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The Baby-Sitters Club #6
Kristy's Big Day
Kristy's mom is getting married, and Kristy's a bridesmaid. The only trouble is, fourteen little kids are coming to the wedding, and they all need a baby-sitter. Here comes the Baby-sitters Club!
Stacey, Claudia, Mary Anne, Dawn and Kristy think they can handle fourteen little kids. But that's before they spend five days changing diapers, stopping fights, solving mix-ups, righting wrongs...and getting sick and tired of baby-sitting!
One things for sure: This is a crazy way to have a wedding. But it's a great way to have lots of fun!
Stacey, Claudia, Mary Anne, Dawn and Kristy think they can handle fourteen little kids. But that's before they spend five days changing diapers, stopping fights, solving mix-ups, righting wrongs...and getting sick and tired of baby-sitting!
One things for sure: This is a crazy way to have a wedding. But it's a great way to have lots of fun!
153 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1987
284 people are currently reading
1858 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,098 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...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
December 13, 2019
It’s too late for me. I’m totally invested in this series of 100+ books :(.
January 6, 2021
It’s the first second BSC book! Okay, that sounds really awkward. What I’m trying to say is that each of the five current members of the BSC have told their story in one book and Kristy is the first member to tell the second part of her story. It’s also one of Ann M. Martin’s favourite books of the series.
While this wasn’t one of my absolute favourites growing up, I did love it, mostly because it introduced me to Nannie. I love the grandmothers in this series. Nannie is Kristy’s maternal grandmother and she’s so much fun.
We meet her when she shows up in her car, the Pink Clinker. I’d never heard of anyone naming their car before and thought it was brilliant. Nannie is the reason I name my own cars and one of Ann M. Martin’s other books, Ten Kids, No Pets, is the reason my first car’s name started with an A, my second car’s name started with a B and my current car’s name starts with a C. Wow, this author has shaped my life in so many ways …
This is a happy-sad book. It’s a joyous occasion because Kristy’s mother and Watson are getting married. In the process, Kristy gets a new stepsister (Karen) and stepbrother (Andrew). She adores them. Watson is a good guy, he’s a millionaire and he makes Mrs Brewer happy.
It’s sad as well because the new blended family will be living in Watson’s mansion. Don’t get me wrong; the mansion itself is not a bad thing, unless you think living next door to a rumoured witch is a problem.
No, the reason it’s sad is that for her entire life Kristy has lived next door to her best friend, Mary Anne, on Bradford Court, and Claudia has always lived across the street. Kristy and Mary Anne’s bedrooms even have windows that face each other so they can communicate by torchlight at night and pull faces at one another when they’re in a fight. Understandably, Kristy doesn’t want to leave her childhood home.
It’s also bad news because in order for Kristy to attend BSC meetings once she’s living at Watson’s, she’ll need to pay her brother, Charlie, to drive her. Charlie’s a great guy and we assume he will be a safe driver so he’s not the problem. It does mean that the BSC members will need to pay more club dues each week. So far, so good. No one is whinging about having to pay them yet but if memory serves me, the obligatory groaning whenever Stacey collects the dues is coming fairly soon.
I’m liking Kristy more as an adult so far than I ever did as a kid. In this book she does do a few decidedly un-Kristy-like things, though.
* She arrives at a BSC meeting at 5:36pm. That’s almost as bad as not attending at all, like she did in book #4. She did have a good excuse for being late so we’ll forgive her this time.
* She gets excited at the thought of wearing a bridesmaid dress. Kristy, excited about a dress? I never thought I’d see the day.
* She’s also happy about wearing heels. Okay, that’s just wrong. You can’t play baseball in heels, Kristy.
We babysit for Jenny (our angel) Prezzioso, Claire and Margo Pike and David Michael Thomas.
Then, in the lead up to the wedding, we babysit for 14 kids at once: Karen and Andrew Brewer, David Michael Thomas, Ashley, Berk, Grace and Peter (Aunt Colleen and Uncle Wallace’s kids), Emma, Beth and Luke (Aunt Theo and Uncle Neal’s kids), and Katherine, Patrick, Maura and Tony Fielding (their father, Tom, is Watson’s best friend). Jamie (Hi-hi!) Newton also drops by one day but, hey, what’s one more at this point.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. 14 kids. 5 babysitters. I could easily imagine a room in hell looking just like this. It must be time for an emergency BSC meeting. We haven’t had one of those in a while.
In 1987 I couldn’t fathom the Thomas’ living in a house that had three bathrooms, and that was before they all go across town to live in a mansion with nine bedrooms!
In the kids’ practice wedding, “holy matrimony” accidentally becomes “holy moly”. I loved that as a kid and it still got a chuckle out of me during my reread.
This book’s school dance: the Final Fling, the last school dance of the year.
Movie in a book: Mary Poppins, which I decided I liked even more as a kid when I learned it was sophisticated, former New Yorker Stacey’s favourite movie. Actually, I seem to remember finding parts of it fairly boring before Stacey convinced me to fall in love with the entire movie, not just the dancing penguins, chalk paintings and catchy tunes. (I was so proud when I learned how to spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. It’s one of those really useful things that’s burned into my brain.)
Stoneybrook Central Time: It’s June when we join Kristy on this adventure. Kristy’s mother and Watson are getting married in two and a half weeks. The Thomas’ need to have moved into Watson’s mansion before 15 July because the people who bought their house need to move in by then. We began this entire adventure on the first Tuesday of seventh grade. Google tells me that this is probably in August or early September.
About the cover: The shoes Kristy and Karen will be wearing to the wedding are special because you can dye them to match your dress. On the original cover, Karen’s shoes are black, not yellow.
Up next: Claudia and Janine came to an understanding during the whole Phantom Phone Call jump scare. Something tells me it’s not going to last.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
While this wasn’t one of my absolute favourites growing up, I did love it, mostly because it introduced me to Nannie. I love the grandmothers in this series. Nannie is Kristy’s maternal grandmother and she’s so much fun.
We meet her when she shows up in her car, the Pink Clinker. I’d never heard of anyone naming their car before and thought it was brilliant. Nannie is the reason I name my own cars and one of Ann M. Martin’s other books, Ten Kids, No Pets, is the reason my first car’s name started with an A, my second car’s name started with a B and my current car’s name starts with a C. Wow, this author has shaped my life in so many ways …
This is a happy-sad book. It’s a joyous occasion because Kristy’s mother and Watson are getting married. In the process, Kristy gets a new stepsister (Karen) and stepbrother (Andrew). She adores them. Watson is a good guy, he’s a millionaire and he makes Mrs Brewer happy.
It’s sad as well because the new blended family will be living in Watson’s mansion. Don’t get me wrong; the mansion itself is not a bad thing, unless you think living next door to a rumoured witch is a problem.
No, the reason it’s sad is that for her entire life Kristy has lived next door to her best friend, Mary Anne, on Bradford Court, and Claudia has always lived across the street. Kristy and Mary Anne’s bedrooms even have windows that face each other so they can communicate by torchlight at night and pull faces at one another when they’re in a fight. Understandably, Kristy doesn’t want to leave her childhood home.
