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The Baby-Sitters Club #3
The Truth About Stacey
Three decades after The Baby-Sitters Club first rocked our world—like scoring your own phone line, in your room!—the beloved franchise is back to binge (and share) like never before!
In the most exciting news since we first learned of Kristy Thomas’s great idea to start the Baby-Sitters Club, the book series is now available only from Audible as an audio experience with special guest narrator Elle Fanning, the multi-talented actress and fan of BSC.
With endearing characters and enduring storylines filled with lessons of self-discovery, the beauty of true friendship, and the power of youth-led entrepreneurship itself, the BSC has never felt more now. So, whether you’re joining the club for the first time, or the first time in quite a while, spend time with stories that transcend the ages. Gather up the kids—not to mention those nieces, nephews, and neighbors alike—for all the twists, turns, hilarity, and burns of tween life in Stoneybrook, Connecticut!
The truth about Stacey is that she has diabetes, a fact she keeps secret from everyone except her new friends in the Baby-Sitters Club. But Stacey's condition causes a lot of problems, and she has to miss a lot of BSC meetings. Can she find a solution before her new friends get sick of her disease?
In the most exciting news since we first learned of Kristy Thomas’s great idea to start the Baby-Sitters Club, the book series is now available only from Audible as an audio experience with special guest narrator Elle Fanning, the multi-talented actress and fan of BSC.
With endearing characters and enduring storylines filled with lessons of self-discovery, the beauty of true friendship, and the power of youth-led entrepreneurship itself, the BSC has never felt more now. So, whether you’re joining the club for the first time, or the first time in quite a while, spend time with stories that transcend the ages. Gather up the kids—not to mention those nieces, nephews, and neighbors alike—for all the twists, turns, hilarity, and burns of tween life in Stoneybrook, Connecticut!
The truth about Stacey is that she has diabetes, a fact she keeps secret from everyone except her new friends in the Baby-Sitters Club. But Stacey's condition causes a lot of problems, and she has to miss a lot of BSC meetings. Can she find a solution before her new friends get sick of her disease?
Audio CD
First published December 1, 1986
426 people are currently reading
2921 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,114 books3,062 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 554 reviews
October 31, 2019
Oigan yo escuché este audiolibro a finales de septiembre/inicios de octubre y no lo había marcado. WHAT.
July 17, 2014
stacey's all growed up!!
but she's still incredibly fashionable!
but she's still incredibly fashionable!
January 24, 2023
The one where Kristy invents Kid-Kits in order for the BSC to be more competitive, because that lame, designer imposter group known as the Baby-sitters Agency is totally poaching their clients! Also, as the title indicates, we learn more about Stacey’s struggles with diabetes. But, for me, it’s all about the Kid-Kits in this one.
Am I now planning on turning the tin case I got the first six books in into a Kid-Kit of my very own?
Well duh.
Am I now planning on turning the tin case I got the first six books in into a Kid-Kit of my very own?
Well duh.
September 27, 2018
My all time favourite series as a young girl! I looked forward to Book Club day (Ashton Scholastic) with anticipation and my $5.95 in an envelope. When I missed one my mum and I would go to Grace Brothers Parramatta where I could buy a copy. I was in year 5 at public school, the books came out monthly and I discovered them when no. 2 came out, so I wasn't too late and didn't miss a book. It was a monthly publication and I always looked forward to the next. I purchased them until I was 'too old', then continued buying through eBay to complete my collection many years later (I have two daughters). They read them till they were 'too old'. I didn't collect all of the off-shoot series, there were too many, but my oldest daughter decided to collect the Little Sister ones, but didn't complete it as she was again, too old. The thing is this. I read them and loved them, excited to keep reading. This was reading for pleasure, and about wholesome storylines and simple themes. My girls now read a little bit, but they are more interested in their iPhones and communication that way, and instant gratification. It makes me sad. I'll read these again. This book introduced me to New York, and started my little obsession with the city. I'll go there one day! I remember reading this one at Bateau Bay beach, in the summer holidays with my Aunty. I have the sand in the spine stuck to the plastic contact to prove it. Love these book memories <3
May 14, 2020
In the third book of The Babysitters Club series, it's finally Stacey's turn to take the lead. In this installment we learn more about Stacey's diabetes, her relationship with her parents and their overprotective attitude towards her illness, and also some drama goes down between the girls and a rival club.
Stacey was always my favourite club member. To 12 year old me she was super cool and trendy (she wears a dinosaur pin in her beret! And red fingerless gloves!) while also being smart. I always loved how responsible she was with regards to her diabetes, and the clever way she works her parents into letting her have a bit more freedom and say in how she manages her illness. It was interesting to look back on how diabetes was perceived in the 80s - treatments have come such a long way that I don't think diabetes is as unmanageable these days as it is for Stacey. I do love that Ann M Martin included this in her books though. It was through these books that I acquired all my knowledge of diabetes as a child.
I'm also surprised how much of this plot I remembered after reading it over 20 years ago. It's still one of my favourites in the series.
Stacey was always my favourite club member. To 12 year old me she was super cool and trendy (she wears a dinosaur pin in her beret! And red fingerless gloves!) while also being smart. I always loved how responsible she was with regards to her diabetes, and the clever way she works her parents into letting her have a bit more freedom and say in how she manages her illness. It was interesting to look back on how diabetes was perceived in the 80s - treatments have come such a long way that I don't think diabetes is as unmanageable these days as it is for Stacey. I do love that Ann M Martin included this in her books though. It was through these books that I acquired all my knowledge of diabetes as a child.
I'm also surprised how much of this plot I remembered after reading it over 20 years ago. It's still one of my favourites in the series.
December 30, 2020
Welcome to the book that made me think being diagnosed with diabetes was one of the scariest things that could happen to me as a kid. It’s talked about as if it’s a shameful secret for both Stacey and her parents, giving yourself insulin injections is labelled “gross” and there are multiple references to how Stacey could die if she doesn’t manage her diabetes. No wonder I was scared.
We’ve already read Kristy and Claudia’s first BSC books. Now it’s Stacey’s turn. Stacey was the babysitter who made me want to be sophisticated long before I’d wrapped my head around what sophistication meant. She was also the one who added an extended visit to Central Park and clothes shopping in New York to my bucket list before I knew what one was.
In the beginning of book #3 we learn it’s been two months since Kristy had her great idea. I guess Stoneybrook Central Time must slow down rapidly after this book if the babysitters stay roughly the same age during the next 128 regular series books and all of the Super Specials, Mysteries, Super Mysteries, Friends Forever and Portrait Collection. Wow, that’s a lot of books to have to spend being frozen in time at the most awkward age ever.
In what is the BSC’s biggest existential crisis since Mary Anne almost had to leave the club because of the Phantom Caller in book #2, they have to deal with copycats. Their rivals are The Baby-sitters Agency (because apparently no one in Stoneybrook can think of an original or catchy name). The BSA have older babysitters who are allowed to babysit later than the BSC club members can. They don’t advertise business hours so it’s okay to call them during the hours of the week when it’s not Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 5:30pm to 6pm. They even have balloons!
[image error]
Okay, maybe that last one could have a downside.
Pretty soon after we all decide, “We’re doomed”, it’s time to get into the trash talk.
It’s even possible the BSA might have spies listening in on the BSC’s conversations. Not that we’re getting dramatic about this or anything.
Besides the expected two emergency meetings, there’s also a special planning session. There’s even a triple-emergency club meeting; this is when you know things are super duper serious. What’s the bet Kristy grew up to become one of those annoying people who loves team meetings and is solely responsible for them dragging on long after they’re supposed to end …
But it’s not all bad news. It’s the Crisis of the Competing Clubs that leads Kristy to come up with her Kid-Kit idea, after all.
We babysit for Charlotte Johansenn, who’s having trouble at school but at least she has the honour of being the first kid to explore a Kid-Kit. We also find Jamie (Hi-hi!) Newton in our kitchen after school because his mother is in hospital giving birth to his brand new baby sister, Lucy. Aww! The girls also book a job babysitting for Nina and Eleanor Marshall but didn’t think to invite me along.
I never really thought about how wealthy Stacey’s family must have been before now. Her bedroom in their New York apartment overlooked Central Park, their apartment building had its own doorman and she attended a private school. That all sounds pretty fancy to me.
I’d completely forgotten that Mary Anne wears reading glasses.
I realised that Kristy’s mother works in Stamford. I had always read that as Stanford. Huh.
We’ve heard of the eight Pike kids already but this is the first time we meet Mallory, future BSC Junior Officer. Sort of. She’s in the room but doesn’t get a speaking role.
Stacey and Charlotte visit Polly’s Fine Candy so prepare to hear all about the chocolate and other sugar filled delicacies. It felt really mean of Stacey to pull out money in front of Charlotte, who’s practically drooling at this point, only to change her mind and tell poor Charlotte she can’t have anything. Charlotte is a lot more forgiving than I would have been. I bet Claudia would have bought one of everything for her. This scene reminded me that it was Stacey gazing longingly at the white chocolate that prompted me to ask my parents to buy me some.
Word of the book: traitor. Various people are called traitors at least three times.
This book’s school dance: Snowflake Dance.
It’s almost time for Mary Anne to save the day! Yay! The book that initiated me into the BSC!
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
We’ve already read Kristy and Claudia’s first BSC books. Now it’s Stacey’s turn. Stacey was the babysitter who made me want to be sophisticated long before I’d wrapped my head around what sophistication meant. She was also the one who added an extended visit to Central Park and clothes shopping in New York to my bucket list before I knew what one was.
