What do you think?
Rate this book
Babysitters Club Collection #1
1. Kristy's Great Idea
2. Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls
3. The Truth About Stacey
2. Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls
3. The Truth About Stacey
464 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1986
73 people are currently reading
1125 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,100 books3,046 followersAnn Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
April 25, 2012
I read almost every one of these when I was in elementary school. This was the series that got me interested in reading for fun. Loved these books.
September 5, 2012
The Babysitters Club!! The books that installed a love of reading in me. I had all the books, I used to read a full book every night and I read each one over and over. I used to get lost in the books that were full of girls a little older than I was at the time that I wanted to be just like.
The Babysitters Club is about a girl and her friends that set up a business that parents can use to find a babysitter. The books are based around this business - with each book delving into the life of one of the sitters in particular. Each book has a little recap of the girls, the business and how it was formed so that no matter what book you pick up you aren't lost (this can get a little bit repetitive if you are an avid follower - I remember skipping over these pages, always!)
This series fits under the "Stories with Familiar Settings" heading and is excellent for independent reading. Series of books are great to install a love of reading as they carry on the stories and there's always the "What happens next" which encourages further reading!! I would recommend them to ages 9-13
The Babysitters Club is about a girl and her friends that set up a business that parents can use to find a babysitter. The books are based around this business - with each book delving into the life of one of the sitters in particular. Each book has a little recap of the girls, the business and how it was formed so that no matter what book you pick up you aren't lost (this can get a little bit repetitive if you are an avid follower - I remember skipping over these pages, always!)
This series fits under the "Stories with Familiar Settings" heading and is excellent for independent reading. Series of books are great to install a love of reading as they carry on the stories and there's always the "What happens next" which encourages further reading!! I would recommend them to ages 9-13
October 2, 2018
THE BABYSITTERS CLUB !
how much i loved these books when i was young ... starting reading them at the age of 8 , i think ...
i think these novels are surely one of the reasons , of me being utterly compelled by books today even .
I surely had the best childhood with the BCS , the joy of going to bed was mainly because i could read in the nightlight huddled between pillows after mom switched off the lights.
i have got hundreds lof paperbacks of these series but they were never enough !
sadly, after sometime they were replaced by harrypotter books , michal morphigo,percyjackson series and other Y-Adult books...
no matter what .... I SWEAR KRISTY I LOVED YOU AND I LOVE YOU FOREVER ! :)
how much i loved these books when i was young ... starting reading them at the age of 8 , i think ...
i think these novels are surely one of the reasons , of me being utterly compelled by books today even .
I surely had the best childhood with the BCS , the joy of going to bed was mainly because i could read in the nightlight huddled between pillows after mom switched off the lights.
i have got hundreds lof paperbacks of these series but they were never enough !
sadly, after sometime they were replaced by harrypotter books , michal morphigo,percyjackson series and other Y-Adult books...
no matter what .... I SWEAR KRISTY I LOVED YOU AND I LOVE YOU FOREVER ! :)
March 8, 2024
I loved these books!! Truth about growing up and friendship dynamics. Definitely relatable and honest.
February 29, 2016
By far my favorite book series. I normally read much more challenging books, but these are almost addictive! The series swaps between the main characters: Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, Stacey McGill, and Dawn Shafer and their adventures in baby-sitting. I find these books really well written and extremely entertaining. I think the books are really relatable. The books are a little dated, but they're timeless. Not only do they face wacky antics with the children(and parents!) they deal with, but they can also face more serious things; like death or family issues. I highly recommend you read this series (or just this collection).
September 2, 2016
This is a wonderful book for any young girl who has entrepreneur skills and dreams. A group of friends begin a babysitting club in their neighborhood. Parents have the ability to call one phone number and set up a babysitter for any night of the week. Genius! Definitely makes me want to start my own babysitting club!
Read
May 28, 2014The babysitters club! What can I say these books were my life when I was a kid. I even became a member of the club getting a membership card and everything! For sure one of the biggest reason I love reading today.