It’s also bad news because in order for Kristy to attend BSC meetings once she’s living at Watson’s, she’ll need to pay her brother, Charlie, to drive her. Charlie’s a great guy and we assume he will be a safe driver so he’s not the problem. It does mean that the BSC members will need to pay more club dues each week. So far, so good. No one is whinging about having to pay them yet but if memory serves me, the obligatory groaning whenever Stacey collects the dues is coming fairly soon.
I’m liking Kristy more as an adult so far than I ever did as a kid. In this book she does do a few decidedly un-Kristy-like things, though.
* She arrives at a BSC meeting at 5:36pm. That’s almost as bad as not attending at all, like she did in book #4. She did have a good excuse for being late so we’ll forgive her this time.
* She gets excited at the thought of wearing a bridesmaid dress. Kristy, excited about a dress? I never thought I’d see the day.
* She’s also happy about wearing heels. Okay, that’s just wrong. You can’t play baseball in heels, Kristy.
We babysit for Jenny (our angel) Prezzioso, Claire and Margo Pike and David Michael Thomas.
Then, in the lead up to the wedding, we babysit for 14 kids at once: Karen and Andrew Brewer, David Michael Thomas, Ashley, Berk, Grace and Peter (Aunt Colleen and Uncle Wallace’s kids), Emma, Beth and Luke (Aunt Theo and Uncle Neal’s kids), and Katherine, Patrick, Maura and Tony Fielding (their father, Tom, is Watson’s best friend). Jamie (Hi-hi!) Newton also drops by one day but, hey, what’s one more at this point.
Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. 14 kids. 5 babysitters. I could easily imagine a room in hell looking just like this. It must be time for an emergency BSC meeting. We haven’t had one of those in a while.
In 1987 I couldn’t fathom the Thomas’ living in a house that had three bathrooms, and that was before they all go across town to live in a mansion with nine bedrooms!
In the kids’ practice wedding, “holy matrimony” accidentally becomes “holy moly”. I loved that as a kid and it still got a chuckle out of me during my reread.
This book’s school dance: the Final Fling, the last school dance of the year.
Movie in a book: Mary Poppins, which I decided I liked even more as a kid when I learned it was sophisticated, former New Yorker Stacey’s favourite movie. Actually, I seem to remember finding parts of it fairly boring before Stacey convinced me to fall in love with the entire movie, not just the dancing penguins, chalk paintings and catchy tunes. (I was so proud when I learned how to spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. It’s one of those really useful things that’s burned into my brain.)
Stoneybrook Central Time: It’s June when we join Kristy on this adventure. Kristy’s mother and Watson are getting married in two and a half weeks. The Thomas’ need to have moved into Watson’s mansion before 15 July because the people who bought their house need to move in by then. We began this entire adventure on the first Tuesday of seventh grade. Google tells me that this is probably in August or early September.
About the cover: The shoes Kristy and Karen will be wearing to the wedding are special because you can dye them to match your dress. On the original cover, Karen’s shoes are black, not yellow.
Up next: Claudia and Janine came to an understanding during the whole Phantom Phone Call jump scare. Something tells me it’s not going to last.
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
January 21, 2010
dear god, i was OBSESSED with this book when i was a kid. it's all because of the babysitters taking care of fourteen kids for a week. i was really into how they split the kids up by age, & made little color-coded shaped name tags, & each group had age-appropriate activities...everything that appealed to me about this book was what appealed to me about the american girl catalogue. i like things that are organized & logical & collection-oriented. it's hard to explain.
of course, time went on & the ghostwriters wrote the whole "babysitters club takes care of a whole passel of children for a week" storyline into the ground. it got to the point where, if there was one more fucking carnival or neighborhood marching band, i thought i'd die. none of them were lightning in a bottle like this book. & the last day of the sitting job, when the babysitters are supposed to get all the kids dressed for the rehearsal dinner, only to discover that one of the kids swapped out a few items in every bag for something else...god, that really appealed to my obsessive logic puzzle-solving side. even though i also wanted to throttle the kid that did it for messing up such a great organizational system.
okay, actual plot: kristy's mom is marrying watson. they decide to get hitched in the fall, giving them all summer to plan the wedding & sell kristy's mom's house. but her job wants her to be in europe for when the wedding is scheduled, & then a buyer (the perkins family) comes along for the house & is willing to pay the full asking price is they can take possession, like, tomorrow. for some reason, mrs. thomas & watson aren't cool with just shacking up together but unmarried for a few months, even though they have both been married before & it's not really a big deal for an unmarried couple to live together. & if they wanted to be really proper about it, watson lives in a damn mansion. mrs. thomas could just have her own room until they finally get married. no, we need a plot device, & the plot device here is that the wedding is in two & a half weeks & the thomas family is moving immediately after. & because it's such short notice, mrs. thomas's siblings (& their spouses & children) plus watson's best friend (& his wife & children) are all coming to stoneybrook to pitch in for the week before the wedding. if this was my wedding/moving day, i'd actually be aggravated that i suddenly had to delegate responsibility to a whole crew of well-meaning helpers that i didn't request help from, but whatever.
because everyone has kids, mrs. thomas hires the BSC to watch all the kids for the whole week & pays them $600 for their trouble--$120 for each girl for 40 hours of babysitting. that's $3 an hour. which mrs. thomas says is "a little more than your usual wages". man, parents in the mid-80s had a good deal. even adjusted for inflation, that's a bargain.
there's all this out of character stuff, like kristy being psyched to be a bridesmaid, not just because it's an honor to be there for her mom, but because she gets to wear a pretty dress & her first shoes with heels. um...what? i could see later kristy accepting a bridemaid invite because she cares about the person who asked her, but isn't there a whole passage in the "friends forever" book where kristy's dad gets hitched where kristy complains about having to wear a dress to the wedding? i feel like this is an example of how ann m. martin originally had sketched broader personalities & more complex characters, but they were flattened out & became parodies of themselves in the hands of the ghostwriters.
anyway. i can't believe i have written so much about this dumb book. even though it was a classic when i was a kid. except for andrew there on the cover. he looks like a miniaturized tiny old man--like benjamin button. scary!
of course, time went on & the ghostwriters wrote the whole "babysitters club takes care of a whole passel of children for a week" storyline into the ground. it got to the point where, if there was one more fucking carnival or neighborhood marching band, i thought i'd die. none of them were lightning in a bottle like this book. & the last day of the sitting job, when the babysitters are supposed to get all the kids dressed for the rehearsal dinner, only to discover that one of the kids swapped out a few items in every bag for something else...god, that really appealed to my obsessive logic puzzle-solving side. even though i also wanted to throttle the kid that did it for messing up such a great organizational system.
okay, actual plot: kristy's mom is marrying watson. they decide to get hitched in the fall, giving them all summer to plan the wedding & sell kristy's mom's house. but her job wants her to be in europe for when the wedding is scheduled, & then a buyer (the perkins family) comes along for the house & is willing to pay the full asking price is they can take possession, like, tomorrow. for some reason, mrs. thomas & watson aren't cool with just shacking up together but unmarried for a few months, even though they have both been married before & it's not really a big deal for an unmarried couple to live together. & if they wanted to be really proper about it, watson lives in a damn mansion. mrs. thomas could just have her own room until they finally get married. no, we need a plot device, & the plot device here is that the wedding is in two & a half weeks & the thomas family is moving immediately after. & because it's such short notice, mrs. thomas's siblings (& their spouses & children) plus watson's best friend (& his wife & children) are all coming to stoneybrook to pitch in for the week before the wedding. if this was my wedding/moving day, i'd actually be aggravated that i suddenly had to delegate responsibility to a whole crew of well-meaning helpers that i didn't request help from, but whatever.