In the beginning of book #3 we learn it’s been two months since Kristy had her great idea. I guess Stoneybrook Central Time must slow down rapidly after this book if the babysitters stay roughly the same age during the next 128 regular series books and all of the Super Specials, Mysteries, Super Mysteries, Friends Forever and Portrait Collection. Wow, that’s a lot of books to have to spend being frozen in time at the most awkward age ever.
In what is the BSC’s biggest existential crisis since Mary Anne almost had to leave the club because of the Phantom Caller in book #2, they have to deal with copycats. Their rivals are The Baby-sitters Agency (because apparently no one in Stoneybrook can think of an original or catchy name). The BSA have older babysitters who are allowed to babysit later than the BSC club members can. They don’t advertise business hours so it’s okay to call them during the hours of the week when it’s not Monday, Wednesday or Friday from 5:30pm to 6pm. They even have balloons!
[image error]
Okay, maybe that last one could have a downside.
“I hereby change this meeting of the Baby-sitters Club to an emergency meeting,” she announced.Sidebar: Why is the first ‘s’ in sitters always capitalised on the BSC logo but never in the book’s text?
Pretty soon after we all decide, “We’re doomed”, it’s time to get into the trash talk.
“They have smart mouths, they sass the teachers, they hate school, they hang around at the mall. You know, that kind of kid.”Oh, dear, my Claudia. Pull up a chair and let me explain to you how trash talk is actually supposed to go.
It’s even possible the BSA might have spies listening in on the BSC’s conversations. Not that we’re getting dramatic about this or anything.
Besides the expected two emergency meetings, there’s also a special planning session. There’s even a triple-emergency club meeting; this is when you know things are super duper serious. What’s the bet Kristy grew up to become one of those annoying people who loves team meetings and is solely responsible for them dragging on long after they’re supposed to end …
But it’s not all bad news. It’s the Crisis of the Competing Clubs that leads Kristy to come up with her Kid-Kit idea, after all.
We babysit for Charlotte Johansenn, who’s having trouble at school but at least she has the honour of being the first kid to explore a Kid-Kit. We also find Jamie (Hi-hi!) Newton in our kitchen after school because his mother is in hospital giving birth to his brand new baby sister, Lucy. Aww! The girls also book a job babysitting for Nina and Eleanor Marshall but didn’t think to invite me along.
I never really thought about how wealthy Stacey’s family must have been before now. Her bedroom in their New York apartment overlooked Central Park, their apartment building had its own doorman and she attended a private school. That all sounds pretty fancy to me.
I’d completely forgotten that Mary Anne wears reading glasses.
I realised that Kristy’s mother works in Stamford. I had always read that as Stanford. Huh.
We’ve heard of the eight Pike kids already but this is the first time we meet Mallory, future BSC Junior Officer. Sort of. She’s in the room but doesn’t get a speaking role.
Stacey and Charlotte visit Polly’s Fine Candy so prepare to hear all about the chocolate and other sugar filled delicacies. It felt really mean of Stacey to pull out money in front of Charlotte, who’s practically drooling at this point, only to change her mind and tell poor Charlotte she can’t have anything. Charlotte is a lot more forgiving than I would have been. I bet Claudia would have bought one of everything for her. This scene reminded me that it was Stacey gazing longingly at the white chocolate that prompted me to ask my parents to buy me some.
Word of the book: traitor. Various people are called traitors at least three times.
This book’s school dance: Snowflake Dance.
It’s almost time for Mary Anne to save the day! Yay! The book that initiated me into the BSC!
Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
June 17, 2025
Re-read of 2018
Stacey was the "big city" gal of the Babysitters Club and I loved her stories so much! Her coming on to the scene meant that Claudia had a best friend. It is now November and Stacey is loving her time with the Baby-Sitters Club. However, she is wishing that her parents were not so obsessed with her diabetes and the BSC is dealing with a rival babysitting agency. It's all out war! It was interesting to see that Stacey was more aligned with Kristy in this issue and Claudia and Mary Ann were the ones telling the other two to calm down. It was also the great idea introduced in this book that the BSC would adopt the Kid-Kit. I must confess that I did this too when I was babysitting. Total fangirl, I know!
Two things that I haven't spoken about in my other re-reads are the kids I remember so well and all the literary references. First, the three books have so far introduced us to - David Michael Thomas( Kristy's little bro), Karen and Andrew( Kristy'S fututre stepsister and stepbrother) Jamie Newton and his sister, Lucy( whose birth is celebrated in this book), Charlotte Johnason, Clara and Margo Pike( with sister Mallory who will eventually join the BSC. We haven't met all the rest of the Pike clan yet), and Nina and Eleanor Marshall. Is it strange that I remember all the kids, too? Second, the girls are all huge readers, and so many children's books tag along during their babysitting time. Cricket in Times Square, Where the Wild Things Are, etc.
See what this Goodreads Blog has done. It has made me so very nostalgic that I confess to taking out more.
Stacey was the "big city" gal of the Babysitters Club and I loved her stories so much! Her coming on to the scene meant that Claudia had a best friend. It is now November and Stacey is loving her time with the Baby-Sitters Club. However, she is wishing that her parents were not so obsessed with her diabetes and the BSC is dealing with a rival babysitting agency. It's all out war! It was interesting to see that Stacey was more aligned with Kristy in this issue and Claudia and Mary Ann were the ones telling the other two to calm down. It was also the great idea introduced in this book that the BSC would adopt the Kid-Kit. I must confess that I did this too when I was babysitting. Total fangirl, I know!
Two things that I haven't spoken about in my other re-reads are the kids I remember so well and all the literary references. First, the three books have so far introduced us to - David Michael Thomas( Kristy's little bro), Karen and Andrew( Kristy'S fututre stepsister and stepbrother) Jamie Newton and his sister, Lucy( whose birth is celebrated in this book), Charlotte Johnason, Clara and Margo Pike( with sister Mallory who will eventually join the BSC. We haven't met all the rest of the Pike clan yet), and Nina and Eleanor Marshall. Is it strange that I remember all the kids, too? Second, the girls are all huge readers, and so many children's books tag along during their babysitting time. Cricket in Times Square, Where the Wild Things Are, etc.
See what this Goodreads Blog has done. It has made me so very nostalgic that I confess to taking out more.
January 6, 2010
the truth about stacey is that she has childhood-onset diabetes. big fucking deal. i mean, i'm sure it sucks for her, having to watch her diet & everything. my dad had diabetes & it was no picnic for him (though he did not have to give himself insulin shots). but the way they build up to it, you'd think she was typhoid mary or something. the way these books were written, i got the idea that diabetes was an STI when i was a kid (cut me some slack, i was seven years old, it was 1986, & we were surrounded by safer sex lectures & STI information everywhere we went, but it was really vague information that only served to make us all completely confused & freaked out). i found it really disturbing that a 12-year-old had an STI & i felt really bad for stacey. eventually i realized that diabetes is not an STI & i felt a lot better because i'd been really worried that stacey had been molested or something. but then i realized that the way diabetes is written in these books is really weird.
this is the first confession that stacey has to give herself daily insulin shots. she refers to them as "gross" & says that she will never allow any of her friends to see her giving herself a shot. i hope she gets over that at some point in her life (not that she is a real person), because it's really not gross & no big deal at all. though i understand what she means when she says that she hates it because it makes her feel for just a minute like a very sick person. & that is hard to deal with.
this whole book is all about stacey's parents wanting to take her to another fancy doctor who claims to have a "cure" for juvenile diabetes. but stacey is happy with her treatments & is in good health & is angry with her parents for uprooting her all the time for doctor appintments & making her feel sicker than she is. she finally stands up for herself & her parents back off.
the B-plot involves some older girls forming a babysitting agency to compete with the babysitters club. they can stay out later & have a wider variety of sitters. they snake a lot of BSC's business before the girls figure out that the agency's sitters are kind of shitty & the charges don't like them. they convince the charges to tell their parents about the bad things the agency sitters do, & the parents go back to using the BSC. there's this ludicrous scene where the club confronts the two girls who run the agency & basically play twenty questions to determine who is a better sitter: "what's nina marshall allergic to?" "what does it mean when eleanor rubs her ears?" etc etc. the agency girls answer all the questions wrong & the BSc is all, "yeah! take that!" & it seems like the most embarrassing victory in the world to me. "yeah, we're better sitters because we spend all our time with small neighborhood children & know their obnoxious little quirks! BOOYAH, MOTHAFUCKA!" not so much, BSC. but i'm sure i thought it was awesome when i was seven.
this is the first confession that stacey has to give herself daily insulin shots. she refers to them as "gross" & says that she will never allow any of her friends to see her giving herself a shot. i hope she gets over that at some point in her life (not that she is a real person), because it's really not gross & no big deal at all. though i understand what she means when she says that she hates it because it makes her feel for just a minute like a very sick person. & that is hard to deal with.
this whole book is all about stacey's parents wanting to take her to another fancy doctor who claims to have a "cure" for juvenile diabetes. but stacey is happy with her treatments & is in good health & is angry with her parents for uprooting her all the time for doctor appintments & making her feel sicker than she is. she finally stands up for herself & her parents back off.
the B-plot involves some older girls forming a babysitting agency to compete with the babysitters club. they can stay out later & have a wider variety of sitters. they snake a lot of BSC's business before the girls figure out that the agency's sitters are kind of shitty & the charges don't like them. they convince the charges to tell their parents about the bad things the agency sitters do, & the parents go back to using the BSC. there's this ludicrous scene where the club confronts the two girls who run the agency & basically play twenty questions to determine who is a better sitter: "what's nina marshall allergic to?" "what does it mean when eleanor rubs her ears?" etc etc. the agency girls answer all the questions wrong & the BSc is all, "yeah! take that!" & it seems like the most embarrassing victory in the world to me. "yeah, we're better sitters because we spend all our time with small neighborhood children & know their obnoxious little quirks! BOOYAH, MOTHAFUCKA!" not so much, BSC. but i'm sure i thought it was awesome when i was seven.
