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Chain Letter
The Baby-sitters are split up for vacation, and Kristy's in the hospital. How will the girls stay in touch? Leave it to Kristy and her great ideas. She's received a special chain letter in the mail--one where you have to write a letter to someone else. So Kristy writes to Stacey, Stacey writes to Mallory, and pretty soon the chain letter is on its way through the club. But what are the letters about? You'll have to read them to find out.
Inside this book is the entire collection of letters, cards, notes, and even presents that the Baby-sitters send to keep their chain letter going. So open the envelopes, unfold the letters, and read what the BSC members have to say. But shhhh! These letters are very secret.
Inside this book is the entire collection of letters, cards, notes, and even presents that the Baby-sitters send to keep their chain letter going. So open the envelopes, unfold the letters, and read what the BSC members have to say. But shhhh! These letters are very secret.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1993
154 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 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 24, 2015
I'm a little surprised to say that The Babysitters Club is the latest 80s-kids craze to have a big revival in my hometown. (Last autumn it was Point Horror.) The late 20s / early 30s people I know are all digging through their parents' closets to see if they have one or two of these books left. I, of course, am hoarder girl, and still have a box of thirty or forty of the things somewhere.
But anyway, I found this one in the local charity shop.
I remember that back in 1993 or 1994, I begged my mom to buy me this book. It looked so brilliant. But £9.99 was a lot to pay for a book (usual BSC books were £1.99 - £2.50 in those days) and she refused. So I was really happy to come across this - yeah, I'm nearly 30, but it's always nice to get your hands on the things you wanted and weren't allowed as a kid, right? I still go mad over clackers, and those bracelets with the metal core that you snap on your wrist and they go curly instead of straight. Not to mention Pop-Tarts.
Oh, sorry. The book.
So I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It's not a story book, it's a book of letters with lots of pictures and not much text. Good for 9-year-old girls, not so good for 29-year-old women. But it was really very charming. The book in general is well-designed and put together really nicely - much more nicely than most kids' books are nowadays - with wonderful attention to detail on each of the letters / postcards / envelopes. The stationery used is cheerful and clear effort was put into making each girl's "choice" of postcard / writing paper fit their personality.
As a kid, I just knew that I loved Babysitters Club books and didn't care why, but as an adult I can appreciate the nuances better, and one of the things that impresses me most is how Ann M. Martin (and team of ghostwriters) have managed to create a series of - what, a hundred books? - with seven main female characters, and somehow ensure that every girl has her own distinctive personality and voice, and that one girl never becomes indistinguishable from another. That's very clear here with the choice of stationery, but also with the contents of the letters. The letters are delightful - they're short, but they're funny (I forgot how funny BSC books could be) and sweet and they add a vibrancy to the girls' characters.
It isn't a book that I would recommend to most kids nowadays; I think that the world has mostly outgrown Babysitters Club, even kids who are in the age range this was originally aimed at. The adventures of Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, Stacey, Dawn, Jessi and Mallory are probably too tame and innocent for most kids this side of the millennium. But ex-fangirls (and boys!) who grew up with this septet will most likely be charmed by this book, and perhaps some will have kids or younger siblings who may find that comparatively innocent 80s and 90s literature like this is worth a read.
But anyway, I found this one in the local charity shop.
I remember that back in 1993 or 1994, I begged my mom to buy me this book. It looked so brilliant. But £9.99 was a lot to pay for a book (usual BSC books were £1.99 - £2.50 in those days) and she refused. So I was really happy to come across this - yeah, I'm nearly 30, but it's always nice to get your hands on the things you wanted and weren't allowed as a kid, right? I still go mad over clackers, and those bracelets with the metal core that you snap on your wrist and they go curly instead of straight. Not to mention Pop-Tarts.
Oh, sorry. The book.
So I wasn't quite sure what to expect. It's not a story book, it's a book of letters with lots of pictures and not much text. Good for 9-year-old girls, not so good for 29-year-old women. But it was really very charming. The book in general is well-designed and put together really nicely - much more nicely than most kids' books are nowadays - with wonderful attention to detail on each of the letters / postcards / envelopes. The stationery used is cheerful and clear effort was put into making each girl's "choice" of postcard / writing paper fit their personality.
As a kid, I just knew that I loved Babysitters Club books and didn't care why, but as an adult I can appreciate the nuances better, and one of the things that impresses me most is how Ann M. Martin (and team of ghostwriters) have managed to create a series of - what, a hundred books? - with seven main female characters, and somehow ensure that every girl has her own distinctive personality and voice, and that one girl never becomes indistinguishable from another. That's very clear here with the choice of stationery, but also with the contents of the letters. The letters are delightful - they're short, but they're funny (I forgot how funny BSC books could be) and sweet and they add a vibrancy to the girls' characters.
It isn't a book that I would recommend to most kids nowadays; I think that the world has mostly outgrown Babysitters Club, even kids who are in the age range this was originally aimed at. The adventures of Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, Stacey, Dawn, Jessi and Mallory are probably too tame and innocent for most kids this side of the millennium. But ex-fangirls (and boys!) who grew up with this septet will most likely be charmed by this book, and perhaps some will have kids or younger siblings who may find that comparatively innocent 80s and 90s literature like this is worth a read.
