Baby-sitters Club
Like many other books featuring middle school girls being a part of something greater than them, these books begin as an innocent story about friendship.
A review of the Baby-sitters Club by Ann M. Martin
It all starts with a group of four friends living in Stoneybrook: Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, and Stacey McGill. They are running a babysitting service called “The Baby-Sitter’s Club.” They are later joined by Jessi Ramsey.
The Baby-sitter’s Club came to life when an editor of Scholastic saw how popular Katie’s Babysitting Job was. She realized that there was clearly a market for books and novels that deal with the topic of babysitting, so she came up with the idea.
Then, she gave Ann M. Martin a call, and the rest is history. However, it all started with the first book – Kristy’s Great Idea. After seeing an enormous success, sequels followed shortly. Some of them include:
- Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls
- The Truth About Stacey
- Mary Anne Saves the Day
- Dawn and the Impossible Three
- Kristy’s Big Day
- Claudia and Mean Janine
- Boy-Crazy Stacey
Thanks to such popularity, the books are available as movies, graphic novels, and numerous TV shows. There’s even a Netflix series adaptation of the Babysitters Club, created by Rachel Shukert, starring Kyndra Sanchez, Anais Lee, Momona Tamada, Vivian Watson, Anastasia Elizabeth McGill, Shay Rudolph, Malia Baker, Xochitl Gomez, and Alicia Silverstone.
The overall themes of the Baby-sitters Club
The themes found in the books are those of friendship, female empowerment, entrepreneurship, family, and community.
Many of the books also portray the club members overcoming hardships. For example, The Truth About Stacey talks about her battle with diabetes and problems with her parents. But she solves them with a friend.
And in Mary Anne Saves the Day, the girls have a huge fight threatening to drive them apart and destroy their business. Luckily, Mary Anne keeps the group together.
In Good-Bye Stacey, Good-Bye, the members of the Baby-sitters Club have a hard time saying farewell to Stacey, who’s moving back to New York.
These themes are great at teaching children and adults alike about real-life hardships and how they can overcome them.
Main characters
It’s time to meet the main characters – the girls that started the Baby-sitters Club.
Kristy
Kristin Amanda Thomas is a tomboy of many great ideas, but her big mouth often gets her in trouble. She hates not being in charge, and that’s something to which many teenage girls can relate.
When her mother struggles to find a babysitter for Kristy’s brother, Kristy comes up with her “great idea” – forming the Baby-sitters Club.
Claudia
Every president needs a vice president, and in this case, that’s Claudia Kishi. She’s into all kinds of arts and creative hobbies – drawing, painting, sculpting, etc.
Unfortunately, Claudia has a lot of struggles when it comes to her family. They don’t approve of the candy she eats or the mystery books she reads, so she has to hide them in her room.
Stacey
Stacey, is a brilliant girl, sophisticated dresser, and an incredible mathematician. That’s why she’s the appointed treasurer of the Baby-sitters Club.
Stacy has Type 1 diabetes and was often teased for it back in New York, her hometown. That’s why she was reluctant to tell other girls about it at first. At one point, she moves back to New York and even leaves the club because she puts her boyfriend first.
Mary Anne
Mary Anne Spier is a girl of many talents, but her organizational skills and pretty handwriting got her the club secretary position. She’s best friends with Kristy.
This kind girl enjoys sewing, knitting, reading, etc. She’s a great friend, although a little shy. She’s the first member of the club with a steady relationship with her boyfriend Logan.
Dawn
Finally, let’s talk about the club’s alternate officer – Dawn Schafer. Dawn lived in California, but then her parents divorced, and she moved to Stoneybrook with her mother. Unlike Claudia, Dawn can’t stand sweets. In fact, she is vegetarian and all about healthy food.
Dawn joins the Baby-sitters Club while they are having a huge fight because she and Mary Anne instantly bond. Their parents go on to get married, making Dawn and Mary Anne step-sisters.
More on the author Ann M. Martin
Ann Matthews Martin grew up in Princeton, NJ, with her mother, father, and little sister. She has been interested in writing for as long as she can remember because she would tell stories before she even knew how to pick up a pen.
Ann discovered her love for working with children, so she decided to become a teacher. She went on to get a BSC from Smith College.
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FAQ
Is Baby-sitters Club season 3 canceled?
Unfortunately, the Baby-sitters Club is canceled.
Why did they cancel Baby-sitters Club?
It is assumed that Netflix canceled the TV series because of “average audience numbers.”
Is Kristy from Baby-sitters Club LGBTQ?
The original books don’t confirm that Kristy, played by Sophie Grace, is LGBTQ, but fans speculate it to be true.
Is Dawn from the Baby-Sitters Club LGBTQ?
In the books, this isn’t stated, but in the show, Dawn comes out as pansexual.
Is there a Baby-sitters Club movie?
Yes, there is. In fact, there’s more than one.
What are some of the books in the Baby-sitters Club?
Some of the books are The Ghost at Dawn’s House, Logan Likes Mary Anne!, Kristy and the Snobs, Claudia and the New Girl, and more.
What happens in the last episode of Baby-sitters Club?
Mimi, Claudia’s grandmother, dies, and Claudia wins the costume contest in honor of her memory during a parade.
Who is the president of the Baby-sitters Club?
Kristy is the president of the Baby-sitters Club.
What is the Baby-sitters Club book series about?
The Baby-sitters Club series is about a group of teenage girls coming together to create a babysitting business called the Baby-sitters Club.
Who was the youngest babysitter?
The youngest babysitter is Mallory Pike.