December 28, 2025
Este libro se centra en Stacey, una niña recién mudada a Stoneybrook que, junto a Kristy, Mary Anne y Claudia, forma el Club de las Niñeras. Anteriormente, Stacey había revelado a las chicas del club que tiene un secreto: sufre de diabetes. Este libro profundiza en cómo esta enfermedad afecta su vida y sus amistades.
La trama se desarrolla en dos conflictos principales. El primero nos muestra cómo Stacey tiene que lidiar con las complicaciones de la diabetes y cómo esta no solo la afecta a ella, sino también a sus padres.
El segundo conflicto se centra en el Club de las Niñeras, que debe enfrentarse a la competencia de un nuevo club que ha aparecido en el vecindario. La rivalidad con esta otra agencia es una subtrama que le da impulso a la historia, mientras que los problemas de salud de Stacey siguen siendo el tema central y más personal del libro.
Siento que hasta ahora este ha sido el libro que mejor maneja sus temas principales, ya que aborda un problema de salud de una forma muy realista y nos muestra los sentimientos de Stacey, incluyendo su miedo a que la gente la juzgue o la vea de manera diferente. También vemos su conflicto interno por querer dejar de ser solo “la chica de Nueva York” y simplemente ser aceptada y encajar.
La subtrama que mencioné no se desarrolla completamente, pero no lo considero un problema, ya que el conflicto central de Stacey tiene mucho peso en este libro.
En general, me gustó, siento que da una perspectiva muy realista de una realidad que muchas personas viven.
Terminado el 31 de julio de 2025.
La trama se desarrolla en dos conflictos principales. El primero nos muestra cómo Stacey tiene que lidiar con las complicaciones de la diabetes y cómo esta no solo la afecta a ella, sino también a sus padres.
El segundo conflicto se centra en el Club de las Niñeras, que debe enfrentarse a la competencia de un nuevo club que ha aparecido en el vecindario. La rivalidad con esta otra agencia es una subtrama que le da impulso a la historia, mientras que los problemas de salud de Stacey siguen siendo el tema central y más personal del libro.
Siento que hasta ahora este ha sido el libro que mejor maneja sus temas principales, ya que aborda un problema de salud de una forma muy realista y nos muestra los sentimientos de Stacey, incluyendo su miedo a que la gente la juzgue o la vea de manera diferente. También vemos su conflicto interno por querer dejar de ser solo “la chica de Nueva York” y simplemente ser aceptada y encajar.
La subtrama que mencioné no se desarrolla completamente, pero no lo considero un problema, ya que el conflicto central de Stacey tiene mucho peso en este libro.
En general, me gustó, siento que da una perspectiva muy realista de una realidad que muchas personas viven.
Terminado el 31 de julio de 2025.
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July 24, 2025
Stacey's NYC-chic meets small-town-squabbles, proving that even a fashionable New Yorker can't escape the perils of a truly terrible club treasurer. It's a sweet reminder that we should not be embarrassed of ourselves if we are sick:)
May 20, 2022
I was so mad on behalf of the BSC about the Babysitter's Agency. How dare those bitches steal their business!! They're not even good babysitters! This book does a nice job balancing that plot and the one with Stacey's parents going overboard with the diabetes care and taking her to a kooky fad doctor! Wtf Mr and Mrs McGill. Stacey indeed proves herself to be very mature, sophisticated, even as she is repeatedly called (lol she even calls herself that).
April 21, 2021
Stacey's Worst Friend, or, You Better Dia-BEAT Her Ass
Stacey and I have two things in common. 1) We both have had diseases we are embarrassed by. Hers is diabetes. Like boo-hoo, woman. Call me when Kevin Whats-His-Butt gives you scabies in grad school but you keep dating him anyway because he's ugly-hot and smells good, but then he leaves you to drop out of school and move back home but when he comes back a semester later he's dating someone else so fuck him and his ugly sexy face.
Anyway, 2) the other thing Stacey and I have in common is a relationship with a Laine that fell apart when we were about 12.
I was going to write about how Stacey's diabetes saga is an apt if unintentional parallel to the concurrent HIV/AIDS crisis and the shame of infection being a barrier to research and recovery, but I'm sure that's been done to death by Baby-sitters Club scholars already. Instead I'm going to talk about Laine and how my Laine is good and Stacey's Laine sucks.
