Karen's Big Job

Baby-Sitters Little Sister #84

by Ann M. Martin, Susan Tang (Illustrator)

Asking her stepmother Elizabeth to visit her class during career week, Karen is delighted when her stepmother, who films the class for a bubble-gum commercial, is a big hit. Original.

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Collections, Fiction

97 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1997

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

[Em's Adventures · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hmm, for once, I blame the parents for Karen's trouble, it seems like such a stretch to expect a seven year old to sit through phone calls, a long meeting and other boring work tasks AND understand what is happening. No wonder Karen thought that her parents had boring jobs! It made me laugh though because I always thought my Dad's accounting job was extremely boring to hear about 😂😂😂

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to work with my Dad when I was in grade 9 and I loved it. He worked night shift at a warehouse, and though I didn't get to drive a forklift (at least, not for another 5 years or so when I got a job at the same warehouse) but I did get pizza during break time (at like 3am) and I got to miss school the next day, so I lazed on the couch and watched Sailor Moon. Ah, simpler times.

So what I'm trying to say is I don't blame Karen, going to meetings and watching people answer the phone and send faxes sure sounds boring af.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of me is like, Elizabeth can't use these kids in a commercial without getting all their parents' consent! But ehh it was a nice happy ending anyway. Also lol at Karen being super bored at both Elizabeth's and Watson's office jobs. Welcome to adult life, Karen! 😂

[Athalia Stoneback · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Karen is excited at first about going to work with her parents. When she thinks her parents' jobs are boring, she takes matters into her own hands. At the end of the book, she learns her lesson about honesty.

[Melenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved these books as a child