The Anti-Baby-Sitter Plot

by Susan Fletcher

When Aurora's mom hires a full-time German baby-sitter named Tanja, Aurora decides that she is too old for a baby-sitter, and she concocts a clever plot for the newcomer.

Genres: Childrens

166 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1991

About the author

Susan Fletcher is the award-winning author of fourteen books for young readers, including Dragon’s Milk, Shadow Spinner, and Journey of the Pale Bear. Her novels have been translated into ten languages and have received a Golden Kite Honor from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, as well as acclaim from the American Library Association, the Children’s Book Council, Bookriot.com, Natural History Magazine, Western Writers of America, Women Writing in the West, and many more. Susan taught for many years in the M.F.A. in Writing for Children program at Vermont College.

Although Susan loves to write about the long-ago and the yet-to-come, she can’t bring those worlds to life without grounding them in details from the world in which we live now. To that end, she has explored lava tubes and sea caves; spent the night in a lighthouse; traveled along the Silk Road in Iran; ridden in a glider, on a camel, and on a donkey; and cut up (already dead!) baby chicks and mice for a gyrfalcon’s dinner. To write Sea Change, she immersed herself in the geography and cultural vibe of Galveston, Texas; explored a Gulf of Mexico oil platform; and brought to mind her childhood experiences of skin diving off Catalina Island with her family.

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

When Aurora's mom decides to go back to work, they hire an Au Pair to take care of 11 year old Aurora and her younger brother Stewie. Aurora is determined not to like her and comes up with plans to make her leave. Aurora's goal seems to have her mom come home and take care of them, like things were before she married Aurora's step-father.
Aurora is, I think, a little more nasty than your average 11-year-old, and that makes her very difficult to sympathize with. However, I may just be so removed from being 11 that I can't identify. I can't really tell, but I didn't enjoy this book very much because I wasn't rooting for the heroine.

[Tiffani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book when I was younger. The book title then was The Anti-Babysitter Plot.

[Lisa the Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly typical "I can't stand them and I am going to get rid of them" plot.

When Aurora's mom remarries and decides to hire an au pair from Germany to care for her and her new half brother Aurora is not happy.

Tanja joins the family and is give Aurora's really cool bedroom which just adds to the resentment Aurora has for the whole situation. To make matters worse there are a few other German au pairs in the area and when they get together the uoung women often chatter away in German to one another. Aurora decided the au pairs are trying to take over and dubs them "The Stuttgart Nanny Mafia"

Aurora devises all sorts of nasty plans to rid her family of Tanja so things can go back to the way they were before.

She learns that choices and actions have consequences and not always the one you expect.

[Brimate · Rating 3 out of 5]

i got this book from the bookfair in 5th grade. when i brought it back to class, my teacher and other students teased me, asking why i was reading a girls' book. i hadn't realized the book was written for girls until the class said something, so at that moment i got defensive and said it was for my sister, but they didn't believe me.

anyway, i don't remember what the book was like, but i'm pretty sure i liked it.

[Elisabeth Petty]

I remember reading this book several times when I was younger- I really liked it then. I reread it to see if I still liked it as much, and it was still fun, but better through the eyes of a child.

[koza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll help you out: this is that book you're trying to remember from childhood that had the slugs in it.