because everyone has kids, mrs. thomas hires the BSC to watch all the kids for the whole week & pays them $600 for their trouble--$120 for each girl for 40 hours of babysitting. that's $3 an hour. which mrs. thomas says is "a little more than your usual wages". man, parents in the mid-80s had a good deal. even adjusted for inflation, that's a bargain.
there's all this out of character stuff, like kristy being psyched to be a bridesmaid, not just because it's an honor to be there for her mom, but because she gets to wear a pretty dress & her first shoes with heels. um...what? i could see later kristy accepting a bridemaid invite because she cares about the person who asked her, but isn't there a whole passage in the "friends forever" book where kristy's dad gets hitched where kristy complains about having to wear a dress to the wedding? i feel like this is an example of how ann m. martin originally had sketched broader personalities & more complex characters, but they were flattened out & became parodies of themselves in the hands of the ghostwriters.
anyway. i can't believe i have written so much about this dumb book. even though it was a classic when i was a kid. except for andrew there on the cover. he looks like a miniaturized tiny old man--like benjamin button. scary!
April 3, 2019
The Ballad of Morbidda Destiny
When Midnight crept upon a house
And settled in a tree,
It cast its shadow on a form
There stooped on bended knee.
And Midnight greeted its old friend:
The witch called Destiny.
She grasped a root with gnarled hand
And pulled it from the ground.
Another curs'd ingredient
For magick most profound.
An incantation murmured low
Calls devils with its sound.
Or that is how you'd hear it told
If you were so unwise
To listen to young Karen B.,
Whose blond hair and blue eyes
And cute, precocious yammerings
Conceal vicious lies.
For Morbidda is Tabitha,
Not magickal at all.
She loves her daughter, tends her plants,
And comes around to call,
Delivering good wishes to
Her neighbors big and small.
When Karen's cat comes to destroy
The lady's flower bed,
Our Tabby justly speaks her mind
And says what must be said.
But Karen claims "She's cursed him! Witch!
And now he's surely dead!"
But stop there Karen does not do.
One curse becomes another,
And soon Morbidda Destiny
Is evil like no other.
And worst of all this story then
Is passed to Karen's brother.
Each word Miss Porter speaks, a spell,
Each recipe a potion.
And Karen's lack of decency
Sets rumors fast in motion.
And soon all children fear her and
Cause much undue commotion.
This lady cannot live her life
Or walk the streets without
Young Karen and her entourage
Telling lies about
Black clothes, black cat, black arts, black heart
And screaming "Get her out!"
And lately when she stopped on by
To give a bride a gift,
There was an uproar caused foremost
By Karen's ugly grift.
And so unwelcome tidings cast
Poor Morbidda adrift.
You may declare that Karen's deeds
Are not such hateful lies.
"She's just a dreamer, just a kid.
Give her a break, you guys!"
Are dreaming kids not guilty when
A lonely woman cries?
So do not judge on looks alone,
For if she's thusly styled,
A kind, old woman can become
An innocent reviled.
And evil can be found within
The soul of one small child.
L'envoi:
The lies that Karen loves to spin
Are not her most egregious sin.
A haughty, selfish little elf,
She thinks of nothing but herself.
Nothing makes your day go south
Like Karen Brewer's open mouth.
So piss off, die bish, go to hell!
No one cares that you can spell.
*******************
Homework: Stop it.
<< #5: Dawne and the Impossible Three
#7: Claudia and Mean Janine >>
When Midnight crept upon a house
And settled in a tree,
It cast its shadow on a form
There stooped on bended knee.
And Midnight greeted its old friend:
The witch called Destiny.
She grasped a root with gnarled hand
And pulled it from the ground.
Another curs'd ingredient
For magick most profound.
An incantation murmured low
Calls devils with its sound.
Or that is how you'd hear it told
If you were so unwise
To listen to young Karen B.,
Whose blond hair and blue eyes
And cute, precocious yammerings
Conceal vicious lies.
For Morbidda is Tabitha,
Not magickal at all.
She loves her daughter, tends her plants,
And comes around to call,
Delivering good wishes to
Her neighbors big and small.
When Karen's cat comes to destroy
The lady's flower bed,
Our Tabby justly speaks her mind
And says what must be said.
But Karen claims "She's cursed him! Witch!
And now he's surely dead!"
But stop there Karen does not do.
One curse becomes another,
And soon Morbidda Destiny
Is evil like no other.
And worst of all this story then
Is passed to Karen's brother.
Each word Miss Porter speaks, a spell,
Each recipe a potion.
And Karen's lack of decency
Sets rumors fast in motion.
And soon all children fear her and
Cause much undue commotion.
This lady cannot live her life
Or walk the streets without
Young Karen and her entourage
Telling lies about
Black clothes, black cat, black arts, black heart
And screaming "Get her out!"
And lately when she stopped on by
To give a bride a gift,
There was an uproar caused foremost
By Karen's ugly grift.
And so unwelcome tidings cast
Poor Morbidda adrift.
You may declare that Karen's deeds
Are not such hateful lies.
"She's just a dreamer, just a kid.
Give her a break, you guys!"
Are dreaming kids not guilty when
A lonely woman cries?
So do not judge on looks alone,
For if she's thusly styled,
A kind, old woman can become
An innocent reviled.
And evil can be found within
The soul of one small child.
L'envoi:
The lies that Karen loves to spin
Are not her most egregious sin.
A haughty, selfish little elf,
She thinks of nothing but herself.
Nothing makes your day go south
Like Karen Brewer's open mouth.
So piss off, die bish, go to hell!
No one cares that you can spell.
*******************
Homework: Stop it.
<< #5: Dawne and the Impossible Three
#7: Claudia and Mean Janine >>
October 2, 2025
Me gustó muchísimo, fue muy wholesome y entretenido.
El libro comienza con el adelanto de la boda de la mamá de Kristy y Watson, lo que desequilibra todos los planes de la familia y del Club de las Niñeras.
Este libro podríamos dividirlo en dos tramas, pero ambas están involucradas en la boda.
La primera trama se basa en la familia de Kristy y cómo este cambio les está afectando: la mudanza, la escuela y el aceptar que ya no serán solo ellos y que a su familia se sumarán Watson y sus dos hijos.
Y la segunda trama tiene que ver directamente con los preparativos de la boda, ya que los familiares y amigos de los novios llegan a Stoneybrook para ayudar con todo lo que haga falta para el adelanto de la ceremonia.
Con ellos, estas personas traen a sus hijos (muchísimos niños) que tendrán que cuidar Kristy, Stacey, Dawn, Mary Anne y Claudia. Veremos a lo largo del libro cómo esto es extremadamente complicado pero ¿bonito? al mismo tiempo, ya que se hacen amistades muy wholesome entre los niños.
Este libro marca un cambio no solo en la vida de Kristy, sino en la serie en general, ya que nos introduce cambios notables como el que Kristy se mude y ya no esté tan cerca de las chicas del club. Disfruté mucho la experiencia de leer este libro.
Ah, y no tiene nada que ver, pero siempre muero de la risa con la superstición de los niños que dicen que la vecina de Watson (a la que ellos apodan Morbidda Destiny) es una bruja. ¿Y el gato de Watson? ¡Lo amo!
Terminado el 2 de octubre del 2025
El libro comienza con el adelanto de la boda de la mamá de Kristy y Watson, lo que desequilibra todos los planes de la familia y del Club de las Niñeras.
Este libro podríamos dividirlo en dos tramas, pero ambas están involucradas en la boda.
La primera trama se basa en la familia de Kristy y cómo este cambio les está afectando: la mudanza, la escuela y el aceptar que ya no serán solo ellos y que a su familia se sumarán Watson y sus dos hijos.
Y la segunda trama tiene que ver directamente con los preparativos de la boda, ya que los familiares y amigos de los novios llegan a Stoneybrook para ayudar con todo lo que haga falta para el adelanto de la ceremonia.
Con ellos, estas personas traen a sus hijos (muchísimos niños) que tendrán que cuidar Kristy, Stacey, Dawn, Mary Anne y Claudia. Veremos a lo largo del libro cómo esto es extremadamente complicado pero ¿bonito? al mismo tiempo, ya que se hacen amistades muy wholesome entre los niños.
Este libro marca un cambio no solo en la vida de Kristy, sino en la serie en general, ya que nos introduce cambios notables como el que Kristy se mude y ya no esté tan cerca de las chicas del club. Disfruté mucho la experiencia de leer este libro.
Ah, y no tiene nada que ver, pero siempre muero de la risa con la superstición de los niños que dicen que la vecina de Watson (a la que ellos apodan Morbidda Destiny) es una bruja. ¿Y el gato de Watson? ¡Lo amo!
Terminado el 2 de octubre del 2025
July 24, 2025
Kristy proves that even her mom's wedding can't escape her micromanaging grasp. While the bride might be saying "I do," Kristy's clearly thinking, "I'll do... everything."
It's a charming reminder that even for Stoneybrook's most fervent CEO of childcare, some chaos is just unavoidable – especially when a dozen kids are involved. A delightful... if slightly bossy... trip down the aisle!
It's a charming reminder that even for Stoneybrook's most fervent CEO of childcare, some chaos is just unavoidable – especially when a dozen kids are involved. A delightful... if slightly bossy... trip down the aisle!
November 1, 2020
Kristy retakes the narrative here, as her mother finally marries millionaire fiance Watson Brewer. The BSC have their first 'big' booking with all of them looking after 14 children who are linked to the wedding. That's about it. Happy ever after.
I will say that I found it odd that Kristy's mother is SO insistent that they must be married before they can all move into the Brewer mansion. She has four kids - she ain't no blushing bride. Also, Karen Brewer is still the most annoying character ever created in literature. 30 years on and I still can't stand her. Is it irrational hatred? Yes. Will I continue to bitch about her anyway? Also yes.
I will say that I found it odd that Kristy's mother is SO insistent that they must be married before they can all move into the Brewer mansion. She has four kids - she ain't no blushing bride. Also, Karen Brewer is still the most annoying character ever created in literature. 30 years on and I still can't stand her. Is it irrational hatred? Yes. Will I continue to bitch about her anyway? Also yes.
January 12, 2016
kristy's mom's wedding, planned for september, has to be moved to july because there is already an offer on the house (not to mention kristy's mom has a work trip to europe in september). the week of the wedding, the bsc has a day care for the 14 kids of adults that are working on the wedding.
highlights:
-this is the first time the baby-sitters have a large-scale organized baby-sitting project. this happens a lot throughout the series, but this early on it seems nigh impossible until they actually do it and have little trouble.
-introduction of nannie and her "pink clinker" (her ratty old car that she painted pink and decorated with a pink plastic flower on the antenna)
-kristy's description of her uncle neal: "he is not my favorite relative. his pants and shirt never match, he smokes cigars, and he talks too loudly." does he also sell used cars?
-kristy's foray into girliness (wanting to wear a dress, being excited about flowers and heels). I like this because I think of myself as having been a tomboy growing up, but I still liked (and continue to like) being extremely girly and feminine sometimes.
-the fake wedding the bsc has for the fake day care is really cute. luke (playing the minister) says holy moly instead of holy matrimony. the vows are also great: "karen, do you promise to love your husband and help him out and not hog the television?" "david michael, do you promise to love your wife and help her out and show her how to ride a two-wheeler?"
lowlight:
-the whole premise is kind of faulty. if mrs. thomas and watson are opposed to the prospect of living together before they are officially married (which doesn't really seem realistic to me based on what I know about those characters), why don't they just get legally married without the ceremony, and then have the actual ceremony and party in october?
one claudia outfit:
-She was wearing one of her usual outrageous outfits: a black leotard and skintight red pants under a white shirt that was so big it looked like a lab coat. Claudia's a wonderful artist and she had decorated the shirt herself, covering it with designs painted in acrylic. She had pinned her long, black hair back at the sides with red clips.
karen's fake wedding outfit:
-"Here's my veil," she said, brushing aside a garish pink piece of netting, "and my lovely, lovely hat." (On top of the lovely, lovely hat was a lovely, lovely fake bird's nest with two fake bluebirds inside.) "And I put on my best bracelets. I guess my shoes are a little big" (they were a pair of Mom's) "but that's okay. Now, my dress is the most beautiful part of all. See the jewels?" The dress was wilder than the veil. For starters, it wasn't white; it was bright blue, with shimmery sequins sewn all over it. The waistline fell around Karen's knees."
four snacks in claudia's room:
-m&ms in a box under her bed labeled ARTWORK: STILL LIFS AND PORTRITS
-snickers bar in the drawer of her jewelry box
-a package of ring dings in the STILL LIFS AND PORTRITS box
-a roll of life savers in her pocket
they also get crackers and fruit (for stacey and dawn) and soda from the kitchen, but those aren't hidden in claudia's room so I don't think they count.
highlights:
-this is the first time the baby-sitters have a large-scale organized baby-sitting project. this happens a lot throughout the series, but this early on it seems nigh impossible until they actually do it and have little trouble.
-introduction of nannie and her "pink clinker" (her ratty old car that she painted pink and decorated with a pink plastic flower on the antenna)
-kristy's description of her uncle neal: "he is not my favorite relative. his pants and shirt never match, he smokes cigars, and he talks too loudly." does he also sell used cars?
-kristy's foray into girliness (wanting to wear a dress, being excited about flowers and heels). I like this because I think of myself as having been a tomboy growing up, but I still liked (and continue to like) being extremely girly and feminine sometimes.
