Mary Anne's Makeover is the 60th book in The Baby-Sitters Club series. Mary Anne Spier gets a whole new look. Everyone likes the new Mary Anne but does the BSC like it?
Back Cover Summary[]
When Mary Anne sees a picture of a haircut that she really likes, the baby-sitters don't pay much attention to it. They like good old Mary Anne just the way she is.
But Mary Anne really wants the haircut. So she goes ahead and gets it — along with some new clothes and a little makeup. Mary Anne can't wait for her friends to see her.
What a mistake! The Baby-sitters can't even believe what she's done. That makes Mary Anne mad. Maybe she's the one to blame?
Summary[]
Mary Anne is getting sick of her old look: long hair, classic clothing, she wants a new look, but her friends like the old Mary Anne. But when she sees a picture of a haircut that she really likes, she asks her father to get a haircut. He suggests going to Gloraina's House of Hair, which Mary Anne's father says you'll come with a green Mohawk, and Mary Anne says that they ruined Karen Brewer's hair. So Mary Anne and her father go to the Washington Mall, and gets the haircut by Joyce, along with new clothes and a little makeup. When they got home, Sharon and Dawn are shocked by this, and Dawn is angry about Mary Anne's haircut. When Mary Anne goes to a BSC meeting, the rest of the members are shocked, expect for Logan Bruno, he likes her haircut better than the members, and they won't even talk to her. Meanwhile at school, everyone likes Mary Anne's haircut, even the snobby girls, who she makes friends with. Then, the babysitters realized that everyone likes Mary Anne's new style, and make up with Mary Anne once more.
Subplot[]
Carolyn Arnold thinks that she makes a real time machine after watching the 1985 film "Back to the Future" and charges kids to travel to the past.
Characters[]
Mary Anne's Family
BSC Members
Kids
- Arnold Twins
- Rosie Wilder (mentioned)
- Kerry and Hunter Bruno
- Kids that live around the Arnold Family's house
- Andrea and Jenny Prezzioso
Teenagers
- Alan Gray
- Bruce Schermerhorn
- Justin Forbes
- Erica Blumberg (mentioned)
- Cokie Mason
- Austin Bentley (mentioned)
- Hannah Toce
- Susan Taylor
- Sabrina Bouvier (8th grader)
- Trevor Sandbourne
- Pete Black (mentioned)
- Sam Thomas (mentioned)
Adults
- Rioko Kishi
- Mrs. Wilder (mentioned)
- Madeleine Prezzioso (mentioned)
Locations[]
- Kishi House
- Stoneybrook Middle School
- Spier/Schafer House
- Washington Mall
- Arnold House
- Prezzioso House
- Bruno House
Pop Culture and Real-Life References[]
- Movies: Back to the Future, Beauty and the Beast
- Ronald Reagan
- Calvin Klein
- Books: Time and Again by Jack Finney, A Separate Peace, The Time Machine
- Nijinsky (ballet dancer)
- Magazines: Wall Street Journal and Rolling Stone
- Charlie Parker (jazz artist)
- Bach
Continuity and Inconsistencies[]
Continuity
- This book says that Joyce is Stacey's favorite stylist at Washington Mall, which is mentioned again in Snowbound.
- How Marilyn and Carolyn wanted different rooms from Mary Anne and the Great Romance.
- Mary Anne remembers Karen's haircut from Karen's Haircut.
- Mary Anne remembers Charlotte getting stage fright from Little Miss Stoneybrook ...and Dawn on page 124.
Inconsistencies
- Mary Anne narrated that she was the one that convinced Mrs. Arnold to let the girls dress differently when it was Mallory in Mallory and the Trouble with Twins.
Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]
Dear Reader,
In Mary Anne’s Makeover, Mary Anne gets a whole new look. Every now and then I get my hair cut, too. However, my style of dress rarely changes. And if I had to choose a member of the Baby-sitters Club whose style is most like mine, it would be Kristy. I came up with Kristy’s “uniform” because it’s what I wear just about every day. I’m happiest when I’m in jeans or overalls, turtlenecks, and sneakers (which is what I’m wearing right now). I believe in being comfortable!
I decided to give Mary Anne a makeover because I wanted her to assert herself. Also, I felt that at least one BSC member should have short hair, since lots of people do, including me. However, what I didn’t realize was that when I changed Mary Anne’s hair, the girl who models as Mary Anne on the book covers would have to wear a wig from then on. Sorry, Mary Anne!
Trivia[]
- This is the first time Mary Anne cuts her hair. Starting with this book and continuing for the rest of the series, the picture of Mary Anne on the 1995-1997 reprint sidebar reflects this change.
- This is one of the few books were Mary Anne misses a BSC meeting.
- Kristy has been in track, softball, gymnastics, and volleyball.
- Dates:
- Mary Anne/Logan
- Pete Black/Dawn
- Stacey/Sam
- Sabrina Bouvier/Carlos
- Mary Anne notes that Stacey has dark blonde hair on page 22.
- Mary Anne's new years resolution is to be the best version of herself.
- Richard always thought Mary Anne would look good with short hair.
- Mary Anne's complexion is a winter or late spring.
- Matt Braddock's laugh is like a loud squeak and a goose's honk.
- A new Thai restaurant opened near Richard's work
- Kristy wears a long dress and heels to the dance (although she takes off the shoes)
- Logan is an expert dancer.
- If Dawn had a time machine she'd go back and see Richard and Sharon at one of their school dances.
- The name Sabrina Bouvier is recycled from a character in Little Miss Stoneybrook ...and Dawn.