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The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier is the 114th book in The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin.

Back Cover Summary[]

Mary Anne is in big trouble. She's bought loads of Christmas presents — and has no way of paying for them all. Baby-sitting money won't be enough to pay for this mistake.

There's only one thing Mary Anne can do. She can take a second job. A job that no one can know about. Not Logan. Not Dawn. Not even Mary Anne's father.

Mary Anne's Christmas will be ruined...unless her secret life pays off.

Main Plot[]

Mary Anne uses Richard’s credit card to buy her holiday gifts. She spends too much money (and she didn’t know about interest when she first used the card) so she gets an embarrassing job at the mall to try to earn extra money.

Subplot[]

The BSC hosts a fundraiser for the Toys for Kids program at the hospital so kids can get presents. They host a fair and got donations for toys as prizes and canned food to help make refreshments. The money they made went to the Toys for Kids program. Participants include Charlotte Johanssen, Ramsey Family, and Rodowsky Family. Members of the BSC including Logan Bruno and the Kilbourne Family helped out with booths. The money the BSC earned not only went to the hospital program but also to getting toys for those at the homeless shelter.

Characters[]

Mary Anne's Family

BSC Members

Kids

Teenagers

Adults

Locations[]

Pop Culture and Real-Life References[]

  • A Christmas Carol
  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  • Our Town (movie)
  • It's a Wonderful Life

Continuity and Inconsistencies[]

Continuity

Inconsistencies

  • In chapter 1, Mary Anne says that she never used her dad's credit card before but in Logan Likes Mary Anne!, her dad gave her his Bellair's charge card to buy an outfit for the dance.
  • Mary Anne says that the house she lives in was built in 1774 when in other books it was established that it was built in 1795.
  • In Stacey and the Mystery at the Mall, Stacey says Stuff 'N Nonsense is a candy store. In this book, it's a jewelry store where Mary Anne buys Dawn's Christmas presents.

Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]

Dear Reader,

In The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier, Mary Anne takes on the most embarrassing job of her life in order to earn money for holiday gifts for her friends and family. When I was younger, like Mary Anne I often needed to earn money to buy gifts for my family and friends. One memorable summer, when I was about nine, I suddenly realized that my parents’ anniversary was just two weeks away and I didn’t have enough money to buy them a present. So I talked my friend Beth into holding a backyard carnival with me. The money that I earned at the carnival was spent on a gift for my parents. But what a lot of work: Beth and I had to plan an entire carnival, borrow money from our parents to buy the materials we needed, and plan, announce, and run the carnival. All of this netted me seven dollars, but I was thrilled. I went to Woolworth’s and bought them a set of orange juice glasses. Not as lavish as the gifts Mary Anne bought for her friends, but at least I didn’t have to dress up as an elf!

Trivia[]

  • This is the only mention of the Stoneybrook Women's Shelter.
  • Stoneybrook Middle School has student IDs.
  • Mary Anne loves wrapping presents.
  • There's a nutrition center in Stoneybrook.
  • Mary Anne knows her social security number.
  • A big plot hole would be when the mall ran her social security number they'd learn that she's 13.
  • Charlotte has a fashion maker program for her computer.
  • Dawn does not hug Mary Anne when she first sees her.
  • Jeff got taller.
  • Sharon does not like that the eighth graders at Vista Private School are in the same building as the high schoolers.
    • Meanwhile Dawn loves being with the high schoolers.
  • Jeff starts taking surfing lessons.
  • Logan is described as a careful shopper.
  • In chapter 12, Mary Anne makes a mistake with her schedule and in the record book. Mary Anne narrates that she’s made mistakes with the record book before, but she always caught the error before it was too late.
  • Hunter Bruno recognizes Mary Anne in her elf costume but Logan and Dawn do not.
  • Jessi and Abby fix toys together.
  • Sharon knows that her parents sent her to California to get away from Richard.
  • The Barrett/DeWitts are mentioned but never seen.
  • Angela spends Christmas with Mary Anne's family.
  • Richard and Mary Anne are in charge of the kitchen since Dawn moved back to California, but Richard still tries to be fair to Sharon.

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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