The Baby-sitters Club

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'The Baby-sitters Club' is a series of children's books, written by Ann M. Martin and published by Scholastic between 1986-2000. Many of the books were ghostwritten, including 43 by Peter Lerangis [1]. However, Ann Martin wrote the first 35 books [2].

This series is about a group of middle school students living in the fictional town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. They run a business called The Baby-sitters Club, in which parents call during their club meetings (which take place M-W-F, 5:30-6:00pm) and schedule a babysitter for a certain day/time. The club runs financially on dues and fundraising, and the babysitters write diaries of their jobs, to help each other. The club are also best friends, although they go through many conflicts throughout the series.

The club starts out with four members (Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, and Stacey McGill), eventually expanding to nine. All of the main characters are thirteen, with the exception of junior members Mallory Pike and Jessi Ramsey, who are two years younger. When the club was founded (in 1986), the four members were in the seventh grade, but ten books later (1988), they are promoted to the eighth grade. From there, they are frozen in time until the very end of the series (2000), in which they graduate from middle school.

Contents 1 Structure of the books 2 Titles 3 Main characters 3.1 Kristin "Kristy" Amanda Thomas 3.2 Claudia Lynn Kishi 3.3 Mary Anne Spier 3.4 Anastasia "Stacey" Elizabeth McGill 3.5 Dawn Read Schafer 3.6 Mallory Pike 3.7 Jessica "Jessi" Davis Ramsey 3.8 Logan Bruno 3.9 Shannon Louisa Kilbourne 3.10 Abigail "Abby" Stevenson 4 Books 4.1 Super Specials & Readers' Requests 4.2 Mysteries & Super Mysteries 4.3 Portrait Collections (1994-1997) 4.4 Baby-sitters Club: Friends Forever (1999-2000) 5 Spin-offs 5.1 Baby-sitters Little Sister 5.2 California Diaries 5.3 Graphic Novels 5.4 Other BSC-related books 6 TV show 7 Movie 8 Trivia 9 External links

[edit] Structure of the books

With the exception of Super Specials and Super Mysteries, the books are written and narrated from one character's point of view. The books generally follow this format:

• Chapter 1: Introduction to self; Beginning of plot
• Chapter 2: Explanation of the BSC; General information on the other members
• Chapter 3-4; 6-7; 10-12: Continuation of the main plot
• Chapter 5,9,13: Sitting experiences of members

[edit] Titles

Main article: List of The Baby-sitters Club books

[edit] Main characters

[edit] Kristin "Kristy" Amanda Thomas

• Club position: President, founder

• First appearance: #1, Kristy’s Great Idea

• Birthday: August 20th

• Appearance: Long brown hair, brown eyes

• Favorite sitting charges: Karen, Andrew, David Michael, and Emily Michelle (her step-siblings and siblings)

• Kristy is known for her great ideas (namely, The Baby-sitters Club), as well as her bossiness and a big mouth that can occasionally get her in trouble. Somewhat of a tomboy, Kristy is usually in her "uniform" of a jeans and a t-shirt (in the winter, a turtleneck and, if needed, a sweater)sneakers, and sometimes a baseball cap, and she loves sports, even coaching a kids' softball team, Kristy's Krushers.

• When Kristy was six, her father walked out on her family, including her mother, Elizabeth, and three brothers, Charlie, Sam, and David Michael. Her mother later married a millionaire, Watson Brewer (who Kristy at first didn't like but eventually opened up to). The Thomases moved into his mansion, where they live with Watson's two children from his previous marriage, Karen and Andrew. The family later adopts a two-year-old girl from Vietnam, whom they name Emily Michelle Thomas Brewer. Kristy's grandmother, Nannie, moves in to help raise Emily Michelle.

• Kristy had a boyfriend, Bart, who also coaches a softball team. They broke up later in the series, when Bart came off as too serious for her.

• Another of Kristy's great ideas was the Kid-Kit, a cardboard box filled with toys, games, stickers, puzzles, books, and other amusements that can be taken along on sitting jobs. Each baby-sitter has her own Kid-Kit, and is free to personalize it as she chooses.(Claudia's contains art supplies, while Jessie and Mal's have horse books) The Kid-Kits are especially useful with difficult charges, or during periods of rain or snow when the kids could be stuck inside all day.

• On the BSC: "We're a great group. (I'm not bragging, I'm just being honest.) We're all different, but our differences work together to bring out the best in each of us . . . which, of course, helps make us good baby-sitters."

[edit] Claudia Lynn Kishi

• Club position: Vice president

• First appearance: #1, Kristy’s Great Idea

• Birthday: July 11th

• Appearance: Japanese-American, black hair, dark almond-shaped eyes, smooth skin

• Fashion Plate: "I just adore dressing up in wild clothes. Take today's clothes for instance. I'm wearing a tie-dye shirt (I made it, of course), a pair of white skin-tight trousers, and some funky jewelry I picked up in a thrift store. I'm also wearing pink sunglasses. I also have long hair which I love to style."

