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The Baby-Sitters Club #14
Hello, Mallory
Why does it seem like the BSC is doing everything it can to keep Mallory from joining? Enough is enough! Mallory starts her own baby-sitting service with a new girl at school, Jessi Ramsey.
136 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1988
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1309 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,098 books3,047 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 143 reviews
November 13, 2020
This is a middle grade book that I read for the first time when I was in middle school. This book is about Mallory trying to join the baby-sitters club while she is also making a new friend Jessi. Jessi is a black girl that is new to town and people in town is treating her differently because she is black. I like that fact this book talks about these hard topics and does it very well.
February 10, 2020
One of Us! One of Us!
She did it again!
As in many of her previous novels, Ann Martin relegated the best parts of the story to the B-plot. Only this time, there is deep irony, and I can't get past it.
Hello, Mallory! -- as you might imagine -- is the book in which we say hello to Mallory. Stacey has moved away (cf. Good-bye, Stacey, Good-bye ) and now it is time to welcome former side-character Mallory into the Baby-sitters Club.
The rest of the girls are uncharacteristically bitchy to her during this process, forcing her to meet ridiculous standards they themselves cannot meet and rejecting her outright. They only realize the error of their ways when they wind up understaffed.
It's probably the weakest book in the series if I'm being honest. Nobody is in character (except Kristy who is always a bee eye tee cee aitch), and poor Mallory is suffering the rejection of her peers throughout.
So what's the B-plot?
A new foe is approaching! Choose your fighter!
JESSI
versus
UNASHAMED RACISM!
Stacey's move doesn't just make room in the Baby-sitters Club. A new family moves into her old house, and contrary to all conceivable expectations in this small Connecticut town, they're black!
So Jessi is the oldest kid in this new family, and she winds up in Mallory's class. They're instant best friends. It's really sweet. Jessi and her family are being openly shunned by almost the entire community due to their skin color. People ignore her, hustle their kids inside when she's out, and throw things at her. Mallory can relate because a group of older girls are not letting her into their club.
These experiences may *seem* equally horrible to the casual observer, but to those of us who have been with the BSC from the start, we know that exclusion from the club is far more damaging than emotional and physical violence. No one has suffered as Mallory has suffered. Come on, guys, the book isn't called "Hello, Jessi!" If her neighbors won't say it, why should we?!
One of the things emphasized in the book is that the neighborhood Welcome Wagon that greets all new neighbors didn't do anything when Jessi's family moved in. They pretended not to notice them. Do I need to point out the irony that even though the message underlying her story is "Racism is bad", Jessi doesn't warrant a mention in the title, cover art, or main thrust of this novel?
During the book, Jessi and Mallory set up a rival Baby-sitters Club, and when the other girls finally relent and let Mallory in, she says she's not coming without Jessi. So the girls welcome Jessi as well. Jessi is now a main character in this series.
Two new main characters. Two new baby-sitters. Two plots about ostracism and unfair gatekeeping. "Hello, Mallory only!"
Don't worry, though, the girls will make it right. When Jessi expresses concern that people might not want her for a babysitter because she's black, Kristy (I think) speaks up that if they don't want Jessi, then she won't sit for that family either.
"Neither will I!" says Dawn.
"Neither will I!" says Mary Anne.
"Neither will I!" says Claudia, who is also a different race but nobody cares. (I guess Asians are safe according to these small town Connecticut pricks.)
So yay, everything's okay now. Everyone still hates Jessi's family, but at least Mallory's in the group and everyone got to be nice to a black person today! Kudos, white saviors of the Baby-sitters Club (and Claudia)!
*************************************
Homework: Try not to throw things at people who are different than you.
<< #13: Good-bye, Stacey, Good-bye
Super Special #1: Baby-sitters on Board! >>
She did it again!
As in many of her previous novels, Ann Martin relegated the best parts of the story to the B-plot. Only this time, there is deep irony, and I can't get past it.
Hello, Mallory! -- as you might imagine -- is the book in which we say hello to Mallory. Stacey has moved away (cf. Good-bye, Stacey, Good-bye ) and now it is time to welcome former side-character Mallory into the Baby-sitters Club.
The rest of the girls are uncharacteristically bitchy to her during this process, forcing her to meet ridiculous standards they themselves cannot meet and rejecting her outright. They only realize the error of their ways when they wind up understaffed.
It's probably the weakest book in the series if I'm being honest. Nobody is in character (except Kristy who is always a bee eye tee cee aitch), and poor Mallory is suffering the rejection of her peers throughout.
So what's the B-plot?
A new foe is approaching! Choose your fighter!
JESSI
versus
UNASHAMED RACISM!
Stacey's move doesn't just make room in the Baby-sitters Club. A new family moves into her old house, and contrary to all conceivable expectations in this small Connecticut town, they're black!
So Jessi is the oldest kid in this new family, and she winds up in Mallory's class. They're instant best friends. It's really sweet. Jessi and her family are being openly shunned by almost the entire community due to their skin color. People ignore her, hustle their kids inside when she's out, and throw things at her. Mallory can relate because a group of older girls are not letting her into their club.
These experiences may *seem* equally horrible to the casual observer, but to those of us who have been with the BSC from the start, we know that exclusion from the club is far more damaging than emotional and physical violence. No one has suffered as Mallory has suffered. Come on, guys, the book isn't called "Hello, Jessi!" If her neighbors won't say it, why should we?!
One of the things emphasized in the book is that the neighborhood Welcome Wagon that greets all new neighbors didn't do anything when Jessi's family moved in. They pretended not to notice them. Do I need to point out the irony that even though the message underlying her story is "Racism is bad", Jessi doesn't warrant a mention in the title, cover art, or main thrust of this novel?
During the book, Jessi and Mallory set up a rival Baby-sitters Club, and when the other girls finally relent and let Mallory in, she says she's not coming without Jessi. So the girls welcome Jessi as well. Jessi is now a main character in this series.
Two new main characters. Two new baby-sitters. Two plots about ostracism and unfair gatekeeping. "Hello, Mallory only!"
Don't worry, though, the girls will make it right. When Jessi expresses concern that people might not want her for a babysitter because she's black, Kristy (I think) speaks up that if they don't want Jessi, then she won't sit for that family either.
"Neither will I!" says Dawn.
"Neither will I!" says Mary Anne.
"Neither will I!" says Claudia, who is also a different race but nobody cares. (I guess Asians are safe according to these small town Connecticut pricks.)
So yay, everything's okay now. Everyone still hates Jessi's family, but at least Mallory's in the group and everyone got to be nice to a black person today! Kudos, white saviors of the Baby-sitters Club (and Claudia)!
*************************************
Homework: Try not to throw things at people who are different than you.
<< #13: Good-bye, Stacey, Good-bye
Super Special #1: Baby-sitters on Board! >>
January 30, 2010
i was really distracted when i started reading this because about three-quarters of the first chapter is written in present tense, & the rest is mostly in past tense (with occasional forays into present). what the eff, ann m. martin/scholastic editors? it's that kind of crap that gives kids such a tenuous grasp on the writerly craft.
anyway...mallory has been invited to join the babysitters club, in order to replace stacey. she is psyched because all the babysitters are thirteen & in eighth grade, while mallory is just eleven & in sixth grade. she is really excited to hang out with older girls & be part of their older girl social circle--so much so that there's a whole passage where she goes wandering around the eighth grade wing of stoneybrook middle school before home room one day & is almost late to class. she thinks that if she sees any of the babysitters, she'll say hi & be all nonchalant & awesome. oh, mallory. i should mention that she is wearing a jumper with her name on it & heart-patterned tights while she is doing this. not cool.
she is also hung up on the idea of having a best friend, & her prayers are answered when there is a new girl in her home room. mallory observes that the new girl is black, & that there are no other black kids in the entire sixth grade. at lunch, some of the kids that mallory is sitting with say some pretty racist shit about the new girl. mallory kind of speaks up, but i could have done with a little more indignation on mallory's part. mallory also observes other kids doing mean things like shooting rubber bands at the new girl.
