Mallory and the Trouble with Twins: A Graphic Novel

The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novels #17

by Arley Nopra (Adapter), Ann M. Martin

A Baby-sitters Club graphic novel adapted by New York Times bestselling cartoonist Arley Nopra!

Mallory knows she's a good baby-sitter. She's been looking after her seven younger brothers and sisters for years. So when Kristy offers her a steady job baby-sitting for the Arnold twins, Mal thinks it'll be easy money.

The twins sure are cute in their matching outfits. But once Mrs. Arnold leaves, Marilyn and Carolyn turn into twin terrors! They trick Mallory so that she can't tell them apart and they act like spoiled brats.

Taking care of Marilyn and Carolyn is a baby-sitting nightmare. But Mallory is a responsible member of the Baby-sitters Club and she's not giving up!

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Realistic Fiction

174 pages, Paperback

First published March 4, 2025

Reviews

[౨ৎ˖ ࣪⊹ hanah ౨ৎ˖ ࣪⊹]

₊⊹⁀➴ 4 stars
what can i say except these books are an easy pick me up <3

[navybluecats]

do Jessi and Mallory have something to tell the crowd? 🤨

[Gayle]

Enjoyed the focus being on Mallory for this book. I like how much of an older sister she is but then her parents still treat her like a kid. I didn’t really enjoy that scene where Claudia was blamed for getting the twins mixed up - if the mom cared so much about the piano class and science project THEN she should have been present to make sure it all went well instead of leaving it up to the babysitter. Overall, was really happy to have read this book

[Hannah Turley]

I’m pretty sure the OG version was how I learned Pig Latin

[keira]

honestly reading this book was such a throwback to my childhood.

mallory seemed so cool and the twins seemed so lucky for being able to choose their own clothes when i read the og version. this book had always been my absolute favorite out of all of them so when i saw this graphic adaptation i just HAD to read it.

I know that part of graphic adaptations is cutting stuff from the original books but the little things that got cut lowkey made me so sad. here are some examples:

-dawn getting her ears pierced
-how they changed marilyn and carolyn's dresses from their birthday to red instead of pink
-how they made carolyn's white sweatshirt a blue sweater
-how they got rid of the paddigton books at the beginning
-how they cut some of the pig latin scene

but overall a cute, nostalgic read!

[Sera]

I enjoyed seeing a story from Mal’s POV. I will keep reading this as long as they keep making them. Never disappoints me <3

[Emily]

Stars: 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cover design: 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved the designs of the characters in this book. Especially the twins! This book teaches you that even if people look the same, they are their own person. Also that you should treat them as their own person, instead of grouping them together as one.

This was a really quick middle grade book, so if you’re looking for a lighthearted fast read you should read this series!

✨Quotes✨:

“I wanted to be an individual. Someone who insisted on being unique. On being herself.”

“We’re two. And no one knows it.”

“If we went to school looking different… Maybe the kids would get to know who we are.”

[Kristyn Pittman]

“It is amazing I love it!”

-Olivia

[Holly]

Props to Mallory because if I was the oldest of that many kids I would have run away

[☆♡Ellie♡☆]

OMG!! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!! Ok, so like, we all know this is the best series In the world!!!! If you're
interested in twins, see their true wrath, lol!
And The best thing is that it shows so much emotion and it has so much to offer! Who knew they got along?
Anyways, READ IMMEDIATELY!! YAY!! ♡♡♡

[Harlyn Rengel]

I liked it so much that I read it over and over again!! But after a while I had read it so much that it got a little boring.

[Brynn Ver Velde]

After reading Jessi Ramsey, Pet Sitter (#18), I had a crisis. I hadn’t enjoyed that one at all. So I wondered if I was getting too old for them. However, I decided to re-read this one, and thank goodness I enjoyed it!

I liked how Mallory and the twins both “became themselves”, if you know what I mean. But why did the twins have to be named so stupidly? Marilyn and Carolyn??? Come on.

Overall, I liked it. Not a favorite, but I didn’t hate it.

[Chaitra]

For the first time Mallory's pov... This was quite a different one.. Came to know what all mallory faces.. Even though she's one of the youngest she seems to be like she's one of the most mature one in the BSC.. Yeahhh thats mostly coz she's the eldest in her family of 8 kids.. Enjoyed it like every other BSC book.. 😍🫰

[Dramapuppy]

Solid entry in the novel series becomes solid entry in the graphic novel series

[Mrs.MakesReadingFun]

Another great take on the original!
Loved the illustrations, and I really enjoyed the story.
I always love seeing the babysitters club girls work through babysitting struggles together, and see them make mistakes, try again, and problem solve.