February 4, 2016
I started reading these books when I was about 7 or 8 years old and I enjoyed the spirit of the books of friends working together to form a business. I also grew up in the military so the idea that these friends grew up and lived in the same place was novel to me
July 9, 2018
I think I read these into the 100s when I was young. Really got me into reading for enjoyment :)
July 14, 2020
I Like 😘 these books.😗😗😗😗😗😗😙😙😙😙😙😙😙😁😁😁😁😁
July 21, 2022
I liked these books because of the realistic theme the author wrote. I would recommend these books to. people who like realistic books and ideas.
July 7, 2018
I started reading these books in late-first grade (I have always read above my age/grade.) Heck, I was reading my parents Stephen King books by 4th Grade - the first being Pet Semetary (and it not really phase me with the exception of the bike rider hit by a car (I think because of the blood and gore and I just had a friend badly injured in a bike vs car accident) and the cat (c’mon, cat!) - Gabe not as much because I don’t think a child passing away registered in my brain as being possible. It was the only thing my brain was capable of saying “nahnahnahnah - I can’t see you, you don’t exist. As I got older, it bothered me more and after the loss of my son, I actually threw the book across the room when I got to his death.
But I digress. I thought I’d do something different this summer and read a beloved childhood series as a “summer project.” As much as I was fascinated as a young 1st grader at the prospect of starting my own BSC (like fascinated so much to the point that I roped my local friends into holding fake club meetings based on the story (sorry, if you’re reading this now! I had/have a very creative imagination and had an immediate NEED to relive the books as much as possible. My intention wasn’t to hold you hostage, make you read these books with me and enact the meetings!!) and counting the years until I was -finally- old enough to babysit. (Real quick - who is your favorite? Young Allyson would have to be a cross between Stacy and Claudia’s sense of fashion and art. This Allyson would probably say Stacy.) However, reading it as an adult just wasn’t the same. At. All. Not even close. I question young Allyson’s choices as a reader. Sure, they’re great for a 1st and 2nd grader (although check my reasoning skills as I quickly advanced to books most kids didn’t touch for yeeeaaaars after I did). So, we’ll chalk this up as a failed attempt of a summer project and bad trip down memory lane. *sigh* I can still appreciate them for what they were and meant to me, along with many other fans of the BSC. I just don’t think I can force myself through more.
But I digress. I thought I’d do something different this summer and read a beloved childhood series as a “summer project.” As much as I was fascinated as a young 1st grader at the prospect of starting my own BSC (like fascinated so much to the point that I roped my local friends into holding fake club meetings based on the story (sorry, if you’re reading this now! I had/have a very creative imagination and had an immediate NEED to relive the books as much as possible. My intention wasn’t to hold you hostage, make you read these books with me and enact the meetings!!) and counting the years until I was -finally- old enough to babysit. (Real quick - who is your favorite? Young Allyson would have to be a cross between Stacy and Claudia’s sense of fashion and art. This Allyson would probably say Stacy.) However, reading it as an adult just wasn’t the same. At. All. Not even close. I question young Allyson’s choices as a reader. Sure, they’re great for a 1st and 2nd grader (although check my reasoning skills as I quickly advanced to books most kids didn’t touch for yeeeaaaars after I did). So, we’ll chalk this up as a failed attempt of a summer project and bad trip down memory lane. *sigh* I can still appreciate them for what they were and meant to me, along with many other fans of the BSC. I just don’t think I can force myself through more.
May 4, 2019
OMG! If I were to be stranded on an island and could only choose one book to go with me, 110% I would take this one. Not only is it an incredible book, but it relates to my life in many ways. Personally, my favorite character is Claudia, since she loves art and hates school just like me. I partly like her because of her relationship with Mimi.
The second book, Claudia and the Phantom phone calls, is just as immersing. If you read it, you will experience delicious twists and turns and mysteries, along with a hint of emotional family drama with Janine, Claudia's sister.
