Karen's New Year is the fourteenth book in the Baby-Sitters Little Sister series.
Back Cover Summary[]
For New Year's Eve, Karen thinks everyone should make a promise. Hannie is going to stop biting her nails. Kristy promises not to talk to her boyfriend on the phone so much. And Karen makes the most promises of all — nine!
But pretty soon, everyone starts breaking their promises. And her brothers and sisters are calling Karen a spy!
Poor Karen. Why is everyone being bad except her?
Plot[]
Karen and Andrew are invited to spend New Year's Eve with their "big-house" family. The Brewer-Thomas family decides to throw a family New Year's Eve party where everyone makes a resolution. Watson resolves to lose 10 pounds by April, Elizabeth vows to finish what she starts, Nannie says she will try harder at her rehab exercises for her hip, Andrew says he will floss before bedtime, Kristy says she will not talk about softball with Bart on the phone, Sam says he will not burp, Charlie says he will not talk on the phone while doing homework, and David Michael vows to practice his hitting and pitching everyday. Karen outdoes them all and comes up with a list of ten resolutions she vows she will keep.
After the New Year begins, Karen notices her family members breaking their resolutions, so she starts a secret notebook in which she writes her family's transgressions in as she spies on them. Meanwhile, Karen realizes how hard keeping her resolutions can be so she starts to change them. Her family finds out that she has been spying on them and they are all very upset. In the end, Karen's mother decides to enlist her friends and family to spy on Karen to teach her a lesson. Karen feels bad and apologizes for her actions.
At school, Ricky Torres tells Karen "Will you marry me?" and Karen says, "Yes!" following to the events of Karen's in Love.
Characters in this book[]
Karen's Family
- Karen Brewer
- Andrew Brewer
- Big House - Watson Brewer, Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, Charlie Thomas, Sam Thomas, Kristy Thomas, David Michael Thomas, Emily Michelle Brewer, Nannie
- Little House - Seth Engle, Lisa Engle
Kids
Teens
- Bart Taylor (on the phone)
Adults
Places in this book[]
- Big House
- Little House
- Dime Store for party supplies
- Hannie's house
- Stoneybrook Academy
Trivia[]
- A reprint is scheduled to be released December 26, 2023 [1].
- On the dedication page it says "for everyone who needs a new beginning."
- Continuity: The same toys Karen got in Karen's Wish, is brought up on page 2 and Nannie's hip as well.
- Inconsistencies: Karen is wearing her blue glasses on the cover, when those as for reading. She should be wearing her pink glasses.
- Pop culture and real life references: Doctor Dolittle (book) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
- This book starts on December 26th.
- Seth and Lisa go skiing together for new years.
- New Year resolutions include:
- Hannie wanted to stop biting her nails.
- Watson wants to lose 10 pounds by April
- Nannie wants to make her hip better.
- Elizabeth resolves to finish the things she starts
- Charlie resolves not to talk on the phone while doing homework.
- Sam resolves not to burp loudly at the table.
- Kristy resolves to talk to Bart about things other then softball.
- David Michael resolves to practice hitting and pitching everyday.
- Andrew resolved to floss his teeth every night.
- Nancy resolved to stop passing notes to Hannie during class.
- By this book Karen has developed a crush on Ricky Torres.
- Karen doesn't know what brunch is until this book.
- Karen calls Sara Ford and Natalie Springer one of her friends.
- Ricky "proposes" to Karen at the end of this book.