she rushes off to her first BSC meeting & is informed that she'll have to take a test & go on a supervised sitting job in order to join the club. she is non-plussed by this. the test they give her is ludicrous & mallory doesn't do well on it. she claims later that a "doctor couldn't have passed it," which always cracked me up. her supervised sitting job, for myriah & gabbie perkins, with claudia, is a disaster. mallory asks the girls what they want to snack on instead of just giving them a healthy snack, she drops a glass & breaks it, she spills milk everywhere, she lets the dog in when she wasn't supposed to, etc. claudia is not impressed, though i think the fact that she misspelled myriah's name in the notebook entry she wrote kind of undermines her credibility.
the BSC tells mallory that she failed the test & sucked at the babysitting job & can't be in the club. mallory is all, "screw you, haters!" & runs away. while moping about it at recess (recess? in middle school? what?), she finds jessi, the new girl, moping about being the new girl & not fitting in with all the white junior klan members in stoneybrook. they start talking about horse stories & their families & become buddies. when mallory visits jessi at home, she sees first-hand that some of the neighbors are not psyched about having a black family in the neighborhood.
mallory tells jessi about the babysitters club & they decide to start their own babysitting club. it's not the best but they get jobs with their own families. the actual babysitters club is PISSED. & too busy to handle all the jobs they are getting. they realize that the test they gave mallory wasn't really fair, & that mallory didn't make any mistakes on the sitting job claudia observed that really endangered the kids at all. they call & invite mallory to join after all. mallory stands strong & says that she won't join unless jessi can join as well. it's like they're wobblies or something. the BSC says okay. at their first meetings, jessi asks if her race will be an issue, & the babysitters are all dumbfounded because they've never heard of racism before, i guess. they declare that they won't sit for anyone who wouldn't let jessi sit. jessi & mallory join the club.
this wasn't as awesome as i remembered, but i do enjoy the earlier books because they sometimes make the girls seem like actual middle school students who do really dumb things. no way would the babysitting test they gave mallory have played out the way it did in the hands of the ghostwriters.
anyway...mallory has been invited to join the babysitters club, in order to replace stacey. she is psyched because all the babysitters are thirteen & in eighth grade, while mallory is just eleven & in sixth grade. she is really excited to hang out with older girls & be part of their older girl social circle--so much so that there's a whole passage where she goes wandering around the eighth grade wing of stoneybrook middle school before home room one day & is almost late to class. she thinks that if she sees any of the babysitters, she'll say hi & be all nonchalant & awesome. oh, mallory. i should mention that she is wearing a jumper with her name on it & heart-patterned tights while she is doing this. not cool.
she is also hung up on the idea of having a best friend, & her prayers are answered when there is a new girl in her home room. mallory observes that the new girl is black, & that there are no other black kids in the entire sixth grade. at lunch, some of the kids that mallory is sitting with say some pretty racist shit about the new girl. mallory kind of speaks up, but i could have done with a little more indignation on mallory's part. mallory also observes other kids doing mean things like shooting rubber bands at the new girl.
she rushes off to her first BSC meeting & is informed that she'll have to take a test & go on a supervised sitting job in order to join the club. she is non-plussed by this. the test they give her is ludicrous & mallory doesn't do well on it. she claims later that a "doctor couldn't have passed it," which always cracked me up. her supervised sitting job, for myriah & gabbie perkins, with claudia, is a disaster. mallory asks the girls what they want to snack on instead of just giving them a healthy snack, she drops a glass & breaks it, she spills milk everywhere, she lets the dog in when she wasn't supposed to, etc. claudia is not impressed, though i think the fact that she misspelled myriah's name in the notebook entry she wrote kind of undermines her credibility.
the BSC tells mallory that she failed the test & sucked at the babysitting job & can't be in the club. mallory is all, "screw you, haters!" & runs away. while moping about it at recess (recess? in middle school? what?), she finds jessi, the new girl, moping about being the new girl & not fitting in with all the white junior klan members in stoneybrook. they start talking about horse stories & their families & become buddies. when mallory visits jessi at home, she sees first-hand that some of the neighbors are not psyched about having a black family in the neighborhood.
mallory tells jessi about the babysitters club & they decide to start their own babysitting club. it's not the best but they get jobs with their own families. the actual babysitters club is PISSED. & too busy to handle all the jobs they are getting. they realize that the test they gave mallory wasn't really fair, & that mallory didn't make any mistakes on the sitting job claudia observed that really endangered the kids at all. they call & invite mallory to join after all. mallory stands strong & says that she won't join unless jessi can join as well. it's like they're wobblies or something. the BSC says okay. at their first meetings, jessi asks if her race will be an issue, & the babysitters are all dumbfounded because they've never heard of racism before, i guess. they declare that they won't sit for anyone who wouldn't let jessi sit. jessi & mallory join the club.
this wasn't as awesome as i remembered, but i do enjoy the earlier books because they sometimes make the girls seem like actual middle school students who do really dumb things. no way would the babysitting test they gave mallory have played out the way it did in the hands of the ghostwriters.
August 13, 2016
Mallory joins the cult (or is it club?) in this book, which is also the first book to feature Jessi, the token black baby sitter. Finding it difficult to live up to the older baby sitters lofty standards Mallory and Jessi attempt to strike out on their own. I read this book when I was ten or eleven, and I remember loving it.
Things I remember from reading this as a kid:
The older baby sitters are so awful to Mallory. As a kid around the same age as Mallory, I remember relating to her excitement at being asked to hang out with older girls, and her frustration with them for having impossible standards, and with herself at not living up to their expectations. I also remember that Mallory corrects Claudia when she mixes up soy milk and soy sauce, and then feels superior to all the baby sitters, even though it was just Claudia that made the mistake. I also remember the fights they get into, and the way Mallory storms away to start her own baby sitting club with Jessi, her new best friend.
Claire, Mallory's little sister, has such a lily-white view of her cushy, privileged little world that she assumes that Jessi is coming over to clean her house. The story is written like Jessi doesn't even notice this horribly awkward moment because Mallory cuts Claire off, but of course she noticed. I can't believe she ever wanted to come over to Mallory's house again.
I had read about Jessi's racial problems in other books before I read this one. I actually had a huge revelation about myself, and the world in general when I read Jessi's story in the super special Baby Sitters' Winter Vacation. Therefore I was prepared for her issues when I got around to reading this book, but I was still horrified that the girls Mallory ate with at lunch said some horribly racist things about Jessi, and I was furious that Mallory didn't say anything to them about it. Reading it as an adult though. . .
Things I've considered since reading this as an adult:
I actually think that the lunch room scene in this book works very well. Mallory is young enough, and privileged enough to be sheltered from having to make hard decisions before. She's never encountered an instance of racism, and although she's probably been raised to believe its "wrong" she doesn't quite get it, or have any way to speak against it when she encounters it. Therefore, although she knows its wrong to say a black girl's name is probably "Mobobwee", and she wants to "get up and move", she doesn't because she's unsure how to handle this situation. "Anyway, the girls lost interest in Jessica. They started talking about TV shows and rock stars," she narrates, indicating the persistent problem of racism. White people just think it's not that big deal, since it doesn't affect them on a persistent basis This is clear a little earlier when Mallory says that her big family sets her apart from her classmates in the same way that Jessi's skin color sets her apart from their classmates. No it doesn't, Mallory. You will never be treated any differently every single day of your life because you have seven brothers and sisters. I think this point is much too subtle for kids (I certainly didn't get it when I was a kid) but it was interesting to read as an adult, although it's naive earnestness made me cringe. She sort of challenges her friend who is angry at Jessi for no reason other than, "Well, she doesn't, you know, belong here," but she backs down pretty quickly. As a kid who was raised going to school with lots of Hispanic, and Native people, I couldn't believe that Mallory didn't make more noise about her friends comments. As an adult I can understand it, but now I am angry about it for a different reason.
Although I think it's good that Ann M Martin, and the series, attempts to address the issue of race in these books, I don't think it was ever done well at all, for a multitude of reasons. First, Ann M. Martin is white, and I assume her ghostwriters and editors were too. Second, the series makes a big deal about Jessi's family being treated with suspicion by their white neighbors, but there is no mention of how the Asian Kishi family is treated by their white neighbors. Third, I very much dislike the way the series only deals with instances of overt racism. In this book, the neighbor across the street won't let her daughter play with Becca, in a very noisy, obvious way. Later in the series Jessi and Claudia baby sit for a family who are so Aryan white power that the BSC eventually refuses to baby sit for them. OF COURSE if a white power movement family moved in and treated everyone in town horribly they would be vilified. And OF COURSE if the neighbor doesn't let her daughter talk to you because you are black she should be run back into the last century. But what if there was a family who asks for only Dawn and Stacey as baby sitters because they have such a great bond with the kids, and, well, Jessi and Claudia just don't? Does Jessi's father have an equal chance for promotion at his company? Do the neighbors who eventually "get used to" the Ramseys start inviting them to their parties, or are they always conveniently left off the guest list because, well, they wouldn't really know anyone, and it might be awkward. Are Jessi's family the token family Stoneybrook takes pride in because it shows how much they appreciate diversity? Why don't other black families live in Stoneybrook, and why were there so many black families in Jessi's old neighborhood in New Jersey? THESE are the bigger, uglier issues of racism, and I don't like that the series just ignored that, or even worse, that they didn't understand that these are the real stumbling blocks of racism.
Things I remember from reading this as a kid:
The older baby sitters are so awful to Mallory. As a kid around the same age as Mallory, I remember relating to her excitement at being asked to hang out with older girls, and her frustration with them for having impossible standards, and with herself at not living up to their expectations. I also remember that Mallory corrects Claudia when she mixes up soy milk and soy sauce, and then feels superior to all the baby sitters, even though it was just Claudia that made the mistake. I also remember the fights they get into, and the way Mallory storms away to start her own baby sitting club with Jessi, her new best friend.
Claire, Mallory's little sister, has such a lily-white view of her cushy, privileged little world that she assumes that Jessi is coming over to clean her house. The story is written like Jessi doesn't even notice this horribly awkward moment because Mallory cuts Claire off, but of course she noticed. I can't believe she ever wanted to come over to Mallory's house again.
I had read about Jessi's racial problems in other books before I read this one. I actually had a huge revelation about myself, and the world in general when I read Jessi's story in the super special Baby Sitters' Winter Vacation. Therefore I was prepared for her issues when I got around to reading this book, but I was still horrified that the girls Mallory ate with at lunch said some horribly racist things about Jessi, and I was furious that Mallory didn't say anything to them about it. Reading it as an adult though. . .
Things I've considered since reading this as an adult:
I actually think that the lunch room scene in this book works very well. Mallory is young enough, and privileged enough to be sheltered from having to make hard decisions before. She's never encountered an instance of racism, and although she's probably been raised to believe its "wrong" she doesn't quite get it, or have any way to speak against it when she encounters it. Therefore, although she knows its wrong to say a black girl's name is probably "Mobobwee", and she wants to "get up and move", she doesn't because she's unsure how to handle this situation. "Anyway, the girls lost interest in Jessica. They started talking about TV shows and rock stars," she narrates, indicating the persistent problem of racism. White people just think it's not that big deal, since it doesn't affect them on a persistent basis This is clear a little earlier when Mallory says that her big family sets her apart from her classmates in the same way that Jessi's skin color sets her apart from their classmates. No it doesn't, Mallory. You will never be treated any differently every single day of your life because you have seven brothers and sisters. I think this point is much too subtle for kids (I certainly didn't get it when I was a kid) but it was interesting to read as an adult, although it's naive earnestness made me cringe. She sort of challenges her friend who is angry at Jessi for no reason other than, "Well, she doesn't, you know, belong here," but she backs down pretty quickly. As a kid who was raised going to school with lots of Hispanic, and Native people, I couldn't believe that Mallory didn't make more noise about her friends comments. As an adult I can understand it, but now I am angry about it for a different reason.
Although I think it's good that Ann M Martin, and the series, attempts to address the issue of race in these books, I don't think it was ever done well at all, for a multitude of reasons. First, Ann M. Martin is white, and I assume her ghostwriters and editors were too. Second, the series makes a big deal about Jessi's family being treated with suspicion by their white neighbors, but there is no mention of how the Asian Kishi family is treated by their white neighbors. Third, I very much dislike the way the series only deals with instances of overt racism. In this book, the neighbor across the street won't let her daughter play with Becca, in a very noisy, obvious way. Later in the series Jessi and Claudia baby sit for a family who are so Aryan white power that the BSC eventually refuses to baby sit for them. OF COURSE if a white power movement family moved in and treated everyone in town horribly they would be vilified. And OF COURSE if the neighbor doesn't let her daughter talk to you because you are black she should be run back into the last century. But what if there was a family who asks for only Dawn and Stacey as baby sitters because they have such a great bond with the kids, and, well, Jessi and Claudia just don't? Does Jessi's father have an equal chance for promotion at his company? Do the neighbors who eventually "get used to" the Ramseys start inviting them to their parties, or are they always conveniently left off the guest list because, well, they wouldn't really know anyone, and it might be awkward. Are Jessi's family the token family Stoneybrook takes pride in because it shows how much they appreciate diversity? Why don't other black families live in Stoneybrook, and why were there so many black families in Jessi's old neighborhood in New Jersey? THESE are the bigger, uglier issues of racism, and I don't like that the series just ignored that, or even worse, that they didn't understand that these are the real stumbling blocks of racism.
January 7, 2019
In this book of the babysitters club the girls have to try and find a replacement for Stacey. Mallory seems like the PERFECT option! With 7 brothers and sisters she knows a ton about kids already...until the girls give her an unfair test and when she fails they tell her she can’t join the club. Mallory is devastated and decides to start her OWN babysitting club with the new girl in town (who just so happens to be one of the only black people in town). This story had a lot of discrimination and racism in it and I found that to be hard to read as I am black myself but I loved the outcome and enjoyed that hard topics like this are discussed in children’s books (especially in a time period when racism was an even bigger subject).
June 2, 2023
“Hmphh,” was all Kristy would reply. After a pause she added, “Well, who’ll hire them? They’re too young. They won’t get any jobs…. And Mallory doesn’t know the first thing about tourniquets.”
The one where we learn that what really makes you a good babysitter is a thorough understanding of tourniquets and the human digestive system 😂
May 29, 2017
Poor Mallory. She's been shit on since she first started appearing in this series, seriously. She's like the red headed step-child of the BSCverse and I feel bad for her. Most of the time. Sometimes not at all, but in this case yes. Kristy Thomas is a weird mini-dictator and what kind of club asks you to draw a picture of the human digestive system as part of a test to join?
Well, besides maybe some weird anatomy club. At that point it would be acceptable.
The thing I enjoy most about this one is that Mallory gets in some digs on Claudia for being an idiot. You get it, Mal! YOU GET IT!
Well, besides maybe some weird anatomy club. At that point it would be acceptable.
The thing I enjoy most about this one is that Mallory gets in some digs on Claudia for being an idiot. You get it, Mal! YOU GET IT!
October 11, 2016
I really disliked this book. I love Mallory, she's probably the most like me after Mary Anne. Anyone who says "I love to read, and I don't believe that you have to finish one book before you start another." is A-Okay with me! :) But her first real book was full of mean baby-sitters, ridiculous tests and racism.
Okay, let's start from the beginning. The BSC has invited Mallory to join them to help replace Stacey, but they want to give her a test first. Mallory is super excited...finally something to make her more "grown-up". Maybe now her parents will let her get contacts or not get braces or get cooler clothes. Or not..."What Mallory is Wearing" for her first BSC meeting:
I finally decided on my red jumper that said "Mallory" across the front, a short-sleeved white blouse, and white tights with little red hearts all over them. "You look like a Valentine," Vanessa told me, but I didn't care. I put on my penny loafers.
Yeah, you do. I forgive her though, because I would be super excited to join the BSC too! Until they give me a crazy hard test about how to apply a tourniquet and drawing and labeling the digestive system!! I would have stormed off and started my own club too. Way to go Mallory!
So Mallory doesn't start the club by herself...she meets a new girl at school, Jessi Ramsey, and they become fast friends. Jessi is black. And a ballet dancer. And black. And likes to read horse stories just like Mal. Oh and she's black. And she likes to tell funny jokes, which goes away in like the next book I think. And did I mention she was black? That's pretty much how the book goes. :/ I get that this book was published in 1988 (holy crap I'm old!) but is that really necessary?
