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Dawn and the School Spirit War is the 84th book in The Baby-Sitters Club series.

Back Cover Summary[]

It's School Spirit Month at SMS. That means a new activity every day, including a pep rally, a big game against their rival school, and all kinds of dress-up days. Dawn likes some of the events, especially school clean-up day.

But soon Dawn sees that some of the kids are getting too involved in School Spirit Month. They make fun of the people who don't participate, and Mary Anne is becoming afraid to go to school. Dawn doesn't think that is fair.

School Spirit Month was supposed to bring SMS together. But now a huge war is about to break out. And Dawn is right in the middle of it.

Summary[]

Dawn and Mary Anne protest School Spirit Month. Since some BSC members are for it, this causes issues in the club. Dawn and Mary Anne petition to get rid of Spirit Month and they win. But Dawn is disappointed even though they won. She later has School Spirit Month brought back, but on a voluntary basis.

Subplot[]

The Barretts and the DeWitts are too cramped in their house. The kids convinced their parents not to buy a bigger house in another city, but their current house is too small. The problem is solved when an addition is built.

Characters[]

Dawn's Family

BSC Members

Kids

Pre-Teens

  • Robbie Mara - sixth grader interviewed by the news

Teenagers

Adults

Locations[]

Pop Culture and Real-Life References[]

  • Power Rangers
  • X-Men
  • G.I. Joe
  • Monopoly
  • Minnie Mouse
  • Salvation Army
  • The French Revolution

Continuity and Inconsistencies[]

Continuity

Inconsistencies

  • Dawn says she doesn't eat red meat in this book, when in the previous book she says she's a vegetarian.
  • Dawn says she's messy when in earlier books she's a pretty neat person.
  • In Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation, there are 382 students at SMS. Here Dawn and Mary Anne end up with over 300 signatures on their petition, implying that there were more students at the school.
  • Mary Anne owns a pair of pink pajamas, but in Mary Anne Saves the Day she says pink is one of her least fave colors. But the pajamas could’ve been a gift from someone who didn’t know that Mary Anne doesn’t like pink.

Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]

Dear Reader,

In Dawn and the School Spirit War, Dawn takes a stand for something she believes in and won't back down. Dawn is often active in issues where the environment is concerned. But this is one of the few times when she champions an unpopular cause. Dawn feels strongly that if she is passionate about something she must stand up for what she believes in. She feels that it's her right to make her voice heard — even if no one wants to hear her. This is difficult, but Dawn knows it's important to try to change things that she feels are wrong. The option, she knows, is to live with them, and Dawn would always rather fight than give in.

Trivia[]

  • Dawn wears a nightshirt or sweats to sleep but Mary Anne owns pajamas.
  • Nannie bought Kristy pajamas with pink bunnies all over them and she wears them to school.
  • The Howard Township Middle School is SMS's big rival.
  • Fights include Dawn, Mary Anne, & Mal vs Kristy, Claudia, & Jessi
  • Sharon's car is being fixed and Richard drives her to work in the first chapter.
  • There are executive board PTO meetings.
  • This book is set in April.
  • The Stoneybrook News covers the school spirit month.
  • Events include:
    • Pajama day
    • School clean up day
    • Color day - yellow for the eighth graders, red for the sixth graders, green for the seventh graders
    • Recyclable soda can day
    • Garden Day
    • Make a new friend day
    • Dress like a teacher day
    • Mural Day
    • Retro clothing day
  • Mr. Wong works in the art department
  • Dawn doesn't own any yellow clothing
  • Stacey didn't wear anything yellow on color day
  • Stacey likes the word zeal.
  • Kristy calls Mary Anne uptight
  • There is a food fight in chapter eight.
  • Stoneybrook is an expensive place to live where Mr. and Mrs. DeWitt could move to a bigger place outside of town.
  • Dawn and Sharon were both on TV.
  • Sharon and Richard both didn't like Cindy Sherwood in high school.
  • Although they are never spoke the Newtons, Pikes, Braddocks, Hills, and the Hobarts were all invited to the ground breaking party.
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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