• Favorite sitting charges: Jamie Newton and the Perkins

• Claudia is extremely creative in both her artistic endeavors and her funky wardrobe, which generally take up more of her attention than her schoolwork; she is particularly bad at spelling. Her grades are so bad (with the exception of art) that she is briefly sent back to seventh grade. She stays in the seventh grade until she brings up her grades, then she is allowed back into the eighth grade. She comes from a scholarly, conservative family. Her older sister Janine is a certified genius and takes college courses even though she's only in high school. Claudia is the only member with a private phone line, so her room is the club’s official meeting place. Her room is stocked with hidden junk food and Nancy Drew books, which Claudia loves, but keeps hidden because her parents disapprove. Her best friend is Stacey, another BSC club member. Claudia has a grandmother named Mimi, who suffers a stroke and eventually passes away.
• On the BSC: "One of the very nicest things about the Baby-Sitters Club is how it has made good friends out of all the members."

[edit] Mary Anne Spier

• Club position: Secretary

• First appearance: #1, Kristy’s Great Idea

• Birthday: September 22nd

• Appearance: 2nd shortest girl in the class, straight dark brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin

• Favorite sitting charge(s):Mariah and Gabbie Perkins

• She is best friends with Kristy (her next-door neighbor, until Kristy moved to Watson's) and Dawn (who became her stepsister when Mary Anne's father married Sharon, Dawn's mother). She is the BSC secretary because of her organization skills and neat handwriting. She has short brown hair and brown eyes and wears reading glasses. She and Kristy initially looked similar because they were quite short and had straight long dark brown hair and brown eyes (Mary Anne cut her hair in book #60, and in book #30, mentioned that she was now growing one inch taller than Kristy). She also vowed never to get her ears pierced due to being traumatized by almost having her ears pierced by a fellow camper at Camp Mohawk. Author Ann M. Martin said that she based the character of Mary Anne on herself.[3]

• Known for her shyness, sensitivity, and good listening skills, Mary Anne was the first club member to have a steady boyfriend, Logan Bruno. Late in the series, they break up.

• Mary Anne has a gray cat named Tigger that is "catnapped." He is later returned.

• Mary Anne often lacks self-confidence; at her thirteenth birthday party, she was so shaken by the surprise and terrified at being the center of so much attention that she fled her party.

• Her mother died when Mary Anne was a baby. Heartbroken and unsure of how to deal with a baby girl alone, Richard had her grandparents take care of Mary Anne. However, he missed Mary Anne terribly, and had to go through legal loopholes to get Mary Anne back. As a result of achieving having Mary Anne back under his care, Richard became very strict and kept careful watch over Mary Anne. Up to seventh grade, Mary Anne was required to wear pigtails and long, conservative dresses. She could only use the phone for ten minutes, and she wasn't allowed to trade lunches with Kristy or Claudia. All this changed when Mary Anne finally stood up to her father in Mary Anne Saves the Day. Richard lightened up, but he still was strict in some ways. When Richard remarried with Sharon Schafer, he basically realized that Mary Anne was growing up and was no longer a little girl in pigtails.

[edit] Anastasia "Stacey" Elizabeth McGill

• Club position: Treasurer

• First appearance: #1, Kristy’s Great Idea

• Birthday: April 3

• Appearance: Honey blond hair, blue eyes, medium height

• Favorite sitting charge: Charlotte Johanssen (her "almost sister")

• A native New Yorker, Stacey moved to Stoneybrook in the seventh grade when her father's company transferred him there. She quickly became friends with Claudia, because of their love for fashion and boys. They are known to be the best dressers at Stoneybrook Middle School (Stacey is the more sophisticated dresser, while Claudia is more funky). The McGills moved back to New York City in #13: Goodbye, Stacey, Goodbye because Mr. McGill's company transferred again. Stacey becomes a honorary member of the BSC, and misses Stoneybrook. Her parents fight and finally divorce in #28: Welcome Back, Stacey!, and Stacey is stuck with the choice of whether to move back to Stoneybrook with her mom or stay in New York City with her father. She decides to move back to Stoneybrook with her mom, much to the happiness of the other BSC members.

• Stacey is gifted in math and has a logical mind and is in the Math Club at SMS.

• Stacey has diabetes, and has been hospitalized several times as a result.

[edit] Dawn Read Schafer

• Club position: Alternate Officer, Treasurer #14-28 & #84-88, Honorary Member #89-end

• First appearance: #4, Mary Anne Saves The Day

• Birthday: February 5

• Appearance: Long, straight, bright blond hair, light blue eyes

• Favorite sitting charges: The Barretts

• Dawn originally lived in Palo Alto, California with her family, until her parents' divorce moved Dawn and her younger brother Jeff across the country to Stoneybrook, CT, where her mother (Sharon) grew up. Jeff had a lot of trouble adjusting to the move (although he did make and stay friends with the Pike triplets throughout the series) and soon returned to California to live with their father. Dawn, who refers to herself as a "Bi-Coastal Girl" looks the part of a typical Californian girl with long, pale blond hair and light, bright blue eyes. She is an environmentalist, an advocate of health food (she only eats fish, and very occasionally, meat), and a strong opponent of guns and violence. She met Mary Anne before the rest of the club members, and instantly bonded. This caused some jealousy from Kristy, which eventually stopped. She loves ghost stories, and enjoys taping movies from television (her favorite is The Parent Trap). Later into the series, she decides to return to California due to feeling homesick for her dad and brother Jeff.

[edit] Mallory Pike

• Club position: Junior Member, Honorary Member #69-74 & 126-

• First appearance: #3, The Truth About Stacey (as client); joins the club in #14 Hello, Mallory

• Birthday: May 2

• Appearance: frizzy red hair, glasses and clear braces

• Favorite Sitting Charges: Her 7 brothers and sisters

• Mallory is the oldest of eight children: Claire, age 5; Margo, age 7; Nicholas "Nicky," age 8; Vanessa, age 9; and the triplets, Adam, Byron, and Jordan, age 10. They all have distinct personalities and problems. For example, Claire is known for her silliness (her mantra is 'silly-billy-goo-goo'), Vanessa is an aspiring poet who will often speak in rhyme, and Nicky wants to fit in more with the triplets, who often refuse to play with him. The Pike family is one of the Baby-Sitters Club’s most frequent clients. Though the club's members are initially reluctant to let Mallory in to the club, and force her to undergo various difficult tests beforehand, she becomes a junior member at the age of 11. Mallory, who plans to become a writer and illustrator of children’s books, has red hair and wears clear braces and glasses, and is often insecure about her appearance. She loves reading horse stories, especially those by Marguerite Henry.
• After having a hard time at Stoneybrook Middle School with being teased by older students, Mallory decides to go away to an exclusive Massachusetts boarding school in book #126, "The All-New Mallory Pike." She is then bestowed the title "Honorary Member," a title she also held when she couldn't attend meetings or sit because of mono.

[edit] Jessica "Jessi" Davis Ramsey

• Club position: Junior member

• First appearance: #14, Hello, Mallory

• Birthday: June 30

• Appearance: African American, brown hair, "long, long legs," dimples

• Favorite sitting charges: Matt and Haley Braddock

• Around the time Mallory is trying to get into The Baby-Sitters Club, sixth-grader Jessi moves into Stacey's old house from New Jersey. Mallory and Jessi share a love of reading (especially horse stories, and especially those by Marguerite Henry) and become best friends, ultimately joining the club at the same time. Jessi, who is black, lives with her parents, her eight-year-old sister Rebecca "Becca," and her infant brother Squirt (John Philip, Jr.). She is a talented ballet dancer and her efforts to learn sign language have helped her forge a special bond with Matt Braddock, a deaf client.

[edit] Logan Bruno

• Club position: Associate member

• First appearance: #10, Logan Likes Mary Anne!

• Birthday: January 10

• Favorite sitting charges: the Rodowsky boys (Shea, Jackie, and Archie) because life is never dull with the "Walking Disaster" (Jackie) around!

• Logan moved from Louisville, Kentucky before eighth grade. He participates in many sports, including baseball and track, and works as a busboy at the Rosebud Café. He was Mary Anne's boyfriend until they broke up late in the series. In addition he was an associate member of the club (a member who does not come to meetings but takes jobs when no regular member is available). Logan lives with his mother, father Lyman, sister Kerry, and brother Hunter.

[edit] Shannon Louisa Kilbourne

• Club position: Associate member, Alternate Officer #68-82

• First appearance: #11, Kristy and the Snobs

• Shannon is an overachiever who is involved in many extracurricular activities, and is the only member who doesn't attend Stoneybrook Middle School; she instead goes to a private school. She has two sisters, Tiffany and Maria, and is Kristy's first friend in her new neighborhood, although the two do not initially get along. Shannon also gave Kristy one of her dog Astrid’s puppies, which Kristy's brother David Michael named after her.

[edit] Abigail "Abby" Stevenson

• Club position: Alternate Officer: #90-98; President: #99; Alternate Officer: #100-end

• First appearance: #89, Kristy and the Dirty Diapers

• Birthday: October 15

• Favorite sitting charge(s): None

• Abby's love for sports and her bold, upfront personality is her vice. She clashes often with Kristy, who has similar personality traits. She is Jewish, with curly dark hair and brown eyes, and suffers from asthma and allergies to cats, milk, and shellfish, among other things.