Anyway, Mal & Jessi are BFF's now and when the BSC realizes they were total jerkheads (my new favorite insult) and invite Mal to join the club after all, she refuses unless Jessi can join too. They say okay and at the first meeting Jessi points out the fact that she is black (not that they couldn't tell) and suggests that some of their clients might not like that. Enlightened 8th graders that they are, the BSC'ers say then they don't want those people as clients. And tada! The BSC now has 2 Associate Members!
Blogged: SeeJennRead
Okay, let's start from the beginning. The BSC has invited Mallory to join them to help replace Stacey, but they want to give her a test first. Mallory is super excited...finally something to make her more "grown-up". Maybe now her parents will let her get contacts or not get braces or get cooler clothes. Or not..."What Mallory is Wearing" for her first BSC meeting:
I finally decided on my red jumper that said "Mallory" across the front, a short-sleeved white blouse, and white tights with little red hearts all over them. "You look like a Valentine," Vanessa told me, but I didn't care. I put on my penny loafers.
Yeah, you do. I forgive her though, because I would be super excited to join the BSC too! Until they give me a crazy hard test about how to apply a tourniquet and drawing and labeling the digestive system!! I would have stormed off and started my own club too. Way to go Mallory!
So Mallory doesn't start the club by herself...she meets a new girl at school, Jessi Ramsey, and they become fast friends. Jessi is black. And a ballet dancer. And black. And likes to read horse stories just like Mal. Oh and she's black. And she likes to tell funny jokes, which goes away in like the next book I think. And did I mention she was black? That's pretty much how the book goes. :/ I get that this book was published in 1988 (holy crap I'm old!) but is that really necessary?
Anyway, Mal & Jessi are BFF's now and when the BSC realizes they were total jerkheads (my new favorite insult) and invite Mal to join the club after all, she refuses unless Jessi can join too. They say okay and at the first meeting Jessi points out the fact that she is black (not that they couldn't tell) and suggests that some of their clients might not like that. Enlightened 8th graders that they are, the BSC'ers say then they don't want those people as clients. And tada! The BSC now has 2 Associate Members!
Blogged: SeeJennRead
May 24, 2019
I may be a Mary Ann fan, but Mallory deserves an entire room for my adoration dedicated to her. I own a mishmash of BSC books and I'm reading them in the order I have them. This is the first major introduction of Mallory and the story is told from her perspective. We are also introduced to another dynamite gal, Jessica, but I'll touch on her later. Mallory was such a shining moonbeam and she is the member that I relate to the most. She's a bit of a nerdburger who loves to read and create new worlds in her head. She stands up for what is right and is kind to others. Her kindness and love for books cemented her as a top contender for me.
The BSC gave Mallory a difficult initiation test that even they couldn't pass themselves. Mallory has several siblings that she babysits and is fully capable to be in the club despite being two years younger than them. It showed the cattiness of the club and a realistic portrayal of teenage girls. Thankfully they apologized and let both girls into the club after realizing what snots they were being.
The integration of the new character Jessica was such a welcome addition. Jessica is a lovely young black girl who adds a different perspective and background to BSC. The author alluded to the latent racism in the Connecticut town and the struggles they face from neighbors, students, and the general public. I appreciated the complete shutdown of racism Mallory took when other students commented on Jessica's race. The friendship and acceptance between Mallory and Jessica was very special and I hope to read more of their stories together in the series. They are so sweet and clever. Hopefully I can find their books next time I'm thrifting.
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The BSC gave Mallory a difficult initiation test that even they couldn't pass themselves. Mallory has several siblings that she babysits and is fully capable to be in the club despite being two years younger than them. It showed the cattiness of the club and a realistic portrayal of teenage girls. Thankfully they apologized and let both girls into the club after realizing what snots they were being.
The integration of the new character Jessica was such a welcome addition. Jessica is a lovely young black girl who adds a different perspective and background to BSC. The author alluded to the latent racism in the Connecticut town and the struggles they face from neighbors, students, and the general public. I appreciated the complete shutdown of racism Mallory took when other students commented on Jessica's race. The friendship and acceptance between Mallory and Jessica was very special and I hope to read more of their stories together in the series. They are so sweet and clever. Hopefully I can find their books next time I'm thrifting.
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September 5, 2021
I love Mallory but this wasn’t her best book by a long shot. The book had a few faults to it but whatever. Mallory was finally getting to join the club but only if she can meet the high standards Kristy puts on her. She gets frustrated that the girls are judging her and not accepting how good she is with kids.
Kristy was honestly so horrible in this book and the girls all kinda seemed different to normal, I know Stacey had left so they were sad but man were they just plain rude and cruel to Mallory. They all knew her and worked with her yet treated her like she was going to hurt every child she came near and like she was dumb. It was so sad for Mallory that they treated her like that.
I loved though that she made friends with Jessi and that together found a fun way to babysit and gain experience all on their own and finally made a best friend in each other. They are so sweet together and it was so nice reading how they became best friends.
Overall this book was a bit of a bust it just wasn’t the greatest at all, it was so flawed, so much bullying in this one book and for no good reason either. I do like that the issues worked out in the end and it was better for Mallory but honestly all the stuff she had to go through was so unnecessary.
Kristy was honestly so horrible in this book and the girls all kinda seemed different to normal, I know Stacey had left so they were sad but man were they just plain rude and cruel to Mallory. They all knew her and worked with her yet treated her like she was going to hurt every child she came near and like she was dumb. It was so sad for Mallory that they treated her like that.
I loved though that she made friends with Jessi and that together found a fun way to babysit and gain experience all on their own and finally made a best friend in each other. They are so sweet together and it was so nice reading how they became best friends.
Overall this book was a bit of a bust it just wasn’t the greatest at all, it was so flawed, so much bullying in this one book and for no good reason either. I do like that the issues worked out in the end and it was better for Mallory but honestly all the stuff she had to go through was so unnecessary.
July 11, 2008
I feel compelled to review this book from the Babysitters Club franchise, only because it was the one 'BSC' book that I read atleast ten times. The more I read it, the more I realized, that at the age of 10, I was a lot like Mallory. Shy, kind of wanting to fit in with the "cool kids", attemptign to dress fashionable and failing miserably, all the while repeatedly telling my parents "You just don't get it". I'm not going to pseudo-intellectually review this book, because I haven't read it in years, but just some food for thought:
This was also the first book in the BSC franchise that really showed the BSC members as sort of arrogant, elitist, which was an interesting approach for Ann Martin to take. It's really a sort of initiation into the BSC world, what it would be like for an outsider to even attempt to hang out with such pretentious girls.
So yeah, good book, but man they were mean to Mallory. I guess I took offense at the time of reading it because it's probably what would have happened to me, lol.
This was also the first book in the BSC franchise that really showed the BSC members as sort of arrogant, elitist, which was an interesting approach for Ann Martin to take. It's really a sort of initiation into the BSC world, what it would be like for an outsider to even attempt to hang out with such pretentious girls.
So yeah, good book, but man they were mean to Mallory. I guess I took offense at the time of reading it because it's probably what would have happened to me, lol.
May 17, 2014
Well that was odd. The whole time, I was under the impression that Ann Martin had got a request from her publisher to write in a Black character into the series but had no idea how to do this. The result is a very awkward book with out of character situations (the BSC testing Mallory) and a very forced conclusion. I enjoyed the book, but this doesn't address racism in any kind of satisfactory way.
March 21, 2023
Honestly, Mallory Pike was not one of my fav babysitter characters. However, her family was nuts!! How she put up with triplet brothers was beyond me!!
June 24, 2022
Mallory and Jessi are my favorites. Stick up for yourselves - well done
March 3, 2024
- the pikes being so close in age is making my stomach hurt. they had a kid every year for five years (triplet boys on the second go round), skipped a year, and then had claire
- mother pike doesn’t work outside the home and i remember liking this family but i’ve got my eyes on y’all bc how tf are you affording to keep these kids fed and clothed. mr pike is a lawyer? what kind
- they pay mallory when she watches her younger siblings, point for the pikes. children are too often the victims of labor exploitation!
- the girls are making mallory pass a test to be in their club and they’re being so mean about it! i forgot how closed off and serious they take themselves when presented with outsiders, it’s a wonder they ever got new members
- “there are a lot of things i do well and one of them is mope” says mallory. me too sister!
