Let me tell you about the members of the club. I'll start with Jessi, since you already know a little about her. As I've said, she's a talented ballerina and my very best friend. Like me, she loves to read, especially books about horses. Unlike me, she doesn't have a huge family. Her family consists of her mother, father, her younger sister Becca, and her little brother Squirt (his real name is John Philip Ramsey, Jr.). Jessi's Aunt Cecelia lives with them, too. She takes care of Becca and Squirt while Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey are at work.

Jessi moved to Stoneybrook from Oakley, New Jersey. (She moved into Stacey's old house!) The move was difficult for the Ramseys. They are African-American, and their neighborhood back in New Jersey was comfortably integrated. Stoneybrook is mostly white, and some of the Ramseys' new neighbors weren't exactly happy about a black family moving in. Experiencing this kind of prejudice was painful for Jessi's family. (When I think of people hurting Jessi's feelings like that, I get furious.) But the Ramseys waited it out, and now their neighbors know them as the nice people they are.

The best way to describe Jessi is to say she looks like a dancer. She's slim, with long legs, and she moves gracefully no matter what she's doing. She has big brown eyes with long lashes. Her dark hair is usually pulled back, dancer-style, in a ponytail or bun.

Next, I'll tell you about Kristy Thomas. I think of Kristy in terms of opposites. Here is Kristy opposite number one: small physical size, huge personality. She is a petite person, the shortest one of us~ Yet she has a big presence. Kristy doesn't keep anything to herself. She lets you know exactly what she's thinking - and she's always thinking something. Great ideas are Kristy's trademark.