-the fake wedding the bsc has for the fake day care is really cute. luke (playing the minister) says holy moly instead of holy matrimony. the vows are also great: "karen, do you promise to love your husband and help him out and not hog the television?" "david michael, do you promise to love your wife and help her out and show her how to ride a two-wheeler?"
lowlight:
-the whole premise is kind of faulty. if mrs. thomas and watson are opposed to the prospect of living together before they are officially married (which doesn't really seem realistic to me based on what I know about those characters), why don't they just get legally married without the ceremony, and then have the actual ceremony and party in october?
one claudia outfit:
-She was wearing one of her usual outrageous outfits: a black leotard and skintight red pants under a white shirt that was so big it looked like a lab coat. Claudia's a wonderful artist and she had decorated the shirt herself, covering it with designs painted in acrylic. She had pinned her long, black hair back at the sides with red clips.
karen's fake wedding outfit:
-"Here's my veil," she said, brushing aside a garish pink piece of netting, "and my lovely, lovely hat." (On top of the lovely, lovely hat was a lovely, lovely fake bird's nest with two fake bluebirds inside.) "And I put on my best bracelets. I guess my shoes are a little big" (they were a pair of Mom's) "but that's okay. Now, my dress is the most beautiful part of all. See the jewels?" The dress was wilder than the veil. For starters, it wasn't white; it was bright blue, with shimmery sequins sewn all over it. The waistline fell around Karen's knees."
four snacks in claudia's room:
-m&ms in a box under her bed labeled ARTWORK: STILL LIFS AND PORTRITS
-snickers bar in the drawer of her jewelry box
-a package of ring dings in the STILL LIFS AND PORTRITS box
-a roll of life savers in her pocket
they also get crackers and fruit (for stacey and dawn) and soda from the kitchen, but those aren't hidden in claudia's room so I don't think they count.
February 6, 2023
This was the first Baby-Sitters Club book I ever read as a kid! So it holds an extremely special place in my heart. I remember looking at Kristy's yellow dress on the cover for ages, wondering what it must feel like to be in a wedding.
It's still a fun re-read. It has one of my fave BSC tropes: the whole gang babysitting a ton of kids at once. I always prefer those adventures to the singular sitting jobs. And shenanigans ensue! I am always completely blown away by how much parents expected from these babysitters. There are 14 kids and they want the BSC to dress them all in fancy clothing, after a full day of babysitting, for a rehearsal dinner? Why aren't the parents doing that? I don't know, these twelve-year-olds are doing a lot.
One thing that has always bugged me about this book is that Mrs. Thomas can't seem to move her family in with Watson until they're married? The whole crux of the book revolves around their house being sold so quickly that they have to get married immediately (their second marriage too,) before Kristy's family can move in with Watson. Even in the late 80s, that sounds very odd to me. This whole thing could have been saved if they just moved to the mansion and had gotten married in the fall as they planned. But hey, what do I know?
It's still a fun re-read. It has one of my fave BSC tropes: the whole gang babysitting a ton of kids at once. I always prefer those adventures to the singular sitting jobs. And shenanigans ensue! I am always completely blown away by how much parents expected from these babysitters. There are 14 kids and they want the BSC to dress them all in fancy clothing, after a full day of babysitting, for a rehearsal dinner? Why aren't the parents doing that? I don't know, these twelve-year-olds are doing a lot.
One thing that has always bugged me about this book is that Mrs. Thomas can't seem to move her family in with Watson until they're married? The whole crux of the book revolves around their house being sold so quickly that they have to get married immediately (their second marriage too,) before Kristy's family can move in with Watson. Even in the late 80s, that sounds very odd to me. This whole thing could have been saved if they just moved to the mansion and had gotten married in the fall as they planned. But hey, what do I know?
September 27, 2008
5th grade, I was a total BabySitters Club addict. I think I read them until I was in 9th grade or something embarrassing. Anyway, THIS particular one was one of my absolute favorites, and I read it a bazillion times. It's the one where Kristy's mom marries Watson, or whatever the hell his name is. See the beatuiful yellow dress?!?!? And the babysitters had all the kids over at once and had to do games and stuff with them. It was like the girls were running their own day camp! One time I took this book in the bathtub to read because I thought reading in the bathtub was a sophisticated thing to do (shut up, I see the irony) and of course I got the damn book soaked. But I didn't care. It dried to a fat wrinkly rag, but I read it again anyway! Yay, happy times.
October 19, 2018
Kristy is once more taking the reins( see Book 1 ) and the most pressing thing on her mind is the marriage of her mother, Elizabeth to millionaire, Watson Brewer. The Thomas kids and their mother will be leaving their comfortable neighborhood to live in Watson's mansion and Kristy feels worried about the future. One of my favorite chapters is when Kristy reaches out to older brothers, Charlie and Sam and expresses her fears about the future. I think a lot of young readers would find this totally relateable.
Now what is a bit strange is Kristy's excitement to wear a dress and be in her mother's wedding. Isn't she supposed to be the tomboy of the BSC? Anyway, small potatoes to the fact that Kristy and her fellow members have to babysit fourteen children from 8 months- 10 years old during the entire wedding week. I loved this because after so much disagreements in the past, it was refreshing to have all the girls work together.
Now what is a bit strange is Kristy's excitement to wear a dress and be in her mother's wedding. Isn't she supposed to be the tomboy of the BSC? Anyway, small potatoes to the fact that Kristy and her fellow members have to babysit fourteen children from 8 months- 10 years old during the entire wedding week. I loved this because after so much disagreements in the past, it was refreshing to have all the girls work together.
December 26, 2019
I am on a quest to revisit my childhood reading favorites. When I was a child, I loved the Babysitters Club books. I devoured them. I read those, along with the Super Specials, Mysteries, Little Sister books, etc. In fact, I still have all of them to this day in paperback. They were such a big part of my love of reading, I could not part with them. So now that they have come out on Audiobook, I had to check them out. As it turns out, I am not too old to enjoy The Baby-sitters Club. It kind of feels like going home again.
Kristy's Big Day is book 6 in the Baby-sitters Club series. In this book, Kristy's mom is marrying Watson. Due to some scheduling conflicts, the wedding had to be moved up significantly and everyone is in a mad rush to get the wedding planned. When friends and family come to town to help a week early, the BSC gets hired for their biggest job yet. All 5 of the girls will be babysitting together for 5 full days in a row; Monday through Friday 9 am to 5 pm. They will have 14 kids of varying ages to care for, plus Jamie Newton for one of the days since they already agreed to babysit for him. They break the kids up into 5 groups based on age and the girls each have a group they are responsible for. We get to see if the BSC can manage 14-15 kids at once and what challenges they face.
This book is a quick listen and is only 2 hours and 40 minutes. The first 5 books all had the same narrator. This book had a new narrator which made it a bit harder to get used to since I have been listening to these books almost back to back. I was used to the voices of the first narrator.
My love for these books and the nostalgia is holding strong. I am ready to listen to book 7!
Kristy's Big Day is book 6 in the Baby-sitters Club series. In this book, Kristy's mom is marrying Watson. Due to some scheduling conflicts, the wedding had to be moved up significantly and everyone is in a mad rush to get the wedding planned. When friends and family come to town to help a week early, the BSC gets hired for their biggest job yet. All 5 of the girls will be babysitting together for 5 full days in a row; Monday through Friday 9 am to 5 pm. They will have 14 kids of varying ages to care for, plus Jamie Newton for one of the days since they already agreed to babysit for him. They break the kids up into 5 groups based on age and the girls each have a group they are responsible for. We get to see if the BSC can manage 14-15 kids at once and what challenges they face.