- mal and jessi start their own club and of course their first client is the pike family and kristy is pissed. the pikes are the bsc’s best client!! well then maybe you shouldn’t terrorize their daughter?
- of course the big girls got over it and invited mal and jessi to join the club but mostly bc they’re too busy and they kind of breezed over how mean they were.
- it’s stoneybrook, alls well that ends well, i continue to have many bad thoughts about how ann handles race issues. i love you jessi ramsey 🤍
- mother pike doesn’t work outside the home and i remember liking this family but i’ve got my eyes on y’all bc how tf are you affording to keep these kids fed and clothed. mr pike is a lawyer? what kind
- they pay mallory when she watches her younger siblings, point for the pikes. children are too often the victims of labor exploitation!
- the girls are making mallory pass a test to be in their club and they’re being so mean about it! i forgot how closed off and serious they take themselves when presented with outsiders, it’s a wonder they ever got new members
- “there are a lot of things i do well and one of them is mope” says mallory. me too sister!
- mal and jessi start their own club and of course their first client is the pike family and kristy is pissed. the pikes are the bsc’s best client!! well then maybe you shouldn’t terrorize their daughter?
- of course the big girls got over it and invited mal and jessi to join the club but mostly bc they’re too busy and they kind of breezed over how mean they were.
- it’s stoneybrook, alls well that ends well, i continue to have many bad thoughts about how ann handles race issues. i love you jessi ramsey 🤍
June 3, 2021
3.75 stars
It was a good introduction to Mallory’s time at the BSC.
It was a good introduction to Mallory’s time at the BSC.
January 4, 2023
Read via audio (narrated by Vanessa Johansson).
January 25, 2016
with the departure of stacey, the bsc needs a new member to take some of their surplus of jobs. they ask mallory pike to join but force her to take a ridiculous test (they ask her to draw the human digestive system from memory, for instance) and fail her for not being perfect. meanwhile there is a new girl in mallory's class, jessi ramsey, who is black (which is a big deal because there's no one else in mallory's class who's black because connecticut is the worst). like mallory, jessi is a horse girl, so she and mallory become bffs and start a rival baby-sitting club.
highlights:
-mallory writes a story called "rainy days and froggy nights" -- holy moly, I want to read that!
-jessi tells a ton of jokes, including the penguin joke.
-in general, having a younger person who is not yet a bsc member narrate is a refreshing change of pace. the introduction chapter is way more interesting than usual, considering mallory is not totally positive about how things run and just hypothesizes about a lot of things.
-mallory and jessi call their rival baby-sitting club "kids incorporated"--seriously, had ann not heard of that show?
-this kristy quote about kids incorporated: "well, who'll hire them? they're too young. they won't get any jobs... and mallory doesn't know the first thing about tourniquets."
-claudia says mallory's drawing of the "divestive" system is terrible (LOL claud moment)
-claudia thinks mallory said you should give colicky babies soy sauce for their digestion, but mallory said soy formula (another LOL claud moment)
nitpicks/continuity problems:
-all pikes including mallory are described as having chestnut brown hair. on the cover art mallory has red hair. huh? also, I know the other pikes have brown hair, but mallory is almost always described as having red hair in subsequent books.
-jessi says she used to baby-sit for her cousin kara who is two. she later says that becca didn't used to baby-sit and just hung out with her cousins (implying that these are the cousins who are about her age), and one of them is kara. oops.
-very dumb nitpick, but ann says cracker jacks and it's actually cracker jack (not pluralized).
-jessi wears reading glasses? is this ever mentioned again?
lowlights:
-jessi is described as "coffee colored" in a classic idiotic white person describing a person of color's complexion moment.
-the members of the bsc are almost unforgiveably awful to mallory in this book, and it's not fun to read. also at the end when they agree to have jessi join the bsc too, she asks if they're sure because people in stonybrook might not want her to baby-sit their kids because she's black and everyone in stonybrook is a racist piece of shit. the baby-sitters actually consider this before finally deciding that they wouldn't want to baby-sit for a family that wouldn't want jessi as a baby-sitter only because she's black. the fact that they even have to consider that is kind of offensive to me.
-reading about everyone in stonybrook's subtle and overt racism towards the ramsey family is not fun. the girls in her class that mallory sits with at lunch make jokes about how jessi is from africa and her real name is mobobwee. seriously painful.
-that said, the racism plotline could be handled better. in Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye ann writes about Iggie's House. in that book, the main character tries to play the white savior to the black family that moves into her neighborhood, and the kids in the family are pissed off about it. it's actually really interesting and complex, and it doesn't buy into the white people are either good (perfect, not-racist, saviors to poc) or evil (overtly racist, burning crosses on lawns, etc) bullshit. this book wasn't really like that; it wasn't the worst I've read but it definitely treated the white people of stonybrook as good=savior//evil=overtly racist.
no claudia outfits
outfits:
-mallory: "I finally decided on my red jumper that said Mallory across the front, a short-sleeved white blouse, and white tights with little red hearts all over them...I put on my penny loafers."
-mary anne: "on the day of my first meeting, she was wearing a baggy yellow sweater with a silver squiggle pin near the collar, a short skirt made out of sweat-shirt material, yellow tights, and ballet slippers."
snacks in claudia's room:
-tootsie pops in a pillowcase under her bed
-gummi worms in her hollowed-out book
-giant box of cracker jack (n.s.)
highlights:
-mallory writes a story called "rainy days and froggy nights" -- holy moly, I want to read that!
-jessi tells a ton of jokes, including the penguin joke.
-in general, having a younger person who is not yet a bsc member narrate is a refreshing change of pace. the introduction chapter is way more interesting than usual, considering mallory is not totally positive about how things run and just hypothesizes about a lot of things.
-mallory and jessi call their rival baby-sitting club "kids incorporated"--seriously, had ann not heard of that show?
-this kristy quote about kids incorporated: "well, who'll hire them? they're too young. they won't get any jobs... and mallory doesn't know the first thing about tourniquets."
-claudia says mallory's drawing of the "divestive" system is terrible (LOL claud moment)
-claudia thinks mallory said you should give colicky babies soy sauce for their digestion, but mallory said soy formula (another LOL claud moment)
nitpicks/continuity problems:
-all pikes including mallory are described as having chestnut brown hair. on the cover art mallory has red hair. huh? also, I know the other pikes have brown hair, but mallory is almost always described as having red hair in subsequent books.
-jessi says she used to baby-sit for her cousin kara who is two. she later says that becca didn't used to baby-sit and just hung out with her cousins (implying that these are the cousins who are about her age), and one of them is kara. oops.
-very dumb nitpick, but ann says cracker jacks and it's actually cracker jack (not pluralized).
-jessi wears reading glasses? is this ever mentioned again?
lowlights:
-jessi is described as "coffee colored" in a classic idiotic white person describing a person of color's complexion moment.
-the members of the bsc are almost unforgiveably awful to mallory in this book, and it's not fun to read. also at the end when they agree to have jessi join the bsc too, she asks if they're sure because people in stonybrook might not want her to baby-sit their kids because she's black and everyone in stonybrook is a racist piece of shit. the baby-sitters actually consider this before finally deciding that they wouldn't want to baby-sit for a family that wouldn't want jessi as a baby-sitter only because she's black. the fact that they even have to consider that is kind of offensive to me.
-reading about everyone in stonybrook's subtle and overt racism towards the ramsey family is not fun. the girls in her class that mallory sits with at lunch make jokes about how jessi is from africa and her real name is mobobwee. seriously painful.
-that said, the racism plotline could be handled better. in Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye ann writes about Iggie's House. in that book, the main character tries to play the white savior to the black family that moves into her neighborhood, and the kids in the family are pissed off about it. it's actually really interesting and complex, and it doesn't buy into the white people are either good (perfect, not-racist, saviors to poc) or evil (overtly racist, burning crosses on lawns, etc) bullshit. this book wasn't really like that; it wasn't the worst I've read but it definitely treated the white people of stonybrook as good=savior//evil=overtly racist.
no claudia outfits
outfits:
-mallory: "I finally decided on my red jumper that said Mallory across the front, a short-sleeved white blouse, and white tights with little red hearts all over them...I put on my penny loafers."