Laine was my grade school "girlfriend", such as it were, complete with cute little fake dates (we saw Free Willy starring soon-to-be boyishly dishy Jason James Richter [I loved you in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Jason, please be my husband!] while our moms sat a few rows back), a playground wedding ceremony attended by the entire 5th grade class, and complete emotional immaturity. In retrospect, I believe my latent gayness helped keep our adorable little tryst together, the glue being a shared appreciation of not playing sports, being in band, and the oeuvre of Christina Ricci. (I got sick of Now and Then, her favorite, but I think we were both pretty obsessed with Devon Sawa in Casper.)
The weight of "Relationship" never really hit me in those pre-pubescent years. It really can't. Basically Laine was just a really good friend, and I mean that. She was awesome. Better than frickin' Stacey's was, at least!
My Laine was fiercely loyal. If I got a strange disease she didn't understand, she would have stood by me instead of letting her personal discomfort get in the way.
My Laine was intelligent. She wouldn't believe some idiot boy who told her diabetes was contagious.
My Laine was naturally maternal. She would not only make sure I was doing what I needed to get and stay healthy, but she would make sure other people understood my problem too so I would be surrounded by care and compassion.
She also wouldn't constantly offer me candy bars that could kill me because she got overexcited and forgot, CLAUDIA!
Laine and I broke up because of dumb junior high reasons that make everyone break up eventually. Stacey and Laine broke up because Laine saw her friend in pain and decided she'd rather be a total If You Seek Amy-ing See You Next Tuesday than persist in reaching out to Stacey like a friend should. Stacey and Laine making up was the worst part of this book. Stacey has new friends in a new town now and doesn't need that disloyal Judas in her life. I am mad at Stacey, but I also understand, and I still respect her for taking charge of her medical care in spite of her parents trying to force her to do crystal healing or whatever that New York quack was selling.
I am also proud of all the girls in the BSC for overcoming the rival babysitting club. This was the book's secondary plot even though it took up 80% of the narrative space. They won by tattletaling, and I love tattletaling, so I love that it worked for them.
But I digress. Laine and I didn't talk much after we broke up, but during the senior class all-night lock-in party before graduation, we holed up in the little hallway leading to the PAC and talked for over an hour. I don't remember what we talked about, but I know part of it was about boys. I remember that conversation fondly. Even at the time, it felt like one of the most important parts of the sunsetting of my school day friendships. A neat little circle back to the beginning for two people who had grown up and were moving on to a new life.
Yes, Stacey, "MOVING ON"! Try it sometime.
To my Laine if you're out there (you are) and you're reading this (you're not), I hope you're living your best life with your lovely family and all the babies you were basically born to have and raise. I'm doing fine too, thanks!
Review: This was the best Baby-sitters Club book so far.
**********
Homework:
Do you hate Stacey's Laine? Why or why the hell not?
<< #2: Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls
#4: Mary Anne Saves the Day >>
Stacey and I have two things in common. 1) We both have had diseases we are embarrassed by. Hers is diabetes. Like boo-hoo, woman. Call me when Kevin Whats-His-Butt gives you scabies in grad school but you keep dating him anyway because he's ugly-hot and smells good, but then he leaves you to drop out of school and move back home but when he comes back a semester later he's dating someone else so fuck him and his ugly sexy face.
Anyway, 2) the other thing Stacey and I have in common is a relationship with a Laine that fell apart when we were about 12.
I was going to write about how Stacey's diabetes saga is an apt if unintentional parallel to the concurrent HIV/AIDS crisis and the shame of infection being a barrier to research and recovery, but I'm sure that's been done to death by Baby-sitters Club scholars already. Instead I'm going to talk about Laine and how my Laine is good and Stacey's Laine sucks.
Laine was my grade school "girlfriend", such as it were, complete with cute little fake dates (we saw Free Willy starring soon-to-be boyishly dishy Jason James Richter [I loved you in Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Jason, please be my husband!] while our moms sat a few rows back), a playground wedding ceremony attended by the entire 5th grade class, and complete emotional immaturity. In retrospect, I believe my latent gayness helped keep our adorable little tryst together, the glue being a shared appreciation of not playing sports, being in band, and the oeuvre of Christina Ricci. (I got sick of Now and Then, her favorite, but I think we were both pretty obsessed with Devon Sawa in Casper.)
The weight of "Relationship" never really hit me in those pre-pubescent years. It really can't. Basically Laine was just a really good friend, and I mean that. She was awesome. Better than frickin' Stacey's was, at least!
My Laine was fiercely loyal. If I got a strange disease she didn't understand, she would have stood by me instead of letting her personal discomfort get in the way.
My Laine was intelligent. She wouldn't believe some idiot boy who told her diabetes was contagious.
My Laine was naturally maternal. She would not only make sure I was doing what I needed to get and stay healthy, but she would make sure other people understood my problem too so I would be surrounded by care and compassion.
She also wouldn't constantly offer me candy bars that could kill me because she got overexcited and forgot, CLAUDIA!
