A Blast From the Past: When an Old Favorite Becomes “New” Again

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a reader. I was that girl riding her bike around the neighborhood with a book in hand (wait, did other people do this? Don’t try this!). If I got a gift certificate to the popular (now closed) toy store, 9 times out of 10 I’d use it to buy books. Growing up, my favorite books to read were The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin. The series began in 1986 with Kristy’s Great Idea. I was 9 years old and I was obsessed! If you haven’t read this series before, they follow the lives of several babysitters who came together to form a club. I loved reading (and re-reading) about the adventures of Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, Stacey, and Dawn, the original characters in the series. Even though I didn’t do a lot of babysitting when I was younger, I wished more than anything that I could be a part of their club. I would have fit right in with Kristy (the slightly bossy leader and creator of the club), Claudia (the fun and creative artist), Mary Anne (the quiet, conscientious, reliable one), Stacey (the hip and trendy fashionista) and Dawn (the carefree spirit that I wanted to be most like). Each book features one of the babysitters and that character is the narrator of the story. Every book also includes a “summary” in the first couple chapters. Basically, you could pick up a book in any order and catch up – who the characters are and who the current club members are – they do change throughout the series. When you read these books as much as I have, especially in order, it can get redundant reading this part over and over but I always found it interesting – it really tells you what each character thinks of the other characters. When a chapter is going to talk about a babysitting job, it usually begins with a “diary” entry. I love how these entries are written in each member’s unique handwriting (I’ll always remember how Stacey dotted her “i" with a heart and how Claudia struggled with spelling).

My well-worn, completely falling apart, well-loved books are still on my bookshelf. I have read and re-read these books so many times I’ve lost count. I own about 100 of the over 200 books from the series – most I got when I was younger but I have been adding to my collection even now (and some I may have kept when “trading” books with my also BSC-obsessed cousin! Sorry Megs!). Even as an adult, these books still bring me comfort. When I’m going through a hard time I love re-reading them – there is nothing like the familiarity of a nostalgic story to make things seem better. (Also, as a parent, I’ve definitely come to appreciate the concept of a babysitting club even more. A group of responsible neighborhood kids eager for the job of keeping my kids entertained while I’m gone? Sounds like a dream! I would have been their best customer!)

Back again!

I remember seeing the first graphic novel version of the series back in 2006 – Kristy’s Great Idea, adapted by Raina Telgemeier. I wasn’t really into graphic novels at that time and I was kind of doubtful that this version could be as good as the original. I finally decided to give it a chance, and I was completely hooked! I adore Raina’s artistic style and they really give a vision to the books that was previously just in my mind. As the graphic novel series has progressed, there have been a few different adaptors/illustrators and I have been so happy with the results. There has been a smooth transition between illustrators and the graphic novels, even though they all have a slightly different style. This new format has also opened my eyes to graphic novels in general, which I have become a huge fan of and have discovered lots of new authors/illustrators that I love (especially Raina Telgemeier)!

Since the graphic novels have been published, the series has had a true revival. The original books have been re-released with more updated covers but there have been additional similarities and differences. The storylines have been kept very consistent but updates, such as technology, have been included (no more rotary phones or Walkmans). I thought it was interesting that they took inflation into account with the new re-prints – in Kristy’s Big Day, the club babysits a huge group of 14 kids for a week. In 1987, the members were paid a total of $600 for the job; in 2020 they were paid $1000. I like how these little touches update the books without changing the narrative. One specific thing that I really love that has stayed the same has been the back covers of the books, which tell the reader who the current BSC members are and the office they hold. They may look different, but the same information is there.

The BSC revival has also continued to the screen. I can’t tell you how excited I was to hear that Netflix was going to produce a series based on my beloved books, but I was also a little nervous. Would they be as good as the books? Would they keep to the story or completely change it up? I was happily surprised! There are definitely changes from the original books, but I think they did a great job updating it for today’s society. The actresses and actors have done an amazing job and really capture the personalities of each character. I am so happy with it and very excited that season 2 has already been filmed and will be released soon!

Baby-Sitters Club Books at MCLS

Original Series and Re-prints:

MCLS had an excellent collection for BSC obsessed fans. If you are looking for books from the original series, or re-prints from the original books by Scholastic, check out the call number J MAR at your local library or search the catalog for “Baby-Sitters Club”. So far, 16 reprints have been released, with more on the way. These books are great for ages 8-12. Some of my favorites include:

  

Kristy’s Great Idea (Book #1)
The book that started it all!  Written from Kristy’s point of view, this book shows how the four friends officially started The Baby-Sitters Club.

Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (Book #2)
In this book, the babysitters fear “The Phantom Caller” – a thief in the area who robs houses after making a silent phone call to see if anyone is home.  All turns out well, but this book definitely gave me a little scare as a child.

Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye (Book #13)
Stacey moves back to New York City and the club has to deal with a big change.  While she is excited to go back to where she grew up, Stacey has conflicting feelings.

Graphic Novels:

If you are interested in the graphic novel adaptations, look for books with the call number J 741.5 MAR (these books are shelved under Martin as the author, not under the graphic novel illustrator’s name) or check our catalog.  (Note that the numbering in the original series is not identical to the number of the graphic novels).  As of now, there have been 9 graphic novels published, with at least 2 more on the way – a new illustrator!  A few of my favorites…

   

Mary Anne Saves the Day (Book #3)
Adapted by Raina Telgemeier
Shy, timid Mary Anne has to step up and stand up for herself when problems arise in the BSC.  I loved this book and watching the transformation of Mary Anne’s character.  This is also the first book that club member Dawn appears in.

Claudia and Mean Janine (Book #4)
Adapted by Raina Telgemeier
Artistic Claudia does not get along with her genius sister.  When a medical emergency happens to their beloved grandmother, the sisters have to pull together to help the family through it.

Boy-Crazy Stacey (Book #7)
Adapted by Gale Galligan
A babysitting adventure at the beach with the huge Pike family!  Ann M. Martin actually grew up in Princeton and remembers vacationing down at the Jersey shore.  She based the fictional beach town “Sea City” after Surf City and Wildwood, NJ.  I love this book because it totally reminds me of the Jersey shore!

Logan Likes Mary Anne! (Book #8)
Adapted by Gale Galligan
Mary Anne has a crush on a boy babysitter!  This adaptation really stands out to me – I think the increased diversity helps update the book from the 1980s to today.

Baby-Sitters Little Sister series:

Another Ann M. Martin series undergoing a graphic novel adaptation is the Baby-Sitters Little Sister series.  These are a spinoff of The Baby-Sitters Club and follows the adventures of Karen Brewer, Kristy’s little sister.  These books are great for a slightly younger age range (7-10 years old).  They can also be found with the call number J 741.5 MAR – click here for a link to the catalog.

  

I’m so excited that a new generation of kids are discovering this amazing series and characters that I’ve loved for so long.  I can’t wait to see what else is to come – the new Netflix season and graphic novels already planned to be released this year and next.  Keep up with the latest book releases on the Scholastic website.

And hopefully someday I will complete my collection!

- by Miss Lauren, Lawrence Branch