-mary anne: "on the day of my first meeting, she was wearing a baggy yellow sweater with a silver squiggle pin near the collar, a short skirt made out of sweat-shirt material, yellow tights, and ballet slippers."
snacks in claudia's room:
-tootsie pops in a pillowcase under her bed
-gummi worms in her hollowed-out book
-giant box of cracker jack (n.s.)
July 23, 2016
I remember reading this one as a kid and being very indignant on Mallory's part when she wanted to join the Baby-Sitters Club and they insisted on giving her ridiculous tests and monitoring her sitting jobs. I think it's good that they acknowledged THIS KID IS ELEVEN and therefore leaving her alone with someone's kids might not be a good idea, but considering how much practice she has--as the eldest child of EIGHT kids--she probably knows more than the core babysitters about taking care of kids. Anyway, the babysitters in the club decide she's not Baby-Sitters Club material, even though they really need another sitter to replace Stacey, who's moved to New York. I thought they overdid it a little . . . not just as characters who got carried away, but that the author overwrote their snottiness and ridiculously high standards for babysitting knowledge. This is the first place I ever saw the word "tourniquet" in a book when I was a kid.
Mallory begins her friendship with new girl Jessi in this book. I really liked the way Jessi was handled throughout some of this series because she was a dancer, and that was more her "identity" than just "Jessi is black." But I'm not sure that was established yet in this book. The "Jessi is black" plot was kind of annoying to me, and it was a little too neat that oh noes, there's racism in this town, but none of the sitters (including Mallory) have any reservations at all, and they're kind of annoyingly magnanimous about their whole "well we won't take jobs from people who are too racist to let Jessi sit!" thing. (I appreciated it, but the whole "black girl is graciously accepted and defended by white people" thing kind of bothered me.) Also, Claudia is Asian. There doesn't seem to have been any mention AT ALL of possible racism toward her. Why only toward black people?
Mallory begins her friendship with new girl Jessi in this book. I really liked the way Jessi was handled throughout some of this series because she was a dancer, and that was more her "identity" than just "Jessi is black." But I'm not sure that was established yet in this book. The "Jessi is black" plot was kind of annoying to me, and it was a little too neat that oh noes, there's racism in this town, but none of the sitters (including Mallory) have any reservations at all, and they're kind of annoyingly magnanimous about their whole "well we won't take jobs from people who are too racist to let Jessi sit!" thing. (I appreciated it, but the whole "black girl is graciously accepted and defended by white people" thing kind of bothered me.) Also, Claudia is Asian. There doesn't seem to have been any mention AT ALL of possible racism toward her. Why only toward black people?
January 3, 2023
This one was actually pretty good. The dumb baby-sitters didn't let Mallory into their club, even though they desperately needed someone to take Stacey's place, so she started her own club with her new friend
Pros
-I like Mallory. She's basically me.
-Jessi and Mallory borrowing each other's books. All the time. I need someone to do that with.
-Kids Incorporated was funny. Jessi and Mallory were like, "Oh, we're so cool, we got hired by our parents!" And the baby-sitters actually thought this was a threat.
-Mallory is pretty good with kids, even better than some of the baby-sitters.
-I like Jessi's family.
Cons
-The baby-sitters were extremely unlikable in this one. They gave Mallory a test that they basically had to look up all the answers to. They need another sitter so bad, but they can't bring themselves to let Mallory in for some reason.
-That's mostly it.
Remarks
-It seems extremely unlikely that in a neighborhood filled with the baby-sitter's nice families and the nice clients, no one would come over to see the new neighbors just because they were black. Since none of the baby-sitters or clients seem to mind anyway. Yeah, there was that one racist person next door, but I feel like someone besides just the Johassens would come.
Pros
-I like Mallory. She's basically me.
-Jessi and Mallory borrowing each other's books. All the time. I need someone to do that with.
-Kids Incorporated was funny. Jessi and Mallory were like, "Oh, we're so cool, we got hired by our parents!" And the baby-sitters actually thought this was a threat.
-Mallory is pretty good with kids, even better than some of the baby-sitters.
-I like Jessi's family.
Cons
-The baby-sitters were extremely unlikable in this one. They gave Mallory a test that they basically had to look up all the answers to. They need another sitter so bad, but they can't bring themselves to let Mallory in for some reason.
-That's mostly it.
Remarks
-It seems extremely unlikely that in a neighborhood filled with the baby-sitter's nice families and the nice clients, no one would come over to see the new neighbors just because they were black. Since none of the baby-sitters or clients seem to mind anyway. Yeah, there was that one racist person next door, but I feel like someone besides just the Johassens would come.
August 7, 2008
except for the quasi-semi-gayness, it was pretty boring.
"'Well,' said Kristy. 'I guess we better get started. The test is going to be in two parts-- oral and drawing.'
'Oral and drawing?' I repeated.
'Yes,' said Claudia haughtily. 'Oral means spoken.'
I bet you anything in the world Claudia herself hadn't known the meaning of that word before today."
"'The girls in the club are older than we are, so maybe we won't end up close friends, but we can get along. We can work together. Besides, you and I have each other.'
'Always,' said Jessi firmly.
'Always,' I repeated. I looked at Jessi and knew that we were friends."
"'You mean boys are still weird in eight grade?'
'Definitely,' said Kristy.
'Sort of,' said Dawn.
'It depends,' said Claudia.
'Not really,' said Mary Anne."
"'Well,' said Kristy. 'I guess we better get started. The test is going to be in two parts-- oral and drawing.'
'Oral and drawing?' I repeated.
'Yes,' said Claudia haughtily. 'Oral means spoken.'
I bet you anything in the world Claudia herself hadn't known the meaning of that word before today."
"'The girls in the club are older than we are, so maybe we won't end up close friends, but we can get along. We can work together. Besides, you and I have each other.'
'Always,' said Jessi firmly.
'Always,' I repeated. I looked at Jessi and knew that we were friends."
"'You mean boys are still weird in eight grade?'
'Definitely,' said Kristy.
'Sort of,' said Dawn.
'It depends,' said Claudia.
'Not really,' said Mary Anne."
June 30, 2020
I did not expect the BSC to tackle racism but it was done like surprisingly well for a child audience? I’d never read any of the Mallory or Jessi-led books before (I mostly stuck to the mysteries as a kid honestly) and it was a nice change of pace. Mallory was much more interesting than Stacey or Dawn have ever been. I wish that Mallory had perhaps stuck up more Jessi with the other kids at school and had actively challenged the racism happening in her community and hopefully they’ll update that with the graphic novel when the series gets around to this one, but it was great seeing that moment of the Club saying that if any customers expressed racism towards Jessi they would automatically be banned from using the service ever again.
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!
September 14, 2016
Reading this firmly cemented to me that I am definitely a Mallory and I'm just gonna own it from now on. Amazingly this book deals with a lot for what it is and who the target audience is and when it was first published. Also a fascinating look at the BSC girls from outside the established core friend group.
April 6, 2020
OOOOOOKKKKKK for some reason I totally thought I wouldnt like Mallory but she is easily my favorite!
& I know this will come as no surprise to anyone but Kristy, once again, was a giant B this entire book!!!!
& I know this will come as no surprise to anyone but Kristy, once again, was a giant B this entire book!!!!
July 26, 2025
While recovering from wisdom teeth surgery, I was looking for a comfort read, something easy and without too much plot. This book is definitely not the highest quality of literature, but it’s a good book for when you don’t want to put too much thought into what you’re reading. There were a few things that were absolutely ridiculous, like an 11 year old being a babysitter, but it was also a fun book!
March 16, 2024
yay mallory & jessi!!!!
December 31, 2022
Hello Mallory
Mallory Pike has been asked to join the BSC since Stacey moved back to NY. She can not wait to tell the club about how she took care of 6 of her brothers and sisters while her brother Nicky had to go to the hospital from an injury playing volleyball with his friend Buddy.
There’s a new student in Mal’s sixth-grade class (Jessica Ramsey) and (here we go with this nonsense) she’s black. Right away you can see the prejudice (the teachers don’t ask her to say anything about herself, there’s a boy that shoots rubber bands at her head, and the white girls make racist comments about her being from Africa and say she doesn’t belong there).
Mal even acts like she’s star-struck “Oh look it’s a black person!” but decides she wants her as a best friend (only let’s note because all the other girls already are paired up). This is going to be a LONG book!
