Mallory and the Trouble with Twins: A Graphic Novel (The Baby-sitters Club #17)

The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novels #17

by Ann M. Martin, Arley Nopra (illustrator)

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, Fiction, Childrens, Graphic Novels Comics, Contemporary, Comics

Kindle Edition

First published March 4, 2025

About the author

Ann 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...

Reviews

[keira · Rating 3 out of 5]

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!

[Hannah Turley · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[navybluecats · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Kristyn Pittman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It is amazing I love it!”

-Olivia

[Sera · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.”

[Gayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[tasia (christmas ver.) &#x1d717;&#x1d71a; · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Dramapuppy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Mrs.MakesReadingFun · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 2 out of 5]

These have gone downhill and it makes me sad.

[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 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Hope Burmeister · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute book. Not deep or anything, but I enjoyed it. The horror twins who just wanted to be treated as individuals reminded me of my own brothers who were dressed the same growing up. The secret language they had was funny too. I don’t think I read this BSC book when I was younger, so it’s fun getting to read the graphic novel versions of books I never read. I’ll always read these because they’re quick to read and so fun and nostalgic ✨⭐️

[Penny Geard · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a teen who still devours these and idc

[Evan Liss · Rating 5 out of 5]

"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."

[Ashtyn Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

underrated queen mallory

[Brit · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Arya Joshi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously, since it was baby-sitters club, it was amazing! Even though there are so many books, the authors always seem to find a new, interesting plot for each book.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe it’s because I just reread the original book a couple of years ago so the nostalgia factor was much higher, or maybe it’s because the art was so cute and perfect for the story, but I absolutely loved this adaptation.

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mallory babysits the Arnold sisters, who stage a revolt when she calls them cute. They cause a lot of trouble until Mallory figures out that they are tired of dressing alike and being treated like one person.

Fun that Mallory gets her own book. Also you aren’t supposed to change your earrings for several weeks after a new piercing, so clearly Jessi and Mallory didn’t listen that well.

[L · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s actually so sad how this series grew excessively worse

[E · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was going to give this book 4/5 stars because I think this is one of the stronger books of this series. Also, the story was good and the book has some good lessons about individuality.

HOWEVER, it “loses points” for me because of all the inconsistencies.

I’ve found that most—if not all—of the books in this series have at least some level of inconsistency or just outright unrealistic moments. While the moments themselves may be small, the fact that they keep adding up is frustrating.

Major example of an inconsistency in this book: there’s a lot of talking about certain members of the BSC wanting to get their ears pierced. There’s mention of the guidelines regarding safety and guidelines for newly-pierced ears—which is good and shows some of the nuance and detail of the journey (thus making the story itself feel more believable)—but there are two major realities that are completely ignored:

1) 6th and 8th graders (or people under 18 years old in general) would *not* be able to just go and get their ears pierced without an adult there with them. ((This one feels like it contributes to an especially big inconsistency present throughout the series, which is the way in which the age of the members of the BSC changed throughout. Factually speaking, they’re all middle schoolers, but experientially, there are some things that make them seem especially childish and then there are other things that the characters do that well exceed what someone their age could/should be able to do.))
2) there’s a guideline for the type of earrings that a person can wear after just having had their ears pierced. None of the earrings shown in the book (except the ones put in the day of the piercing) abide by that. So that begs the question…how much time passed between ear piercing and the end of the book? If no time, then how do the dangling earrings make sense? If a lot of time, why does nothing happen within a large gap in time and how doesn’t anyone acknowledge it?

Now, as a book geared toward pre-tweens-ish aged people, I understand that there are a lot of details that one could argue either don’t fit into the book and/or simply aren’t relevant, but I think that when a major inconsistency is age, which is also a mainstay to the storyline of this series, that’s a big flaw that’s hard to overlook.

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and it's message on individuality. The artstyle is definitely cute and an upgrade from the last 3/4 (Imo, the last book that had an enjoyable art style was "Jessi's Secret Language". Everything else felt weird or made the characters, especially Kristy, look weird).

Mallory is a good protagonist, and I really liked how the book showed that self-discovery doesn't just start at 13, it's also throughout the preteen years. That's an important message for those who had early puberty.

Do I dislike anything about this book? The one thing I didn't like was how Claudia was scolded for not being able to tell the twins apart. The babysitters were only given bracelets, which the twins took off, to tell who was who. There isn't many more differences (besides what the twins told Mallory in a later chapter) to confirm which one was Marolyn and which one was Carolyn. That isn't her fault. It was up to the parents to make sure she knew.

That wasn't a huge scene that annoyed me but it did leave a sour taste in my mouth. Otherwise, the book was great.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of my favorites from the original series, and the graphic novel did a good interpretation of it. The only thing that I wish had been changed/updated is the girls getting their ears pierced without a parent or legal guardian present. Even back in the 1980's when the original book was written, I don't think that was possible for 11-year-olds. It always bothered me a little. But that's the charm of the story: the shopping sprees, being away from your parents and getting more freedom to discover yourself as you grow up.

Two minor things that stood out to me in this graphic novel: the club is introduced in the past tense ("Kristy Thomas WAS the president... Jessi WAS a ballet dancer... She WAS also my best friend.") which is odd. Also, why did they leave out Dawn getting her ears pierced, too? Though in the original book, it's totally antithetical to her being an individual; she only decides to do it because the other girls are. So maybe I just answered my own question...