The third book, the truth about Stacey, reveals the secret Stacey recently had and her old life back in New York. It shows us how hard it is to live in such a condition. It shows us the beauty in both Stacey's looks and her heart.
The second book, Claudia and the Phantom phone calls, is just as immersing. If you read it, you will experience delicious twists and turns and mysteries, along with a hint of emotional family drama with Janine, Claudia's sister.
The third book, the truth about Stacey, reveals the secret Stacey recently had and her old life back in New York. It shows us how hard it is to live in such a condition. It shows us the beauty in both Stacey's looks and her heart.
September 16, 2020
I love these books with all of my heart!
Here is an in depth review of the O.G. series, Graphic Novels, and Netflix show (with skit)!
Please Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob_4t...
I started reading this series at the age of 9, and I still read them all summer long!
These books are so lighthearted and fun. The characters are diverse and interesting. What more can you ask for?
Even though there are hundreds of these books, each one has a very different interesting plot that always ends with closure at the end of the book. That is what makes it so great for summer. They are like candy to me! All the characters are so lovable and usually easygoing. They have a vintage vibe that is to die for. I recommend this to ages 9-16.
XOXO!
Here is an in depth review of the O.G. series, Graphic Novels, and Netflix show (with skit)!
Please Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob_4t...
I started reading this series at the age of 9, and I still read them all summer long!
These books are so lighthearted and fun. The characters are diverse and interesting. What more can you ask for?
Even though there are hundreds of these books, each one has a very different interesting plot that always ends with closure at the end of the book. That is what makes it so great for summer. They are like candy to me! All the characters are so lovable and usually easygoing. They have a vintage vibe that is to die for. I recommend this to ages 9-16.
XOXO!
Read
January 12, 2021I chose to read this book because I have been wanting to babysit and it looked like it would have some information that could help me on this journey. I wasn't that interested in it as I thought I would be so I rate this book a 3/5. The author did well on giving me information about how to babysit but that's it. It could have had more action and excitement and had a better cliffhanger than it did and it could have also used more sparkle. I would recommend this to girly girls who wanna learn about cool things to do like my little sister.
July 20, 2018
I read The Babysitters Club books for the first time many years ago but recently I have been listening to The Babysitters Club Club podcast so I decided to re-read these books along with the podcast episodes. These books may not be the best written books out there but they do have their own appeal in the messages they offer and the friendships and relationships they are written about. This is a good to great chapter book series that for the most part stands up to the test of time.
March 11, 2019
The story "The Baby-Sitters Club #1”, by Ann. M Martin is amazing. The reason I love this book is because it has crazy adventures babysitting other kids. One part I liked about this book is when Kristy had to babysit Watson’s kids. Later when you read the book you’ll get why I love that part. If you want to read more of “The Baby-Sitters Club” you should read it.
May 16, 2020
WARNING: MAY BE SPOILERS
Claudia and the phantom phone calls have a few parts where it is a little scary, but overall it is great. One day, Claudia is babysitting for some kids when she hears some noises in the background and she realizes the noises are coming from the backyard...
Claudia and the phantom phone calls have a few parts where it is a little scary, but overall it is great. One day, Claudia is babysitting for some kids when she hears some noises in the background and she realizes the noises are coming from the backyard...
March 22, 2018
I loved all of these books :)
April 15, 2019
I love this series!!!!!!!!!!
August 24, 2019
Kristy has an idea to start a babysitters club. They babysit kids all the time. It is a huge hit and they love business.
September 26, 2019
Loved this series!
October 1, 2019
Flashback to my childhood. I loved these books when I was in elementary school.
Read
March 2, 2020It was good
June 6, 2020
A very nice book to read when you are not in the mood to read a lot of words amazing drawings
September 4, 2020
Very sweet
December 8, 2020
Reading this as research for the fiction series I am trying to write. Loved it just like I was 10 again!
January 17, 2021
Good I guess
January 19, 2021
I loved these seris because i love comic books and i could understand them better than chapter books
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews