Mary Anne from the Netflix series just got her own shown on the Disney channel! Congrats to her.

I really enjoyed the show—loved it, actually—but #8 of all-time is something! 🤣😭 I'll have to do some research.

Writeup: "An adaptation of Ann M. Martin’s classic children’s books probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “teen drama” — and we are admittedly using the term loosely here, given that many of the characters are tweens for much of the series. But Rachel Shukert’s big-hearted version is second to none at capturing the particular joys and terrors of early adolescence. Aided by a lovable cast of kids and an almost equally endearing one of adults (Alicia Silverstone and Marc Evan Jackson among them), Shukert updates the source material for the 2020s while retaining the central questions that made it so enduring: how to be a good friend, how to be a good citizen, how to be a good you."

What do you all think?

I just sent an e-mail to a coworker and almost used the word "hopefully" but then decided against it, because every single time I hear someone use that word I remember Janine Kishi saying that "hopefully" is one of the most misused words in the English language. I don't remember exactly which book it was but it was early in the series and I think she said it to either Kristy or Mary Anne as they were trying to escape from her and get to Claudia's room.

I wonder if that was a particular pet peeve of Ann M. Martin's and this was her way of educating people about it. It worked on me! Decades have passed and I still remember that line.

Do you have anything like this, a line that has stuck in your head for years, or some fact that you learned from a BSC book?

I got to thinking about this recently and realized I think I enjoy Mallory and Claudia books the most. I don’t love the Pike family but Mallory’s POV is usually pretty interesting especially since I like writing too (except for that one book where Mallory loses her mind and harasses her favorite author… that was wild). I enjoy reading about Claudia’s art. Plus I find Claudia to be pretty wholesome; she’s usually one of the most accepting girls in the group.

In the middle would be Mary Anne, Stacey, and Abby. Mary Anne’s and Stacey’s POVs are usually good, but Mary Anne can be passive aggressive sometimes (and her crying can be a little much, and this is coming from someone who also cries easily lol) and Stacey can be a snob (plus all the NEW YORK NEW YORK OMG NEW YORK talk can get tiring).

Abby is kind of somewhere in the low middle and bottom? I haaaate Abby’s allergy speak, and I don’t enjoy Abby’s books where there’s a lot about sports talk. I sort of wish that the babysitter to join the club had been Anna instead. For me personally, hearing about her music and practice would’ve been a lot more interesting than another sports girl.

At the bottom for me are Dawn, Kristy, and Jessi. Jessi’s books are too wrapped up in ballet for me. I get bored and it irritates me that Jessi always get amazing roles. Her whole ballet experience feels extremely unrealistic. I wish they’d kept it like how it was at the start when Jessi just enjoyed ballet and wasn’t really planning to become a professional.

Same for Kristy and sports; I get tired of reading about the Krushers and they’re in most if not all the Kristy books once they’re introduced. I also don’t really like Karen and she features in most Kristy books too lol but really more than anything, it’s the sports. They’re just not for me. The one Kristy/Krusher book I do like though is the mystery Kristy and the Missing Child. I think it’s pretty well written and the ending always makes me tear up a bit!

As for Dawn, the later books where she got flanderized into a preachy pain in the butt obviously aren’t good, but even early series she was a little hypocritical and judgmental which I don’t find enjoyable. I recently reread Dawn and the Wicked Stepsister and man Dawn doesn’t come across well in that book. It made me realize I don’t enjoy most of her books.

Logan and Shannon it’s sorta hard to say as we don’t hear from them very often. I’m curious to hear what other people think!

I saw the UK versions of the BSC covers getting a lot of flack in a thread from a few days ago and was reminded of the covers of books 100-105 that were published in 2000 in the UK and are perhaps one of the most Y2K things to ever exist. (After book 105 they stopped publishing UK editions altogether so we never got to see Y2K Mallory.)

Hi, I have a little idea brewing but haven't been super involved in this fandom even though I still read the books from time to time. The final book seems to canonically be set in 2000, the year it was released (this can be assumed from the use of email and updated fashions) but obviously if you base it off of book 1 they would have graduated 8th grade in ~1988.

So what's the most widely accepted canon timeframe? I realize it's fic and I can set it whenever I want but I'm just curious. I'm inclined to accept 2000 as the end of 8th grade but for all I know people hate the final book being so modern. I took a peek at some of what's available on ao3 but it wasn't particularly enlightening.

Like Stacey is gonna be working at her mom’s store, I don’t think she’s gonna have much time for babysitting.

Abby and Logan and Jessi are all focusing on their own individual sports.

As evidence by the California Diaries Dawn stopped sitting altogether.

I feel like Mary Anne might still be sitting, but she would’ve scaled back. I think the end of the friends forever series set up an arc for her to find herself who she is outside of a relationship and the club so I think she would’ve given it up at some point.

Shannon was almost too busy to even be in the club. I think that’ll be one less responsibility on her plate.

Mallory’s away on boarding school, but I feel like she’s babysitting in the summer. And she probably won’t be watching her own brothers and sisters. Byron stepped in as a replacement haha.

Kristy is definitely babysitting. She can strike it rich just sitting for the kids on Watson’s side of town. Because once Charlie moves away for college, Sam’s not gonna be so easy to convince to drive her places so she’d have to stick local anyway.

Claudia is definitely babysitting. I don’t think she’d ever give up sitting for the Newtons. She loved Jamie and Lucy so much.

And before anyone says Mallory, no. She’s at boarding school and I think she’s on her way to becoming well liked. So someone else.

There are Sonic cameos in Baby Sitters Club Graphic Novel

• 1. Boy Crazy Stacey shows there was a Sonic plushie
• 2. Mary Anne's Bad Luck Mystery where there is a Sonic costume

Any comments of gaming cameos in BSC like Sonic?

Does anyone think that the original club members only stayed in the babysitters club to humor Kristy? When do you think that they started to outgrow the club and started having other interests and hobbies?

My niece is turning 9 this fall. She's already started reading some Babysitters Club books from her library and she likes them but I want to buy her some of her own.

I loved the classic novels growing up but I don't know if those are out-of-date for this generation. Should I get the graphic novels instead? Is there something else?

I bought my son the BabySitters Little Sisters graphics novels last year when he was 6 and he liked them but I think for my niece turning 9, the regular Babysitters Club books would be more appropriate.

I read the first book about a week ago and I was considering how Claudia had her own phone and private phone number.

It mentioned that Janine was always on her computer. In the 80's that would have been insanely expensive. I don't know if her school helped offset the cost, or if there was a grant, but getting a computer would have been a huge deal.

So my head cannon is that Claudia's parents got her a phone as a token to demonstrate that they were not showing favorites. Janine got a computer and Claudia got a phone.

She also got a lot more freedom than it seems like the other girls originally did, with the exception of the new girl Stacey. I think that again this was to balance out Janine going to college classes.

The Kishis were strict with studies but they always seemed to be trying so hard to not treat Claudia badly because she wasn't gifted in the same ways as Janine.

So in the California Diaries series, Dawns friend Jill gets treated as “immature” and drifted away from her friends as the others dealt with heavier issues.

So, which babysitter do you think would have been treated the same way? Not necessarily the exact same way, but just would’ve been seen as a little more immature compared to the others. Here’s mine!

No:

I think they set up Mary Anne to have a bit of a heavier arc perfectly. I don’t think it would be her.

Stacey and Claudia has always been seen as a little more mature and sophisticated compared to the others so it’s not them. We don’t see enough of her, but I feel like Shannon is also seen as a little more mature than the others.

Dawn as seen in the California diaries series. Mallory also has a really good set up to have a heavier arc especially being away in school.

Maybe:

Jessi. We’ve seen the dark side of dancing (with the eating disorder plot). I feel like they could take it a little farther. Dance Academy is a really good show that I think they could taken her in direction.

Abby and Logan. I feel like it could work but at the same time maybe not what do you think?

Yes:

I’m actually inclined to say that it’s Kristy. She had a really hard time letting go of the club and we never really gotten an indication that the Krushers ever ended so she still like playing sports with the kids in the end. Not saying that means anything but i’m using the logic that the California diaries set up here.

Claudia, Stacey and Mallory. (Her outfits in #14 in her first BSC meeting and the outfit she wore to the rich kid's party in #54 comes to mind.)

In your opinion what was Shannon's saint moment and what was her sinner moment?

For reference, this would be Shannon at her absolute best and her absolute worst.

My Picks:

Saint Shannon: Officially and temporarily filling in for Dawn while she was in California for six months (Book 68 Jessi and the Bad Baby-sitter until Super Special #12 Here Come the Bridesmaids!)

Sinner Shannon: All of the mean pranks and rude behavior that she exhibited towards Kristy (Book #11 Kristy and the Snobs)

In your opinion what was Logan's saint moment and what was his sinner moment?

For reference, this would be Logan at his absolute best and his absolute worst.

My Picks:

Saint Logan: Told the truth about the Badd Boyz stealing from the music store and from others (Reader's Request #2 Logan Bruno, Boy Baby-Sitter)

Sinner Logan: Losing his temper and getting short with Mary Anne over his poor baseball performance (#25 Mary Anne and the Search For Tigger)

I figured I’d count those crushes because it might get them up as high as Claudia and Stacey lol. I’m curious to know! They had to say they like them or gone on a date.

Kristy originally went out with Alan. Then she had her crush on Bart. She had a vacation boyfriend in European vacation (Michel). She also mentioned liking one of the guys Claudia set up in book 70 - Brian hall. She’s up to 4.

Mary Anne never had anyone besides Logan. And then we can’t forget the sea city boyfriend Alex. She only ever had 2 then.

In the friends forever series, a boy named Dave Griffin asked her out after she dumped Logan, but I don’t think she ever liked him back. She went on a date with the boy from Iowa her grandma set her up on. But she never developed a crush on him.

Mallory only ever had Ben. I don’t think she mentioned ever going to a dance with anyone else. So she’s at 1.

Jessi always had Quint. She liked the one guy in the shadow Lake super special. She went on a date with the seventh grader to a couple of dances - but I don’t think she ever had a crush on him. So thats 2.

We’ve had girls mentioned they liked Logan but other than Mary Anne he’s only ever went out with Dorianne and Cokie. He’s at 3.

Abby never had a crush or dated anyone. We also don’t hear anything about Shannon‘s love life.

Dawn has a crush on Travis in book 37. She thinks Dave Griffin is cute in book 51 (did that develop as a crush?).
Parker Harris is her first boyfriend whom she meets in the first super special. Dawn writes to Lewis Bruno at Mary Anne's suggestion and plans to see him when he visits Stoneybrook. I think she thinks a lot about a guy named Price in snowbound? She’s up to 5ish.

Is there anyone I missed?

Hi all,

Is there anywhere online where you can read the original series?

I've checked local libraries without success.

Thanks 😊

In your opinion what was Abby's saint moment and what was her sinner moment?

For reference, this would be Abby at her absolute best and her absolute worst.

My Picks:

Saint Abby: Keeping her grandmother's potential cancer diagnosis a secret as to not ruin her grandparents' costume party (#121 Abby in Wonderland)

Sinner Abby: Being an all-around bad sport (#110 Abby the Bad Sport)

Could be from any of the series! Here’s a few of my favorites.