Laine and I broke up because of dumb junior high reasons that make everyone break up eventually. Stacey and Laine broke up because Laine saw her friend in pain and decided she'd rather be a total If You Seek Amy-ing See You Next Tuesday than persist in reaching out to Stacey like a friend should. Stacey and Laine making up was the worst part of this book. Stacey has new friends in a new town now and doesn't need that disloyal Judas in her life. I am mad at Stacey, but I also understand, and I still respect her for taking charge of her medical care in spite of her parents trying to force her to do crystal healing or whatever that New York quack was selling.
I am also proud of all the girls in the BSC for overcoming the rival babysitting club. This was the book's secondary plot even though it took up 80% of the narrative space. They won by tattletaling, and I love tattletaling, so I love that it worked for them.
But I digress. Laine and I didn't talk much after we broke up, but during the senior class all-night lock-in party before graduation, we holed up in the little hallway leading to the PAC and talked for over an hour. I don't remember what we talked about, but I know part of it was about boys. I remember that conversation fondly. Even at the time, it felt like one of the most important parts of the sunsetting of my school day friendships. A neat little circle back to the beginning for two people who had grown up and were moving on to a new life.
Yes, Stacey, "MOVING ON"! Try it sometime.
To my Laine if you're out there (you are) and you're reading this (you're not), I hope you're living your best life with your lovely family and all the babies you were basically born to have and raise. I'm doing fine too, thanks!
Review: This was the best Baby-sitters Club book so far.
**********
Homework:
Do you hate Stacey's Laine? Why or why the hell not?
<< #2: Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls
#4: Mary Anne Saves the Day >>
November 26, 2021
I've remembered the way Stacey described candy in this book my whole life. It's just stuck with me and re-reading it every time, it's like I can taste what she's craving, and truly, it puts you in her shoes.
Also, the Baby-Sitters Agency is the worst!
Also, the Baby-Sitters Agency is the worst!
October 1, 2019
I blame Paperback Crush for this foray into my childhood. The rereads of my beloved Babysitters Club did not disappoint. What a joy it was to be reunited with my favorites from this beloved series that marked my childhood.
July 20, 2022
Once again excellent narration by Elle Fanning, I wish they would just give her the gig of doing all the books 😂 I noticed that while the book hasn’t been given the updated make-over of the new Netflix show, a reference to a certain TV show popular in the 80’s has been removed.
July 11, 2020
3.5 stars
December 16, 2019
When I was a child, I loved the Babysitters Club books. I devoured them. I read those, along with the Super Specials, Mysteries, Little Sister books, etc. In fact, I still have all of them to this day in paperback. They were such a big part of my love of reading, I could not part with them. So now that they have come out on Audiobook, I had to check them out. As it turns out, I am not too old to enjoy The Baby-sitters Club. It kind of feels like going home again.
The Truth About Stacey is book 3 in the Baby-sitters Club series. In this book, there are two main storylines. The first addresses Stacey and her struggles with her parents inability to accept her diabetes. They keep taking her to doctor after doctor in an attempt to find a miracle cure. The other is that there is a rival babysitting group trying to take the BSC's business. The Babysitters Agency has older kids that are allowed to babysit longer hours and late at night. The BSC start to worry as they are getting fewer calls. They really have to put their heads together to figure out how to stop from going out of business.
This book is a quick listen and is only 3 hours and 7 minutes. The narrator does a good job.
I still love the nostalgia and am ready to listen to book 4!
The Truth About Stacey is book 3 in the Baby-sitters Club series. In this book, there are two main storylines. The first addresses Stacey and her struggles with her parents inability to accept her diabetes. They keep taking her to doctor after doctor in an attempt to find a miracle cure. The other is that there is a rival babysitting group trying to take the BSC's business. The Babysitters Agency has older kids that are allowed to babysit longer hours and late at night. The BSC start to worry as they are getting fewer calls. They really have to put their heads together to figure out how to stop from going out of business.
This book is a quick listen and is only 3 hours and 7 minutes. The narrator does a good job.
I still love the nostalgia and am ready to listen to book 4!
July 9, 2023
Jess' 2023 BSC Re-Read
Plot: Ah, the classic "Stacey's taboo illness" plot that is constantly mocked by fans and casuals alike. Is it terminal? No, it's diabetes. However, the actual plot is a little more complex than people give it credit for. Stacey is actually fine with her illness--she feels she is managing it, she knows how to read her body's signals, and she continually educates herself, which is a lot more than many adult diabetics can say. The problem comes with both her parents' hovering and Stacey's own lack of bodily autonomy and control over her healthcare decisions. She didn't switch schools and move because of a "shameful" illness--it was because she was sick, confused, and stressed, and neither she nor her parents knew how to make it better. Her parents cart her around to doctors and specialists because in the end, they feel clueless and helpless about the health of their only child.
This book also includes one of the more popular b-plots of the series--the rise of the Babysitters Agency, a rival club of older girls who want to take the BSC's business. They are portrayed hilariously as gum-chewing, cigarette-smoking, mall-crawling bad girls who don't give a shit about them kids and only want that cold, hard cash. It all wraps up neatly in the end, of course, but I do like the idea of the rebels of the series being fifteen-year-olds who maybe have boyfriends.
