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Dawn's Big Move is the 67th book in The Baby-Sitters Club series. At then end of the book, Dawn moves back to California for 6 months. She returns to Stoneybrook in Here Come the Bridesmaids!.

Back Cover Summary[]

Dawn loves her life in Stoneybrook – her new stepfamily, the kids she sits for, and especially her friends in the Baby-sitters Club. But lately, Dawn really misses her dad and brother in California. Seeing them on holidays and vacations just isn't enough. So Dawn's made a decision – a big one. She's going back to California for six months.

Of course, everyone's shocked. What's Mary Anne going to do without her best friend and stepsister? Who will replace Dawn in the club? And will she really come back...?

Summary[]

Dawn has been missing California, her dad, and Jeff a lot lately. She's been missing it so much, in fact, that she decides to try living there again for 6 months. Her Stoneybrook family is pretty surprised at this, and Sharon is understandably hurt. She agrees to try and work something out, though. Mary Anne actually takes the news pretty well, unlike when Dawn leaves forever later in the series. She actually encourages Dawn to go, and tells her that even though she'll be missed, her happiness is the most important thing.

Sharon and Jack have multiple phone discussions about the logistics of Dawn making this change. They have to coordinate with both SMS and Dawn's CA school to see if she'll be able to switch from one to the other. Jack also has to learn about Dawn's everyday life (dating, curfew, etc), since he hasn't been around for that for awhile. The guidance counselors at both schools agree that the change wouldn't be too tough for Dawn to handle from an academic point of view, so it's official: Dawn is going to be a California girl again.

When Dawn breaks the news to the other members of the BSC, they 're surprised but understanding...with one exception. That would be (surprise, surprise) Kristy. She's worried about what will happen to the club with one full member gone. Shannon is too busy to take on the role, and Logan doesn't really want to try it again. The girls consider just taking on a new member, but everyone is kind of afraid of ending up with another Janet or Leslie.

As the big day gets closer and closer, Dawn starts to have second thoughts. Jessi comes back from a weekend in Oakley, where she was visiting Keisha, to find that everything had changed (including Keisha). Stacey has also had similar experiences going back to New York, which makes Dawn worry that she won't fit into her old life as quickly and easily as she'd like to. She even briefly changes her mind and decides to stay in Stoneybrook, after making a pros and cons list (also after the BSC had thrown her a goodbye party, and after her plane ticket had already been bought). In the end, though, Dawn decides that regardless of what her list says, California is where she belongs.

Subplot[]

Characters[]

Dawn's Family

BSC Members

Kids

Teenagers

Adults

Locations[]

Pop Culture and Real-Life References[]

  • Pocketful of Miracles (movie)
  • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
  • Where’s Waldo
  • The Simpsons
  • Garfield
  • The Wizard of Oz
  • Monstro the Whale from Pinocchio

Continuity and Inconsistencies[]

Continuity

Inconsistencies

  • On page 134 Dawn says she'd never kept a journal before. In the first California Diaries book, Dawn says that all the kids at Vista are required to keep journals starting in kindergarten, and that the new one she's starting is journal #22 for her.
  • Sharon eats lasagna in chapter 6 when she's supposed to be a vegetarian. But Dawn’s lasagna was vegetarian; Sharon’s could’ve been as well

Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]

Dear Reader,

In Dawn’s Big Move, Dawn has to make a very important decision. It isn’t easy for her. Her mind is telling her one thing, and her heart is telling her another. In the end, she decides to go where her heart leads her. One of the biggest decisions I ever had to make was where to go to college. To begin with, my guidance counselor had looked at my SAT scores and told me they were low, so there were very few colleges I would be able to get into. My parents looked at my grades and my activities, and decided that was ridiculous. Together, we visited thirteen colleges, and I applied to five. I was accepted at all of them, including two of the top women’s colleges in the country, Smith and Mount Holyoke. I knew I wanted to go to one of these colleges, and I liked both of them very much, but I liked Smith a little better. However, my mother had gone to Mount Holyoke. I agonized over this decision for days. I knew my mother would be happy if I went to Mount Holyoke, and I didn’t want to disappoint her. However, my heart was telling me to go to Smith. In the end, that was the decision I made — and it was the best decision of my life!

Trivia[]

  • This book's cover image first appeared in the 1993 BSC calendar showing Mary Anne with long hair. However, Mary Anne cut her hair in #60 Mary Anne's Makeover, so the image was modified for the published book. That is why this cover shows her with a middle-length haircut that she is not depicted as having in any other artwork.
  • Janine is like an animal when she plays pinball.
  • Logan has his busboy job at the Rosebud now.
  • Shannon sometimes takes tap dance lessons.
  • Richard is stronger then Dawn thinks he is
  • Linda, Marilyn, and Carolyn went out and got their dad Garfield underwear for the underwear race
  • Logan once got a fortune cookie that said he would reach his most desired goal, and the next day he scored a touchdown
  • Dawn has mixed feelings about Carol
  • Dawn has to be home by nine on weekdays and ten on weekends unless she’s sitting late.
  • Shannon starts an after-school tutoring project for the honor society that lasts at least two months
  • The Papadakises hold a family reunion.
    • Kristy finds their cousin, fifteen year old Nicko, really cute.
    • Dawn believes Sari will be haunted by pictures of the family playing Run for Your Money for the rest of her life.
  • The Ramsey's go to church.
  • Sharon is a bad cook
  • Jessi was the secret weapon to win the dance relay race
  • Dawn goes shopping with Claudia and Stacey for new clothes

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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