This book is a quick listen and is only 2 hours and 40 minutes. The first 5 books all had the same narrator. This book had a new narrator which made it a bit harder to get used to since I have been listening to these books almost back to back. I was used to the voices of the first narrator.
My love for these books and the nostalgia is holding strong. I am ready to listen to book 7!
October 4, 2019
Kristy's mom is getting married and kristy is moving to a mansion and for the first time she is wearing heals
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2018
This might be my favourite BSC book, but there are so many amazing ones that it's hard for me to choose one. But this book has it all: family, friends, and lots of baby-sitting.
Family: I got into the BSC after reading the Karen books, and because I loved Karen so much, it was natural that Kristy was my favourite baby-sitter. (Though it has changed a couple times over the years, I still have a soft spot for her in my heart.) So that could be one of the reasons I love this book, the joining of Karen and Kristy's families. (And who doesn't love a wedding?)
Friends: It's just always nice to read a book where the girls aren't in a fight hahaha. Plus, I love when they all work together, and all the members are featured in the story together, not just randomly appearing at the meetings.
Baby-sitting: I'll be honest, sometimes the baby-sitting plots are kind of a bore. But I think this book is a good example of the baby-sitting made fun: it's a big group of kids, any issues they have are small, and I love how the girls make it work - my only nitpick is that it's a bunch of random kids (Kristy's cousins) and not enough of the neighbourhood kids we know and love (Jamie, Charlotte, the Pikes, the Barretts...) And none of the kids really had any defining traits. Heck, I probably couldn't name all of them!
All in all, this book is what the Baby-sitters Club is all about!
Family: I got into the BSC after reading the Karen books, and because I loved Karen so much, it was natural that Kristy was my favourite baby-sitter. (Though it has changed a couple times over the years, I still have a soft spot for her in my heart.) So that could be one of the reasons I love this book, the joining of Karen and Kristy's families. (And who doesn't love a wedding?)
Friends: It's just always nice to read a book where the girls aren't in a fight hahaha. Plus, I love when they all work together, and all the members are featured in the story together, not just randomly appearing at the meetings.
Baby-sitting: I'll be honest, sometimes the baby-sitting plots are kind of a bore. But I think this book is a good example of the baby-sitting made fun: it's a big group of kids, any issues they have are small, and I love how the girls make it work - my only nitpick is that it's a bunch of random kids (Kristy's cousins) and not enough of the neighbourhood kids we know and love (Jamie, Charlotte, the Pikes, the Barretts...) And none of the kids really had any defining traits. Heck, I probably couldn't name all of them!
All in all, this book is what the Baby-sitters Club is all about!
April 5, 2015
Yes I read it. Today. Yes I'm a grown-ass woman.
I give it five stars as the 10 year old who looooved it and 3 as the 36 year old who recognizes that its pretty decent for its intended audience and time written, but not lacking plot holes.
These children they're watching? They have horrible parents. Kristy's mom is kind of a user. You're marrying a millionaire but need to monopolize eight of your closest friends and family's time for the equivalent of a full time work week to make food and decorate for your wedding (they have people you can hire for that, even last minute)?! To the point where your 13 year old daughter and her friends have to take boys for haircuts (grandma can give them a ride but not actually go in and give any input, the junior high schooler's got this). Yeah okay.
But 10 year old me was obsessed with this book and the rest of the babysitters' club books so they get a pass.
At 13 I was so ready for all this responsibility, why didn't my mom let me? Still a mystery.
I give it five stars as the 10 year old who looooved it and 3 as the 36 year old who recognizes that its pretty decent for its intended audience and time written, but not lacking plot holes.
These children they're watching? They have horrible parents. Kristy's mom is kind of a user. You're marrying a millionaire but need to monopolize eight of your closest friends and family's time for the equivalent of a full time work week to make food and decorate for your wedding (they have people you can hire for that, even last minute)?! To the point where your 13 year old daughter and her friends have to take boys for haircuts (grandma can give them a ride but not actually go in and give any input, the junior high schooler's got this). Yeah okay.
But 10 year old me was obsessed with this book and the rest of the babysitters' club books so they get a pass.
At 13 I was so ready for all this responsibility, why didn't my mom let me? Still a mystery.
July 7, 2020
While I actually started reading around age 3 (thank you, my Granny's Dick and Jane books!), this series is what I remember most about loving to read during my childhood. My sister and I drank these books up like they were oxygen. I truly think we owned just about every single one from every one of the series. We even got the privilege of meeting Ann M. Martin at a book signing, but of course little starstruck me froze and could not speak a word to my biggest hero at that time. Once in awhile if I come across these at a yard sale, I will pick them up for a couple hour trip down memory lane, and I declare nearly nothing centers and relaxes me more!
July 11, 2020
Did I really just cry reading this book?
Yes. Yes I did.
Honestly though, I just love everything about this one!! The BSC taking care of those 14 kids made me realise why I was always so obsessed with doing summer activities with my own cousin.
I think this is the book I’m most excited to see adapted next to Mary Anne Saves the Day!
Yes. Yes I did.
Honestly though, I just love everything about this one!! The BSC taking care of those 14 kids made me realise why I was always so obsessed with doing summer activities with my own cousin.
I think this is the book I’m most excited to see adapted next to Mary Anne Saves the Day!
August 27, 2018
Today is THE DAY! Kristys mom is finally about to marry Watson. She will become a stepsister to two new siblings. But things get pretty hectic when family and friends come into town to help with the wedding and the babysitters club have 14 children to watch all at once. Hopefully they can stick it out.
December 15, 2018
The Babysitters Club continues to spin a sugary tale, but it is once again a time capsule of the 80's. TBC has to look after 12(?) children for a week and they get paid $300 all together I believe. That is a modern-day equivalent of nearly $1000 for a few teenage girls! It was strange to read about young ladies taking children around town without any supervision and paying dimes for snacks. I can't quite relate to the time period but I do like all the cutie pies in the club. Some of the children they had to manage were brats, especially Kristy's new sister-in-law, but there are always a few rotten apples in the bunch. My next few copies of TBC are further ahead in the series but I'm sure I'll be able to follow along. Look at the gross child on this edition of Kristy's Big Day. He looks like a blond Chucky doll. Yuck. Can't wait to pick up my rotary phone for another call for the Babysitters Club!
December 8, 2020
This one was fun because the club practically runs a daycare for a week with all the kids in town for Kristy's mom's and stepdad's wedding. I had trouble keeping the various charges straight though. Lots of opportunities for discussion of wedding traditions and best babysitting practices.
Read
August 19, 2019This is prebably one of my favorite books in the series. Kristy's mother and Watson are finally getting married. Kristy comes up with the brilliant idea to have the club whatch 14 kids all at once. They divide the kids into 5 groups, and the adventures" commence.
Since Kristy is one of my favorite baby-sitters, I usually enjoy her books. I do however think that her soon to be stepsister Karen is kind of annoying, but luckily she's not a huge part with the book. I also wondered if Mary Anne, and taking care of the babies means that she's the most mature and trustwory of the sitters, though her baby-sitting doesn't get a chapter. Stacey and Dawn do though, and 'that's pretty awesome. We see a bit of Dawn's temper, all because of the above mentioned Karen, and we learn that Stacey's favorite movie is Mary Poppins.
Ann M Martin did a really cute thing, as far as the pretend wedding that the Baby-Sitters have, and that part actually makes me laugh.
