. 1 Fan | #81 Kristy and Mr. Mom | #82 Jessi and the Troublemaker | #83 Stacey vs. the BSC | #84 Dawn and the School Spirit War | #85 Claudia Kishi, Live From WSTO! | #86 Mary Anne and Camp BSC | #87 Stacey and the Bad Girls | #88 Farewell, Dawn | #89 Kristy and the Dirty Diapers | #90 Welcome to the BSC, Abby! | #91 Claudia and the First Thanksgiving | #92 Mallory's Christmas Wish | #93 Mary Anne and the Memory Garden | #94 Stacey McGill, Super Sitter | #95 Kristy + Bart = ? | #96 Abby's Lucky Thirteen | #97 Claudia and the World's Cutest Baby | #98 Dawn and Too Many Sitters | #99 Stacey's Broken Heart | #100 Kristy's Worst Idea | #101 Claudia Kishi, Middle School Dropout | #102 Mary Anne and the Little Princess | #103 Happy Holidays, Jessi | #104 Abby's Twin | #105 Stacey the Math Whiz | #106 Claudia, Queen of the Seventh Grade | #107 Mind Your Own Business, Kristy! | #108 Don't Give Up, Mallory! | #109 Mary Anne to the Rescue | #110 Abby the Bad Sport | #111 Stacey's Secret Friend | #112 Kristy and the Sister War | #113 Claudia Makes Up Her Mind | #114 The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier | #115 Jessi's Big Break | #116 Abby and the Best Kid Ever | #117 Claudia and the Terrible Truth | #118 Kristy Thomas, Dog Trainer | #119 Stacey's Ex-Boyfriend | #120 Mary Anne and the Playground Fight | #121 Abby in Wonderland | #122 Kristy in Charge | #123 Claudia's Big Party | #124 Stacey McGill... Matchmaker? | #125 Mary Anne in the Middle | #126 The All-New Mallory Pike | #127 Abby's Un-Valentine | #128 Claudia and the Little Liar | #129 Kristy at Bat | #130 Stacey's Movie | #131 The Fire at Mary Anne's House
Super Specials
#1 Baby-sitters on Board! | #2 Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation | #3 Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation | #4 Baby-sitters' Island Adventure | #5 California Girls! | #6 New York, New York! | #7 Snowbound | #8 Baby-sitters at Shadow Lake | #9 Starring the Baby-sitters Club #10 Sea City, Here We Come! | #11 The Baby-sitters Remember | #12 Here Come the Bridesmaids! | #13 Aloha, Baby-sitters! | #14 BSC in the USA | #15 Baby-sitters' European Vacation
Portrait Collection
Stacey's Book | Claudia's Book | Dawn's Book | Mary Anne's Book | Kristy's Book | Abby's Book
Other
The Baby-Sitters Club Notebook (1987) | The Baby-Sitters Club Postcard Book (1991) | Trivia & Puzzle Fun Book (1992) | Ann M. Martin: The Story of the author of the Baby-sitters Club (1993) | The Baby-Sitters Club Guide to Babysitting (1993) | The Baby-Sitters Club Chain Letter (1993) | The Baby-Sitters Club Secret Santa (1994) | Audio Books on Cassette Tape (1994-5) | BSC Movie Novelization (1995) | The Complete Guide to the Baby-Sitters Club (1996) | Autograph Book (1998) | BSC Graphic Novels (2006-present) | We Are the Baby-Sitters Club: Essays and Artwork from Grown-Up Readers (2021) | Welcome to Stoneybrook: A Guided Journal (2021) | The Official Coloring Book (2023)
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