I also always like seeing them as individuals highlighted in each story, and learning more about them. Mallory is one of my favourites, and I loved seeing her grow in this one and speak up for her individuality!

Bought two copies for our school library, and I know we will need more….! :) always a hit with our grade 3-5 girls!

[Annora]

These have gone downhill and it makes me sad.

[Veronica]

This book was really good I recommend it for 7-10 but if you are older or younger go for it!

[Molly]

Just a nice, good ol' fashioned BSC story. Everyone just getting along and working together to solve the problem of the tricksy Arnold twins. Loved the artwork, coloring, and nostalgia as always.

Also, I vividly remember reading this one as a kid and loved that the graphic novel opened the exact same way. "Kindergarten baby, stick your head in gravy, wash it off with applesauce, and show it to the Navyyyyy." Like, what does that even mean!?

[Emily]

The twins’ parents chose identical furniture, toys, and outfits for the twins every day of their lives but they only hauled one twin to piano lessons?

Mallory gets to choose her own clothes and ends up looking even dorkier. Like me when I was twelve.

Mall trip!

No B plot, except for Mal’s awakening and a lot of reflection on each sitter’s style. I’m okay with that.

[Sakura]

I've never liked Mallory (she annoys me)... but I really enjoyed this book!! The twins were really sweet, I loved their story, and I also loved the side story part with Kirsty, I found that adorable. The artwork was nice, and kept you engaged. and A super enjoyable read!!

(This book contains no sensitive content. I'd give it an age rating of all-ages)

[tasiaaaa (semi hiatus)]

I love how this series is still one of the most read graphic novel series. whenever I read these I forget abt being a anxiety ridden-people pleaser teen and I think everyone needs to slip in their childhood once in a while

[Evan]

"The important thing to remember is that a kid is not just a kid. A kid is a person - a human being - who happens to be shorter and younger than an adult."

[Penny Geard]

Another fun, nostalgic addition to this series adaptation.
The twins were super cute and I loved seeing them get to develop their own identities.

As an adult, I do wish there would be a hint that Mallory's focus on her looks is a self-esteem issue and not necessary to make her 'cool' (although of course it's also fun to represent yourself through your physical image). I can't remember how it was dealt with in the original book (probably the same).

[Yuridia]

I'm a teen who still devours these and idc

[♡Emma Brown♡]

How many of these books are they going to make....Lol

[Ashtyn Elizabeth]

underrated queen mallory

[Brit]

A student bought this at the book fair for me to read because she thought I’d like it. ☺️ Such a cute lil graphic.

[AllyP Reads Books]

I read some of these books as a kid and am now reading them as the graphic novels come out. This one's not too bad except for the blatant child abuse from the Pike and Arnold parents.

Anyone who insists on dressing their identical twin children exactly the same and making them have their room exactly the same and everything else exactly the same is to me abusive. If you had fraternal twins you wouldn't dress them that way and make them the same person, so why do it to your identical twins? To completely ignore that your children are individuals is damaging and selfish on the parents' part because clearly you just want little dutiful dolls you can take out and have strangers fawn all over how cute they are and by extension how wonderful you are to have decorated them. This is why more and more kids go no contact with their parents when the kids grow up.

Mallory should also go no contact from her abusive parents. The clear parentification is enough. The fact that she is always put last when it comes to her younger siblings is obvious. Always having to watch them instead of doing her own thing because her parents are too lazy. This was made abundantly clear in Boy-Crazy Stacey where the Pikes go to the beach for two weeks. Mary Anne and Stacey were charged with watching the kids the whole time! What the hell were Mr. and Mrs. Pike doing for those two weeks? Not spending any time with their children that's for sure. And then Mallory often had to help out which means she didn't get to have a beach vacation like her siblings did because she had to be the parent.

In this book, the abuse really shows at the end when Mallory asks her parents if she can get her ears pierced and her hair cut. They say yes but she has to pay for it. The fuck? Yeah, maybe the ear piercing because that's a personal choice but the haircut? Kids need their hair cut and it's the parent's responsibility to pay for it or do it themselves. It's called parenting you assholes. If you didn't want to take care of your children's basic needs then you shouldn't have had them and clearly you don't deserve your kids because you are asshooooooooollllllllesssssssss. I am sure if one of the other kids wanted a hair cut you would provide that so why does Mallory have to pay for hers? You Pike parents suck!

But otherwise good book.

[Lisa]

Awesome

I am deeply passionate about the entire collection of literary works, finding immense joy and inspiration within the pages of each book. The written word has the power to transport me to different worlds, introduce me to compelling characters, and expand my understanding of human experiences through the artistry of storytelling.

[Anna]

I love reliving my childhood through these graphic novel adaptations