Things don’t go well at Mal’s first meeting. She dresses wrong, she gets blamed for Nicky’s accident, and she’s told she’s going to have to take a test the next day. She also finds out a black family moved into Stacey’s old house and wonders if it’s Jessica.
On the way to take the test, Mal decides to walk by Jessica’s house. Jessica introduces her to her 8-year-old sister (Rebecca) and her 1-year-old brother Squirt (John Phillip Ramsey).
They find out they both love books and horse stories. They’re both the oldest. They both wear glasses and will both need braces. They promise to trade their favorite books and Jess promises next time to see her (her) toe shoes. (She’s a ballet dancer).
The test is horrible and they ask her a bunch of stuff they themselves probably didn’t know
\(At what age does a baby cut his first teeth, which ones, what’s a tourniquet? What’s the difference between creeping and crawling, draw the human digestive system) Is she initiating to be in a sitting club or applying to medical school?
They get a call that Mrs. Perkins delivered and it’s a girl (Laura). The BSC tells Mal they’ll give her the results after her sitting job with Claudia with the Perkins.
Needless to say, she makes a lot of mistakes on the sitting job because Claudia makes her nervous. (I’m just realizing this is Gabby and Myriah on the cover. I always thought it was Claire and Margo).
Even though she fails the test, they tell her they’ll give her another one. But Mallory tells them they can stick their test where the sun doesn’t shine and leaves.
At school, Jessi and Mal vent to each other back and forth about not belonging. Then they decide to start their own babysitting club (Kid’s Incorporated). They make fliers and calls and they’re caught is they’ll give two sisters for the price of one. Mrs. Pike gives them their first job.
Dawn sees them while sitting the Barrette’s and she tells Kristy (who isn’t happy). KI gets another job for the Ramseys. Then Kristy calls and tries to get in Mal’s head (saying KI will fail)but it doesn’t work.
While sitting at the Ramsey’s it becomes even more clear to Mal how racist people in Stoneybrooke really are. But then Charlotte comes by to play with Becca and an invite for her family to dinner.
The BSC realize their mistake when they start getting overbooked and invite Mal and Jessi to join the club after sitting with one of them on one job.
Jessi sits with Dawn (we don’t get to hear how her job went but we know she gets in) Mal only had 1 mistake when letting the repair people in and Jamie falls off the swing, but Claudia is understanding and she makes it.
My Thoughts:
It’s interesting that when I read this series a long (long) time ago initially I didn’t notice something that’s really starting to annoy me. And that is as a black person the lack of blacks in these fictional communities and how they treat the 1 black family the author feels obligated to throw in. Probably as a sense of the necessity that there has to be one token black girl (or boy). They point out the racist people but then try to put a band-aid on it by showing a couple of families that *do* accept the black character. And even though I know that’s the way of the world that a lot of whites don’t accept us just like in the book, why just for once can’t the book just treat Jessica as just another Stoneybrooke Middle School Student and just leave the racist aspect of it ALONE! I rather it wasn’t even touched. It even went as far as trying to make it seem like the issue of the BSC not accepting Mallory and how racist Stoneybrooke is to the Ramseys look like it’s on the same level. IT ISNT! But while the BSC were jerks for most of the book, I did like that they said anyone who didn’t accept Jessi could no longer be a client.
Rating: 5
Mallory Pike has been asked to join the BSC since Stacey moved back to NY. She can not wait to tell the club about how she took care of 6 of her brothers and sisters while her brother Nicky had to go to the hospital from an injury playing volleyball with his friend Buddy.
There’s a new student in Mal’s sixth-grade class (Jessica Ramsey) and (here we go with this nonsense) she’s black. Right away you can see the prejudice (the teachers don’t ask her to say anything about herself, there’s a boy that shoots rubber bands at her head, and the white girls make racist comments about her being from Africa and say she doesn’t belong there).
Mal even acts like she’s star-struck “Oh look it’s a black person!” but decides she wants her as a best friend (only let’s note because all the other girls already are paired up). This is going to be a LONG book!
Things don’t go well at Mal’s first meeting. She dresses wrong, she gets blamed for Nicky’s accident, and she’s told she’s going to have to take a test the next day. She also finds out a black family moved into Stacey’s old house and wonders if it’s Jessica.
On the way to take the test, Mal decides to walk by Jessica’s house. Jessica introduces her to her 8-year-old sister (Rebecca) and her 1-year-old brother Squirt (John Phillip Ramsey).
They find out they both love books and horse stories. They’re both the oldest. They both wear glasses and will both need braces. They promise to trade their favorite books and Jess promises next time to see her (her) toe shoes. (She’s a ballet dancer).
The test is horrible and they ask her a bunch of stuff they themselves probably didn’t know
\(At what age does a baby cut his first teeth, which ones, what’s a tourniquet? What’s the difference between creeping and crawling, draw the human digestive system) Is she initiating to be in a sitting club or applying to medical school?
They get a call that Mrs. Perkins delivered and it’s a girl (Laura). The BSC tells Mal they’ll give her the results after her sitting job with Claudia with the Perkins.
Needless to say, she makes a lot of mistakes on the sitting job because Claudia makes her nervous. (I’m just realizing this is Gabby and Myriah on the cover. I always thought it was Claire and Margo).
Even though she fails the test, they tell her they’ll give her another one. But Mallory tells them they can stick their test where the sun doesn’t shine and leaves.
At school, Jessi and Mal vent to each other back and forth about not belonging. Then they decide to start their own babysitting club (Kid’s Incorporated). They make fliers and calls and they’re caught is they’ll give two sisters for the price of one. Mrs. Pike gives them their first job.
Dawn sees them while sitting the Barrette’s and she tells Kristy (who isn’t happy). KI gets another job for the Ramseys. Then Kristy calls and tries to get in Mal’s head (saying KI will fail)but it doesn’t work.
While sitting at the Ramsey’s it becomes even more clear to Mal how racist people in Stoneybrooke really are. But then Charlotte comes by to play with Becca and an invite for her family to dinner.
The BSC realize their mistake when they start getting overbooked and invite Mal and Jessi to join the club after sitting with one of them on one job.
Jessi sits with Dawn (we don’t get to hear how her job went but we know she gets in) Mal only had 1 mistake when letting the repair people in and Jamie falls off the swing, but Claudia is understanding and she makes it.
My Thoughts:
It’s interesting that when I read this series a long (long) time ago initially I didn’t notice something that’s really starting to annoy me. And that is as a black person the lack of blacks in these fictional communities and how they treat the 1 black family the author feels obligated to throw in. Probably as a sense of the necessity that there has to be one token black girl (or boy). They point out the racist people but then try to put a band-aid on it by showing a couple of families that *do* accept the black character. And even though I know that’s the way of the world that a lot of whites don’t accept us just like in the book, why just for once can’t the book just treat Jessica as just another Stoneybrooke Middle School Student and just leave the racist aspect of it ALONE! I rather it wasn’t even touched. It even went as far as trying to make it seem like the issue of the BSC not accepting Mallory and how racist Stoneybrooke is to the Ramseys look like it’s on the same level. IT ISNT! But while the BSC were jerks for most of the book, I did like that they said anyone who didn’t accept Jessi could no longer be a client.
Rating: 5
August 29, 2022
Before I get to my actual review, a quick disclaimer: Ever since I learned that Netflix was reimagining one of my favorite childhood book series, I had decided that I would be embarking on a re-read of this series, reliving a series of books that helped to shape me into a voracious reader. I am so excited to embark on this travel back in time. I don't expect to be mentally stimulated -- I mean, I'm not exactly a pre-teen middle-schooler these days -- but I make no apology for choosing to enjoy this series from the perspective of adulthood. Don't expect me to have any sort of psychoanalyst or feminist sermonizing on the appropriateness of the situations or the effects on a young girl reading these books; there's plenty of that to go around already. I'm here for the nostalgia and the meander down memory lane.
**********
This was another installment where I remembered more as I read than I could have told you about the book before revisiting it. There were a few sweet moments that made me smile, a couple of hearty chuckles, and quite a few instances of "oh yeah...how did I not remember this happened in this book?".
What I liked about Hello, Mallory:
Getting to know Mallory - This book definitely has a more immature voice. While it was occasionally a bit annoying, mostly it was endearing. I appreciated how awkward she was. I'm not sure there is any more awkward time in life than 11 and 12 years old, trapped between being a little kid and a big kid.
Jessi - I think I maybe appreciate her presence more as an adult than I might have as a kid. Jessi being one of the only African American students at school sounds about right for the demographics I grew up with in Connecticut myself. There were more people of color in my schools than it seems were in Stoneybrook, but still the ratio of white to not white was pretty notable. However, I never recall personally hearing anyone I was friends with or even around acting the way the mean girls did in Mal's class or the Ramseys' across-the-street neighbor. To me and my immediate peers, kids were just kids, at least as far as I knew, and I was always more concerned with personality and character than what people physically looked like, but it does make me wonder about the experience from another perspective.
The test - Nothing makes me laugh more than how outrageous Kristy can be. Exactly how many tourniquets does your average person administer over the course of their lifetime, much less middle-school-age babysitters?! I mean, I am clocking in at almost 46 years and have yet to encounter the need for one, thank the Lord.
What I didn't care for:
A bit repetitious - Not so much in the actual content, but in the "competition for the BSC" plot point. Granted, it wasn't the same as when the older girls tried to compete with our trusty sitters, but still.
What left me conflicted:
The logistics of the Club notebook - I was pondering to myself how exactly this worked. There were a minimum of four girls, and often more. They took calls and goofed around during three half-hour meetings per week. When did they find time to both write up every single job they went on and read all the other entries?? I mean, it's one notebook which, by the laws of physics, can only ever be in one place at a time. I really want to understand how it worked.
Once again, a fast read for me and a good palate cleanser after a book that was so unappealing, I stopped halfway through the first chapter. Mallory provided a hard reset, which I needed. I am still keeping this one at three stars, though. It felt a little under-creative at parts, and while I can tolerate the original crew, emphasizing that Mallory is two years their junior came with an immaturity that was, at times, somewhat painful.
**********
This was another installment where I remembered more as I read than I could have told you about the book before revisiting it. There were a few sweet moments that made me smile, a couple of hearty chuckles, and quite a few instances of "oh yeah...how did I not remember this happened in this book?".
What I liked about Hello, Mallory:
Getting to know Mallory - This book definitely has a more immature voice. While it was occasionally a bit annoying, mostly it was endearing. I appreciated how awkward she was. I'm not sure there is any more awkward time in life than 11 and 12 years old, trapped between being a little kid and a big kid.
Jessi - I think I maybe appreciate her presence more as an adult than I might have as a kid. Jessi being one of the only African American students at school sounds about right for the demographics I grew up with in Connecticut myself. There were more people of color in my schools than it seems were in Stoneybrook, but still the ratio of white to not white was pretty notable. However, I never recall personally hearing anyone I was friends with or even around acting the way the mean girls did in Mal's class or the Ramseys' across-the-street neighbor. To me and my immediate peers, kids were just kids, at least as far as I knew, and I was always more concerned with personality and character than what people physically looked like, but it does make me wonder about the experience from another perspective.
The test - Nothing makes me laugh more than how outrageous Kristy can be. Exactly how many tourniquets does your average person administer over the course of their lifetime, much less middle-school-age babysitters?! I mean, I am clocking in at almost 46 years and have yet to encounter the need for one, thank the Lord.
What I didn't care for:
A bit repetitious - Not so much in the actual content, but in the "competition for the BSC" plot point. Granted, it wasn't the same as when the older girls tried to compete with our trusty sitters, but still.
What left me conflicted:
The logistics of the Club notebook - I was pondering to myself how exactly this worked. There were a minimum of four girls, and often more. They took calls and goofed around during three half-hour meetings per week. When did they find time to both write up every single job they went on and read all the other entries?? I mean, it's one notebook which, by the laws of physics, can only ever be in one place at a time. I really want to understand how it worked.
Once again, a fast read for me and a good palate cleanser after a book that was so unappealing, I stopped halfway through the first chapter. Mallory provided a hard reset, which I needed. I am still keeping this one at three stars, though. It felt a little under-creative at parts, and while I can tolerate the original crew, emphasizing that Mallory is two years their junior came with an immaturity that was, at times, somewhat painful.
April 7, 2016
Posted originally on my blog:
The Writer's Inkwell
It’s been a while since I last read a BSC book. But I have to say, this one in particular left me a bit perplexed about some of the details. For example, Mallory states that she has brown hair and yet, on every book cover and in every movie/tv episode, she has red hair. Another thing that really got to me was exactly how unfair the girls were to Mallory about joining the club.
I remembered that they had given her an unfair test, that they didn’t even know the answers to. But what I hadn’t remembered was exactly how cold and judgmental they all were. For example, when Mallory tells them about watching all of her siblings when her parents rush Nicky off to the hospital, the girls blame his accident on Mallory. Nevermind the fact that he was just playing volleyball and his finger hit the ball wrong. Or the fact her father was standing right there. Somehow poor Mallory was expected to prevent this kind of accident. Really?
Also, I remembered that her first sitting experience with Claudia had been a disaster, but couldn’t recall the specifics. But in truth, I would hardly call it a bad experience. If any thing, Claudia sabotages the job at every step of the process. She chides Mallory for asking the kids what they would like for a snack, instead of telling them what they can have. When Mallory tries to remedy this by saying they can have apples, only to find out they don’t have any, Claudia acts like it’s the biggest mistake in the world. And don’t even get me started on how ironic and hypocritical it was to hear Claudia, the junk food queen, lecture about how you should only offer healthy snacks to kids.
And then, there’s the moment during Dawn’s chapter where Mallory all of a sudden begins speaking to Kristy while Kristy and Dawn are having a private phone conversation. As anyone who has read these books knows, the featured character speaks in first person throughout the books and the others in third. But all of a sudden there’s a “I asked” when it should have been “Dawn asked.” Surely this could have been caught within the decade from its first publishing in the 80’s to the updated version in the 90’s, right?
While I still hold fond memories of these books from my childhood, it’s books like this that leave me wondering what I ever saw in this series. Perhaps it was my lack of interest in poor Mallory as a character that I missed the obvious signs that the other girls were wrong. Or maybe I was too invested into the series to care. But as an adult, I wish it were possible to slap some sense into Kristy and the girls, because they definitely need it.
The Writer's Inkwell
It’s been a while since I last read a BSC book. But I have to say, this one in particular left me a bit perplexed about some of the details. For example, Mallory states that she has brown hair and yet, on every book cover and in every movie/tv episode, she has red hair. Another thing that really got to me was exactly how unfair the girls were to Mallory about joining the club.
I remembered that they had given her an unfair test, that they didn’t even know the answers to. But what I hadn’t remembered was exactly how cold and judgmental they all were. For example, when Mallory tells them about watching all of her siblings when her parents rush Nicky off to the hospital, the girls blame his accident on Mallory. Nevermind the fact that he was just playing volleyball and his finger hit the ball wrong. Or the fact her father was standing right there. Somehow poor Mallory was expected to prevent this kind of accident. Really?
Also, I remembered that her first sitting experience with Claudia had been a disaster, but couldn’t recall the specifics. But in truth, I would hardly call it a bad experience. If any thing, Claudia sabotages the job at every step of the process. She chides Mallory for asking the kids what they would like for a snack, instead of telling them what they can have. When Mallory tries to remedy this by saying they can have apples, only to find out they don’t have any, Claudia acts like it’s the biggest mistake in the world. And don’t even get me started on how ironic and hypocritical it was to hear Claudia, the junk food queen, lecture about how you should only offer healthy snacks to kids.
And then, there’s the moment during Dawn’s chapter where Mallory all of a sudden begins speaking to Kristy while Kristy and Dawn are having a private phone conversation. As anyone who has read these books knows, the featured character speaks in first person throughout the books and the others in third. But all of a sudden there’s a “I asked” when it should have been “Dawn asked.” Surely this could have been caught within the decade from its first publishing in the 80’s to the updated version in the 90’s, right?
While I still hold fond memories of these books from my childhood, it’s books like this that leave me wondering what I ever saw in this series. Perhaps it was my lack of interest in poor Mallory as a character that I missed the obvious signs that the other girls were wrong. Or maybe I was too invested into the series to care. But as an adult, I wish it were possible to slap some sense into Kristy and the girls, because they definitely need it.
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