Since Kristy is one of my favorite baby-sitters, I usually enjoy her books. I do however think that her soon to be stepsister Karen is kind of annoying, but luckily she's not a huge part with the book. I also wondered if Mary Anne, and taking care of the babies means that she's the most mature and trustwory of the sitters, though her baby-sitting doesn't get a chapter. Stacey and Dawn do though, and 'that's pretty awesome. We see a bit of Dawn's temper, all because of the above mentioned Karen, and we learn that Stacey's favorite movie is Mary Poppins.
Ann M Martin did a really cute thing, as far as the pretend wedding that the Baby-Sitters have, and that part actually makes me laugh.
January 15, 2020
Rereading BSC books, which sparked my ~love for reading~! For this one, I enjoyed getting to know Kristy again, and following the change (her mom remarrying!) in her life.
I loved the BSC growing up, and have decided to re-read (or read for the first time) some of the books in the series. Which of the members are you most like? :)
I loved the BSC growing up, and have decided to re-read (or read for the first time) some of the books in the series. Which of the members are you most like? :)
August 22, 2022
Read via audio (narrated by Brittany Pressley).
October 13, 2019
Good. Clean. Babysitting. Fun.
January 3, 2022
My favorite stories are when Kristy gets to live her butch lesbian truth and this is simply not one of those stories.
July 16, 2016
Two become one when Kristy's mother marries Watson, changing the lives of her children forever. I really like that in later books like Kristy and Mr. Mom, and The Baby Sitters At Shadow Lake Kristy realizes how much she has come to love Watson, and how much he means to her. Early in the series (such as in this book) Kristy hates Watson for no good reason. I think I read this when I was about nine or ten.
Things I remember from reading this as a kid:
At the time I read this, I really liked reading books about weddings. Therefore, I was somewhat disappointed that the wedding story line almost takes a backseat to the story line about caring for a bunch of children, much as I enjoyed reading about their antics. (I especially liked the Mary Poppins outing.)
I thought it was amusing, and a little out of character for Kristy to get so excited about wearing a long dress, with flowers and high heels.
Kristy calls Watson a jerk, and later says it's because he makes obvious comments, like that kids who are clearly shy, are "all very shy." I remember reading that and thinking, "Wow, he IS a jerk!"
Things I've considered since reading this as an adult:
I wouldn't classify Watson as a jerk by any definition. A little dorky maybe, and someone who is not used to talking to teenagers, but not a jerk at all. That sounds like a better description for Kristy's biological father who took off to California, leaving her mother with no money, and four young children.
Although I think the premise for a rushed wedding is so ridiculous, idiotic, and exactly the sort of stupid thing that happens when you are so determined to not live together before marriage, I do like that Elizabeth makes it clear to Kristy that she doesn't intend to rely on Watson's money to continue raising her children. She is no gold digger, and she feels it unfair to suddenly saddle Watson with four college educations. As a kid I was on Kristy's side; marrying a wealthy man means you don't have to pay attention to the cost of things, you can sit back and let his money buy away all your problems. As an adult, who has always worked very hard for my money, and who is currently in the midst of creative budgeting while my husband is out of work, I am firmly on Elizabeth's side, and I like that she zaps down Kristy's idea of not selling her house for as much money as she can possibly get now in favor of selling for less money down the road. If Connecticut is a community property state then Elizabeth is right -- half the money from the sale of the house goes to Kristy's father, even they have been divorced for years. The other half is a nice chunk of money that can be invested into college fund accounts that will go a long way to paying for four college educations. Technically, this is money that Watson has nothing to do with, and so it will go to benefit Elizabeth's children. Any money he earns after their marriage will be considered "their" money and can be used for unexpected college expenses for all the kids, such as books, trips home, dorm room furnishings, etc. I imagine that when Kristy grows up and gets her degree from Harvard Business School, she will be grateful that her mother pushed for the buyer that paid the high asking price for their home.
Kristy seems to take her mother's concerns to heart when she talks to her brothers about how awkward it might be living with Watson's millionaire funds. Is it ok to borrow money from him? Is ok to ask for expensive things? I would imagine there are some adjustments to be made when four kids who've always lived in a household where money is tight move into a mansion with a stepfather who apparently has loads of money. Which brings me to this question. . .
Where does Watson's money come from? Granted, Stoneybrook on its own seems to be a wealthy enclave. Everyone lives in a nice house, everyone has a job, no one is struggling to get by, even the public schools offer tons of nice extracurriculars. Later in the mystery spinoff series there are hints of the so-called seedy side of Stoneybrook, but even those seem to be mostly white-collar crimes. Purebred animals being stolen from owners to fill a need at a fancy pet store, murder at an old country club, and embezzling funds from a local mall are the problems facing the Stoneybrook police department. Even the criminals in Stoneybrook seem afflicted by the ennui of having too much money. Sean Addison starting fires because his parents are making him participate in a reading program? The creepy stalker from the Super Mystery terrorizing the baby sitters because he blamed them for his father having to give up his high salary to go to jail after the BSC catches him stealing pets? Clearly, this town has a high median income., but Watson is considered extra wealthy by their standards, so what exactly does he do? Is it family money passed down through the generations in a business of some kind? (Johnson & Johnson, or the Hilton company comes to mind.) This would account for the fact that Ben Brewer, the ghost of Watson's grandfather, haunts old family house where he lived, which Watson's family currently inhabits. I'm going to assume that's the explanation, since Watson seems awfully loosy-goosy with work, as he's constantly taking his family on fancy trips to Disney World, his second house in Shadow Lake (which sounds suspiciously like Lake Placid, the Olympic ski resort), Hawaii, and Europe. As the CEO of a family company he can get away with putting in only cursory appearances at board meetings.
WHY didn't Watson and Elizabeth get married in a quick civil ceremony if being married before moving in together was so important to them? They could have thrown a big splashy party at a later date, and recited their vows again. Instead they throw their entire extended families and close friends into a tizzy by throwing a lavish wedding together in two weeks, which is insane. I hope there was an amazing open bar, with top shelf liquor.
As a kid I didn't think Karen was so bad, but as an adult I think she is a spoiled brat, and I can't stand her. What is the matter with her, and where does she get her nonsense? I feel like she will grow up to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, with the way she carries on. Her story about Martians was ridiculous, and I know the kids I grew up with would never have gotten caught up it because it sounded so idiotic. Her completely made up theory about white flower petals crashing with black magic. . . ??? Why doesn't someone smack some sense into her? (Or, at the very least, medicate her???)
Things I remember from reading this as a kid:
At the time I read this, I really liked reading books about weddings. Therefore, I was somewhat disappointed that the wedding story line almost takes a backseat to the story line about caring for a bunch of children, much as I enjoyed reading about their antics. (I especially liked the Mary Poppins outing.)
I thought it was amusing, and a little out of character for Kristy to get so excited about wearing a long dress, with flowers and high heels.
Kristy calls Watson a jerk, and later says it's because he makes obvious comments, like that kids who are clearly shy, are "all very shy." I remember reading that and thinking, "Wow, he IS a jerk!"