• Shortly after Dawn moves back to California to live with her father, Abby moves to Stoneybrook from Long Island with her mother and her twin sister, Anna (who turns down the invitation to join the club in the same book). Her father died in a car accident when she was nine years old, which was part of the reason for the move.

[edit] Books

[edit] Super Specials & Readers' Requests

• Super Specials: Super Specials were an extended version of the regular series, with several members of the BSC (plus at times, their friends and/or sitting charges) narrating (chapter-by-chapter changes of narrators). Super Specials centered on a larger-scale plot, usually with at least three subplots. For example, in #7: Snowbound, some members of the BSC are baby-sitting when a snowstorm hits Stoneybrook and the larger area, and the others are spread out. Dawn is stuck at the airport waiting for Jeff with her mother, and Kristy is stuck at home with Bart. The members narrate their experiences and usually, the next chapter would bring on an entirely different plot or an extension of the previous chapter, only with a different narrator.

• Readers' Requests: Those were special books featuring associate members Logan and Shannon, and their personal lives away from the BSC.

[edit] Mysteries & Super Mysteries

• Mysteries: These resemble the style of the regular books (single narrator), only the plot of the book mainly focuses on solving a mystery, with a small subplot.

• Super Mysteries: those resembled the style of Super Specials (multiple narrators), only the plot of the book was mainly focused on solving a mystery (or two), with a few small subplots.

[edit] Portrait Collections (1994-1997)

• Portrait Collections: These are autobiographies of the BSC members (Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, Stacey, Dawn, and Abby). Mallory and Jessi were not included because the autobiographies were an 8th grade project only.

[edit] Baby-sitters Club: Friends Forever (1999-2000)

• Baby-sitters Club Friends Forever: These books are an extension of the original series, which focus more on the original four members (Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey), and are set following the fire at Mary Anne's house, which drastically impacted the lives of the BSC members. This series was considered a spinoff and was short-lived.

[edit] Spin-offs

[edit] Baby-sitters Little Sister

The Baby-sitters Little Sister series, which ran from 1988 to 1996, is geared toward younger readers, with a focus on Karen, the 7-year-old step-sister of Baby-Sitters Club president Kristy; it also included Super Special books. One hundred and twenty-two Little Sister books and six Little Sister Super Special books were published.

[edit] California Diaries

The California Diaries series is about Dawn and her friends after her return to California. These are thought to have targeted a slightly older audience, with a darker feel. There are fifteen books that center around the characters of Dawn, Ducky, Amalia, Maggie, and Sunny. The subjects dealt with range from anorexia to racism, along with the girls' personal problems and family disputes.

[edit] Graphic Novels

In 2006, Graphix, a division of Scholastic, released a graphic novel version of the first Baby-Sitter's Club book, Kristy's Great Idea. The novel is a contemporary yet faithful adaptation written by Raina Telgemeier, an Eisner Award nominee. The series continues with the release of The Truth About Stacey and Mary Anne Saves the Day.

[edit] Other BSC-related books

Another small series written by Ann M. Martin is loosely related to the original Baby-sitters Club series: The Kids in Ms. Colman’s Class. This serial covers Karen's second-grade classmates at Stoneybrook Academy, and their adventures in Ms. Coleman's classroom.

[edit] TV show

In 1990, The Baby-sitters Club spawned a 13-episode TV series, which aired at various times on HBO, Disney Channel, and Nickelodeon, and was later released to video.

Zach Braff was briefly on the show in an episode entitled "Dawn Saves the Trees".

• Main article at The Baby-Sitters Club (TV series)

[edit] Movie

A movie based on the Baby-Sitters Club books was released in 1995 which starred then-virtually unknown actresses such as Rachel Leigh Cook.

• Main article at The Baby-Sitters Club (film)

[edit] Trivia

• Lisa Simpson became a babysitter after reading a few "Baby-Sitter Twins" books (an obvious spoof of The Baby-sitters Club series) on The Simpsons episode My Sister, My Sitter
• The series sold over 175 million copies.
• The Perkins family that moves in next door to Mary Anne once Kristy moves out is based on the family of Beth Perkins, Ann M Martin's best friend growing up (and also the inspiration for Kristy). All three daughters of the Perkins family are represented in the series (Gabbie, Myriah and Laura, although Laura is only a baby in the series).

[edit] External links

• Scholastic site
• Merrill's Companion to The Baby-Sitters Club, with information on the original series, spinoffs, memorabilia and the movie
• Babysitters Club Website Huge knowledge-base for teen books.
• Babysitters Club Fan Fiction Large collection of Babysitters Club fan fiction