August 11, 2020
What a blast from the past. Chain letters? Actual handwritten mail? Catchy sayings, like "Deliver D Letter D sooner D better D later D letter D madder I getter!" (Get it? It's usually a visual thing.) Anyway, the conceit is that Kristy's appendix ruptured and she is spending part of summer in the hospital. Her cousin sends a chain letter and the book is filled with various letters among the BSC, each in their personalized handwriting. Some actual "letters," which are in perfect shape in the book I have. A fun reading experience that took me way back to my own preteen years.
Thanks to my sister for finding this in a Little Free Library. It's in great shape still.
Thanks to my sister for finding this in a Little Free Library. It's in great shape still.
November 23, 2015
Found this with a friend at a used book store and it had all of the letters, the bookmark, the pictures AND THE FRIENDSHIP BRACELET!
How awesome is that!?!
Just read it in an afternoon and it's making me nostalgic :,)
BSC Forever.
How awesome is that!?!
Just read it in an afternoon and it's making me nostalgic :,)
BSC Forever.
March 10, 2021
Oh how I love this book.
December 13, 2016
mary anne sees a therapist, kristy wants her dad to die, claudia stole from mimi...these secrets are golden, guys.
November 25, 2023
I remember this one! I think it was one I my favourites as a kid. Kristy is in hospital after her appendix ruptured and actually sounds quite serious. She is bored as you are in hospital and when her cousin sends her a chain letter she jumps on it. This chain letter is different. You send it off to one person only and tell that person your deepest darkest secret or as dark at 11-13 year old secrets can be. These are sweet and funny and sad. From Kristy wishing her father was dead, to Mallory cheating on a test, other secrets include stealing, a burn mark in a carpet, seeing a therapist it was a fun cute read. I like the answering machine story that ran throughout the book. I wasn't going to read this at first in my full reread of the series but I'm glad I did now.
August 18, 2020
Super fun book of snail mail written by the BSC to each other over summer vacation. Secrets are revealed and fun items arrive with letters and a plan for a BSC reunion party.
The BSC girls share their errors in behavior with each other and bond over long distance until they can be reunited in Stoneybrook.
The BSC girls share their errors in behavior with each other and bond over long distance until they can be reunited in Stoneybrook.
September 26, 2021
I skipped this book before because I haaaaate reading their handwriting and almost always skip those parts, but I found it and figured I might as well. Turns out it's actually pretty cute. Even if most of the BSC's secrets were pretty lame, it's nice to see them not being model middle school citizens every now and again. And even Dawn was mostly bearable.
October 9, 2020
Short, but cute.
August 29, 2022
Pure nostalgia.
October 26, 2022
This was such a nostalgia trip.
The design of this book is so much fun with all the pull out letters, cards, bookmark, pictures and friendship bracelet. I smiled the whole way through!
The design of this book is so much fun with all the pull out letters, cards, bookmark, pictures and friendship bracelet. I smiled the whole way through!
April 11, 2018
I absolutely loved this book as a young girl. Each page was a treat with real letters in envelopes or lovely, decorated post cards. I still have it and it's in great condition. I hope to pass it on one day.
December 27, 2015
Even though I am no longer around the same age as the girls in the BSC, I still love them and found that I can still relate to them after all these years. The BSC books are definite treasures, and this Chain Letter book is super cute. It starts off with Kristy's cousin, Robin, sending her a get well soon letter (Kristy is in the hospital, read this if you want to know why :P ) and a...yep you guessed it, chain letter. Basically you keep the chain going by writing a letter to someone new, and confessing a secret that you haven't told a single soul. The secrets were interesting, but what I loved the most about this was how it was told-through letters and postcards, and some letters even included cute little extras like a photo booth strip. It was really interactive, and I love being able to hold the actual letter in my hand.
This is such a great addition to the BSC collection. Get your hands on it before it's too late since it is now officially out of print !
This is such a great addition to the BSC collection. Get your hands on it before it's too late since it is now officially out of print !
April 16, 2016
I purchased this book a long time ago or it was purchase4d for me but never the less I read it again I read the whole series in my youth and loved every last one! I really wish someone had written to Logan though
April 29, 2009
Totally gimmicky, but not that bad - pretty interesting actually, and the layout is really awesome. Glad I was still (just!) at the right age when it was released ;)
Read
June 11, 2010Another "Jolly Postman" rip off. Aside from the series.
May 6, 2021
Loved these books as a child
February 23, 2021
Loved this extra BBC book as a kid - so many extras and fun things to look at!
Read
February 4, 2019This book isn't objectively good, but it's a book where you get to open mail. I loved that as a kid (and also as an adult). It reminded me of what it was like to be a kid and not see your friends all summer. I definitely wrote letters to other kids who lived like 15 minutes away, because we didn't have the internet yet and we couldn't drive. Nostalgia!
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews