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Dawn and the Big Sleepover is the 44th book in The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin.

Back Cover Summary[]

A bunch of kids at Stoneybrook Elementary have pen pals at a school in New Mexico. The Baby-sitters love hearing the letters that Charlotte, Becca, and the Pike children get from their new friends.

Then the bad news reaches Stoneybrook: their pen pals' school has been destroyed by a fire. Dawn is so upset that she organizes a fund-raiser for them. And as a reward to all the kids who help out, she is going to throw a gigantic sleepover!

A hundred kids, thirty pizzas — will Dawn survive her biggest baby-sitting job ever?

Summary[]

Pen Pals[]

Subplot[]

Characters[]

Dawn's Family

BSC Members

Kids

Pre-Teens

Teenagers

Adults

Locations[]

Pop Culture and Real-Life References[]

  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
  • Nintendo
  • Julia Child
  • Judy Blume and her book Tiger Eyes
  • Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
  • Make Way for Ducklings
  • The Wizard of Oz
  • I Dream of Jeanie
  • Raffi
  • One Morning in Maine

Continuity and Inconsistencies[]

Continuity

Inconsistencies

  • When Mr. Taylor calls the baby-sitters’ names over the P.A. system to inform teachers that they’ll be excused early for the assembly at the elementary-school, he uses Jessi’s full first name (Jessica). But he says “Kristy” instead of “Kristin” and “Stacey” instead of “Anastasia.” Kristy and Stacey are most likely enrolled at SMS under their full names.  
  • At the end of the sleepover Dawn narrates that "the Barretts were the last parents to come and the last to leave." It should be Mrs. Barrett was the first to come and the last to leave since she is divorced and a single mom.
  • Dawn says that she had never met Ms. Besser, but she comes to pick Jeff up and talk to Ms. Besser when he got in trouble at school in Claudia and the New Girl.
  • Dawn says "a letter that came to Mary Anne’s house" (the letter from Haley’s pen pal to Madam Leveaux). Since Dawn and Mary Anne live together, it should say "a letter that came to our house" or "a letter that came to my house."
  • It says that Margo hadn’t gotten a pen pal, but it said she had earlier in the chapter.
  • Stacey’s father is said to be a businessman, but in other books he’s a lawyer.

Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]

Dear Reader,

When I was growing up, my friends and I had sleepovers all the time. We never had one quite as elaborate as the one Dawn has in Dawn and the Big Sleepover. But they were always lots of fun. Most of our sleepovers were held at my best friend Beth’s house because she had a big rec room. Some of our favorite activities were playing Twister, Categories, and Battleship; making taffy (this was rarely successful); and, of course, eating junk food.

But our favorite activity was watching Alfred Hitchcock’s movie The Birds. Remember that I grew up in the days before VCRs, so we couldn’t just bring a movie to a sleepover. We had to wait until The Birds was going to be on television, and then plan our sleepover around it. Another event we often tried to plan a sleepover around was New Year’s Eve. We would try to stay up all night, but we rarely made it past three or four in the morning. I haven’t been to a sleepover in years, but every time I hear of one I remember the fun parties my friends and I used to have.

Trivia[]

  • Dawn and Mary Anne's homeroom teacher is Mr. Blake.
  • Ray Stuckey is the "class clown" in Mary Anne and Dawn's homeroom.
  • Pete Black is friends with Alan Gray in this book.
  • Keisha visits Jessi in this book.
  • Charlotte's pen pal's first name is Charlotte's middle name.
  • This is the only book to have a burnt orange cover.
  • Jordan taught his pen pal pig latin.
  • Dawn wishes that she could participate in the program.
  • The Johanssens don't have any family in Stoneybrook.
  • Ms. Berner is Dawn's math teacher.
  • The Prezzioso's are mentioned in chapter 8.
  • To raise money:
    • the Pikes and their friends hosted a carnival
    • the Rodowskys had a yard sale
  • Mary Anne's printing looks like Dawn's on page 101.
  • Permission slips were eventually handed out.
  • Buddy Barrett sleepwalks in this book.
  • Dawn doesn't really like pancakes.
  • Claudia is the one that found the principal's address and they sent the money to him.

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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