Karen's Big Sister

Baby-Sitters Little Sister #69

by Ann M. Martin, Susan Tang (Illustrator)

Jealous when her father gives her stepsister Kristy a very special heirloom pin, Karen borrows the pin without permission and is horrified when she accidentally loses it in the snow.

Genres: Childrens, Middle Grade, Fiction, Collections, Juvenile

92 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

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

[koza]

KAREN IS A MONSTER WHO MAKES *KRISTY* CRY BY TELLING HER SHE'S NOT WATSON'S "REAL" DAUGHTER.

Somehow Kristy ends up apologizing to HER, there are no consequences, and Karen learns 0 lessons! Great parenting, Watson.

[Tori]

"I read it in a comfy chair at the library." Written when I was seven years old. :)

[Christi Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here we go again. The world has to revolve around Karen. She was jealous that her dad gave Kristy a pin. Girl you 7. It’s real diamonds, pearls and gold. Heck I don’t have anything like that at more than 30 years older. Karen tells Kristy she is just a step. And now Karen thinks her teacher will name her baby after her. Then she stole the pin and lied about its origin to Hannie. When Kristy confronts her she apologizes by saying well if Kristy just let her borrow it she never would’ve lost it. Gaslighting at its finest. I’ll give Karen credit as she came up with an idea for her teacher that was nice but she stole something and then Kristy gives her a bracelet.

[Annora · Rating 1 out of 5]

Karen somehow managed to not only out brat herself, but still get what she wanted. Absolutely horrible.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen sucked a big one in this book - and there was even a happy ending???? What even?!?!?!?

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fact that Karen loses Kristy’s present from Watson AND tells her she isn’t a “real” daughter is disgusting, and then she doesn’t even get punished?!

[Em's Adventures · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically Karen has to have her own way in everything, and if she is not the one who gets to be the center of attention when watch out, monster Karen is on the loose!
In this book Karen is upset that she wasn't the one who was gifted the pin, Kristy is, and she isn't allowed to borrow it. So of course she borrows it, then looses it, and somehow ends up with no punishments and Kristy ends up apologising to her!

[Melenia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved these books as a child