Things I've considered since reading this as an adult:
I wouldn't classify Watson as a jerk by any definition. A little dorky maybe, and someone who is not used to talking to teenagers, but not a jerk at all. That sounds like a better description for Kristy's biological father who took off to California, leaving her mother with no money, and four young children.
Although I think the premise for a rushed wedding is so ridiculous, idiotic, and exactly the sort of stupid thing that happens when you are so determined to not live together before marriage, I do like that Elizabeth makes it clear to Kristy that she doesn't intend to rely on Watson's money to continue raising her children. She is no gold digger, and she feels it unfair to suddenly saddle Watson with four college educations. As a kid I was on Kristy's side; marrying a wealthy man means you don't have to pay attention to the cost of things, you can sit back and let his money buy away all your problems. As an adult, who has always worked very hard for my money, and who is currently in the midst of creative budgeting while my husband is out of work, I am firmly on Elizabeth's side, and I like that she zaps down Kristy's idea of not selling her house for as much money as she can possibly get now in favor of selling for less money down the road. If Connecticut is a community property state then Elizabeth is right -- half the money from the sale of the house goes to Kristy's father, even they have been divorced for years. The other half is a nice chunk of money that can be invested into college fund accounts that will go a long way to paying for four college educations. Technically, this is money that Watson has nothing to do with, and so it will go to benefit Elizabeth's children. Any money he earns after their marriage will be considered "their" money and can be used for unexpected college expenses for all the kids, such as books, trips home, dorm room furnishings, etc. I imagine that when Kristy grows up and gets her degree from Harvard Business School, she will be grateful that her mother pushed for the buyer that paid the high asking price for their home.
Kristy seems to take her mother's concerns to heart when she talks to her brothers about how awkward it might be living with Watson's millionaire funds. Is it ok to borrow money from him? Is ok to ask for expensive things? I would imagine there are some adjustments to be made when four kids who've always lived in a household where money is tight move into a mansion with a stepfather who apparently has loads of money. Which brings me to this question. . .
Where does Watson's money come from? Granted, Stoneybrook on its own seems to be a wealthy enclave. Everyone lives in a nice house, everyone has a job, no one is struggling to get by, even the public schools offer tons of nice extracurriculars. Later in the mystery spinoff series there are hints of the so-called seedy side of Stoneybrook, but even those seem to be mostly white-collar crimes. Purebred animals being stolen from owners to fill a need at a fancy pet store, murder at an old country club, and embezzling funds from a local mall are the problems facing the Stoneybrook police department. Even the criminals in Stoneybrook seem afflicted by the ennui of having too much money. Sean Addison starting fires because his parents are making him participate in a reading program? The creepy stalker from the Super Mystery terrorizing the baby sitters because he blamed them for his father having to give up his high salary to go to jail after the BSC catches him stealing pets? Clearly, this town has a high median income., but Watson is considered extra wealthy by their standards, so what exactly does he do? Is it family money passed down through the generations in a business of some kind? (Johnson & Johnson, or the Hilton company comes to mind.) This would account for the fact that Ben Brewer, the ghost of Watson's grandfather, haunts old family house where he lived, which Watson's family currently inhabits. I'm going to assume that's the explanation, since Watson seems awfully loosy-goosy with work, as he's constantly taking his family on fancy trips to Disney World, his second house in Shadow Lake (which sounds suspiciously like Lake Placid, the Olympic ski resort), Hawaii, and Europe. As the CEO of a family company he can get away with putting in only cursory appearances at board meetings.
WHY didn't Watson and Elizabeth get married in a quick civil ceremony if being married before moving in together was so important to them? They could have thrown a big splashy party at a later date, and recited their vows again. Instead they throw their entire extended families and close friends into a tizzy by throwing a lavish wedding together in two weeks, which is insane. I hope there was an amazing open bar, with top shelf liquor.
As a kid I didn't think Karen was so bad, but as an adult I think she is a spoiled brat, and I can't stand her. What is the matter with her, and where does she get her nonsense? I feel like she will grow up to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, with the way she carries on. Her story about Martians was ridiculous, and I know the kids I grew up with would never have gotten caught up it because it sounded so idiotic. Her completely made up theory about white flower petals crashing with black magic. . . ??? Why doesn't someone smack some sense into her? (Or, at the very least, medicate her???)
June 26, 2018
My daughters review: This book was so good!! First part: regular old day, kristy’s Mom is dating and the school year is ending. Then the next part is a kristy’s-great-idea because her mom wants to have a wedding and so kristy and her babysitter club friends will babysit the kids coming to the wedding. Fast forward a few chapters and they’re babysitting. Lots of things happen— kristy and Mary Anne take the boys to a hair cutter and they misbehave. Stacey takes her group to the movies and they act horrible. Dawn takes he group to a pond and Ashley one of kristys cousins, is not having fun. Claudia takes her kids to the park and Karen ends up scaring a bunch of children with a Martian story. Then Emma another cousin, swaps the wedding clothes. The whole group does a lot more than just take their groups to places—- they play “wedding” and of course get a little mischievous but overall I’d really just say to the entire world I love this book!!!!! 💗📚!!! Everything i put above was a great part but here are some of the parts I thought were kind of “meh”——the families arrive. It just took up too much of the book but it probably could have been shorter. Also, the wedding part. Too short. I didn’t get the feeling that this part was important because it was like four pages long. Four? Give me twenty four pages. Well, that’s pretty much all. And also kristy and her brother both have trouble finding a present. The end of the review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2020
The highlight of the book is Kristy's mom getting married to Watson. With the wedding happening earlier than it was supposed to be, a lot of quick preparation ought to be done.
One of the cutest characters for me is Kristy's grandmother. I thought she was cool and talented, although Mimi's still number one.
Anyway, I thought it was smart of them trying to organize sort of like a "daycare" to take care of all the kids whose parents are needed for the preparation. Other relatives of Kristy are introduced. Karen Brewer is a handful, but smart.
One of the cutest characters for me is Kristy's grandmother. I thought she was cool and talented, although Mimi's still number one.
Anyway, I thought it was smart of them trying to organize sort of like a "daycare" to take care of all the kids whose parents are needed for the preparation. Other relatives of Kristy are introduced. Karen Brewer is a handful, but smart.
March 11, 2021
Meh, it was okay. I think the Netflix adaptation was better. Poor Dawn gets like one paragraph in the book. Kristy's probably still mad at her for stealing away Mary Anne. I always appreciate the way Martin writes young women as caring and able to solve problems. I think that's why I've continued to read these books. Honestly, I thought Kristy's Big Day was going to be about her "becoming a woman" conveniently on the day of her mother and Watson's wedding. I guess I've been watching too much Big Mouth.
I do think there could have been a little more of the text spent on the moving efforts as I think that can be a big stress for anyone, especially young adults and I think readers would have found more comfort in that than in reading about Stacey trying to watch "Marry Poppins" on the big screen for a special event viewing while it was back in the theaters, but hey, gotta have some fun with the serious topic of becoming a member of a new family through remarriage.
I do think there could have been a little more of the text spent on the moving efforts as I think that can be a big stress for anyone, especially young adults and I think readers would have found more comfort in that than in reading about Stacey trying to watch "Marry Poppins" on the big screen for a special event viewing while it was back in the theaters, but hey, gotta have some fun with the serious topic of becoming a member of a new family through remarriage.
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