A children's series by Anne Mazer.
The series chronicles the life of Abigail "Abby" Hayes, a purple-loving, journal-writing redhead who also suffers from Middle Child Syndrome. These books are notable for being realistic, even when reality isn't pleasant (ie— a good friend evolving from a Nice Girl and a Shrinking Violet to a borderline mean girl.) The first 13 books covered Abby in fifth grade. After a Super Special about finishing fifth grade, the second Super Special was her entering the sixth grade, and the last 7 books take place during that year as well.
Tropes in these books include...
- Alpha Bitch: Brianna and Victoria, although Brianna is more boastful and self-centered than outright mean. Natalie becomes this. Averted with Cleo, who's more of a Lovable Alpha Bitch.
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Averted with Alex. Hannah's little sister is this in Hannah's eyes, but no one else thinks so.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Laurie, Abby's mother's old friend from college, proves to be this when she visits the Hayes family over summer.
- Brainy Brunette:
- Isabel Hayes, a brunette straight-A student.
- Abby's friend Natalie has short black hair and likes to read Harry Potter books and do chemistry experiments.
- Catchphrase: "Yay, Brianna!" used to be Bethany's.
- Collector of the Strange: Abby collects calendars. So many calendars.
- Cool Big Sis: Abby has two of them, and Alex has three.
- Cool Old Lady: Grandma Emma is this is Abby's eyes.
- Daddy's Girl: Abby. The first book, "Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining" mentions in its first chapter that she feels closer to her father than to the rest of her immediate family.
- Ear-Piercing Plot: Before starting middle school, Abby wants to get her ears pierced, but her parents won't allow it. Her older sisters suggest clip-ons as a compromise. When she trips and falls in the hallway, one of her earrings falls off, exposing that her ears aren't really pierced, and Victoria makes fun of her for wearing clip-ons. When she goes as far as to make up a humiliating song about "the one-earring wonder" and sing it loudly in the hallways, Abby decides to get her ears pierced without permission so she won't be laughed at anymore.
- Girliness Upgrade: Jessica got hit with this hard in "Some Things Never Change".
- Girl Posse: Bethany was a one-woman Girl Posse for Brianna.
- Go-to-Sleep Ending: "Home Is Where the Heart Is" ends with Abby falling asleep in her new house.
- Good Parents: Paul and Olivia Hayes. Although they have their moments of Parents as People once in a while, they are very loving and supportive of their four children.
- Granola Girl: Laurie takes this to ridiculous extremes. Best summed up by Abby:Laurie is like a hamster. She nibbles on nuts and seeds all day long. She won't eat the food we serve.
- Injured Limb Episode: "Have Wheels, Will Travel" for Eva, who breaks her arm midway through.
- It's All About Me: Brianna.
- The second book has a nasty example from the rest of the Hayes family: a festival is coming up, and everyone wants to go. Abby, who has spent several years taking Alex around the festival, declares that she doesn't want to take Alex and actually wants to do her own thing, like going places without being escorted by older siblings/parents, and not being Alex's automatic babysitter all the time. The response is not pretty: Abby's father tries to emotionally blackmail her by saying that they planned their time based on the assumption that she'd take care of Alex, and the twins are furious that they might actually have to take care of their brother for once. Alex is furious that Abby wants to have a life outside of him. Only Abby's mother finds this to be reasonable.
- Like Is, Like, a Comma: Good lord, Victoria.
- Middle Child Syndrome: Comes into play in the fourth book when Eva and Isabel have new rollerblades, but Abby is stuck with wearing Eva's old pair because it doesn't fit Alex, who gets new ones as well.
- The Moving Experience: "Home Is Where the Heart Is" involves the Hayeses having to move to Misty Acres thanks to Olivia's promotion getting her a new office. At first the kids are all upset about the move and try to resist it, but when they first see the fancy new house, Alex and the twins gradually learn to like it. Abby takes longer to come around, especially since the move means that she'll be living next door to Brianna.
- New Friend Envy:
- "Look Before You Leap" has Jessica get envious when she finds Abby has been hanging out with and chatting with Bethany (Jessica's babysitting job kept her from going to day camp with Abby during the summer, and Bethany was the only other girl Abby knew there). Abby and Jessica eventually reconcile and Bethany becomes friends with both of them.
- "Two Heads Are Better Than One" has Bethany feel left out when her best friend Brianna spends more time with Victoria. The next book, "The More, the Merrier" continues exploring this, and during Abby's party celebrating the end of the school year, Bethany gets in a fight with Victoria and ultimately ends her friendship with Brianna.
- In "Some Things Never Change", Abby is envious when Hannah hangs out with Casey more often than her.
- Polar Opposite Twins: Isabel and Eva.
- Rich Bitch: Brianna, implied with Victoria.
- Sibling Rivalry: Eva and Isabel often bicker over brains vs. brawn.
- Tastes Like Disdain: In The Best Is Yet To Come, Abby's mother Olivia invites her old friend from college, Laurie, to visit the Hayes house, and even prepares her favorite foods from scratch to welcome her—lasagne and cherry cobbler. She finds out the hard way that Laurie has taken a level or two in jerkass when she turns her nose up at the food because she no longer eats wheat, sugar, or dairy and goes on a self-righteous spiel about how lasagne clogs the arteries with fats, poisons and toxins.
- Tomboy: Eva. Jessica, formerly.
- Traumatic Haircut: Abby accidentally gives herself one, but Brianna offers her some of her hair gel to make it look better until it grows back.
- The Unfavorite: Abby feels like this sometimes as part of her Middle Child Syndrome.
- Unlucky Childhood Friend: Mason to Abby.
- Valley Girl: Maybe not literally, but Victoria certainly talks like one.
- Verbal Tic: Victoria's love of the word "like."
- Vacation Episode:
- "Look Before You Leap" has a subplot involving everyone in the Hayes family having different ideas on where to go on vacation. Later, Paul teams up with Abby, while her siblings team up with Olivia. Eventually, Abby gives up and chooses Isabel's idea of Williamsburg so the latter can help the former take care of her kitten, T-Jeff, but at Abby's suggestion everyone agrees to invite Grandma Emma to join them.
- Abby goes to visit Grandma Emma during the spring break in "Everything New Under the Sun".
- The Hayes family and Hannah go on a camping trip in "Too Close for Comfort". Later they take a vacation from that and stay in a hotel.
- "What Goes Up Must Come Down" has the Hayes family go on a trip to Paris.
- Wham Episode: "Home Is Where The Heart Is". Abby and her family move.