Also, Kid-Kits make their first appearance! A BSC staple.
Mains
Kristy: Kristy's job here was mainly to be incensed about the Babysitters Agency. She consistently mishandles it, including a cringe-inducing sandwich board idea and the cold hiring of two girls who end of screwing over the BSC. Not her finest hour.
Mary Anne: Not much to do here. She's constantly embarrassed by Kristy's antics and I don't blame her.
Claudia: For being Stacey's new best friend, she's not featured much here.
Stacey: Stacey is definitely the star here, and this is a great example of an intro book. She has awesome scenes of character development involving her illness, showing how mature and even-keeled she is, even when the adults in her life are not. We also see her bond with her favorite charge, Charlotte (though I always thought Mary Anne would've been the obvious choice for a mentor for Charlotte). And we get some nice scenes of her life in New York in the winter. A great Stacey book.
Side Characters: There's a lot of fleshing out of shy little Charlotte Johanssen and her busy working parents. Her mom, Dr. Johanssen, ends of being an advocate and ally for Stacey's health. A couple of the "bad girls," Liz Lewis and Michelle Patterson, appear, and I'm sure we'll never see them again. We also meet Laine Cummings, Stacey's ex-best friend from New York, who gets a little bit of redemption after being a total weirdo about Stacey's diabetes.
I know we finally meet Dawn in the next book!
Overall: I really like this one, and it makes me appreciate Stacey a lot more than when I was younger. The A and B plots are great and the little details, like the local candy shop, are nice.
Plot: Ah, the classic "Stacey's taboo illness" plot that is constantly mocked by fans and casuals alike. Is it terminal? No, it's diabetes. However, the actual plot is a little more complex than people give it credit for. Stacey is actually fine with her illness--she feels she is managing it, she knows how to read her body's signals, and she continually educates herself, which is a lot more than many adult diabetics can say. The problem comes with both her parents' hovering and Stacey's own lack of bodily autonomy and control over her healthcare decisions. She didn't switch schools and move because of a "shameful" illness--it was because she was sick, confused, and stressed, and neither she nor her parents knew how to make it better. Her parents cart her around to doctors and specialists because in the end, they feel clueless and helpless about the health of their only child.
This book also includes one of the more popular b-plots of the series--the rise of the Babysitters Agency, a rival club of older girls who want to take the BSC's business. They are portrayed hilariously as gum-chewing, cigarette-smoking, mall-crawling bad girls who don't give a shit about them kids and only want that cold, hard cash. It all wraps up neatly in the end, of course, but I do like the idea of the rebels of the series being fifteen-year-olds who maybe have boyfriends.
Also, Kid-Kits make their first appearance! A BSC staple.
Mains
Kristy: Kristy's job here was mainly to be incensed about the Babysitters Agency. She consistently mishandles it, including a cringe-inducing sandwich board idea and the cold hiring of two girls who end of screwing over the BSC. Not her finest hour.
Mary Anne: Not much to do here. She's constantly embarrassed by Kristy's antics and I don't blame her.
Claudia: For being Stacey's new best friend, she's not featured much here.
Stacey: Stacey is definitely the star here, and this is a great example of an intro book. She has awesome scenes of character development involving her illness, showing how mature and even-keeled she is, even when the adults in her life are not. We also see her bond with her favorite charge, Charlotte (though I always thought Mary Anne would've been the obvious choice for a mentor for Charlotte). And we get some nice scenes of her life in New York in the winter. A great Stacey book.
Side Characters: There's a lot of fleshing out of shy little Charlotte Johanssen and her busy working parents. Her mom, Dr. Johanssen, ends of being an advocate and ally for Stacey's health. A couple of the "bad girls," Liz Lewis and Michelle Patterson, appear, and I'm sure we'll never see them again. We also meet Laine Cummings, Stacey's ex-best friend from New York, who gets a little bit of redemption after being a total weirdo about Stacey's diabetes.
I know we finally meet Dawn in the next book!
Overall: I really like this one, and it makes me appreciate Stacey a lot more than when I was younger. The A and B plots are great and the little details, like the local candy shop, are nice.
November 11, 2020
I liked this the best of the series so far. The storyline focused on Stacey and the storyline focused on the club were both interesting and worked well together. It was very satisfying for me when
March 15, 2007
And what, might you ask, is the truth about Stacey? Well, I wouldn't want to give it away...but...
August 22, 2022
3.5 stars.
The Baby-Sitters Agency: the most evil villains in fictional history. Read via audio (narrated by Elle Fanning).
The Baby-Sitters Agency: the most evil villains in fictional history. Read via audio (narrated by Elle Fanning).
February 5, 2021
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.
**********
I recall this book not being one of my favorites when I read it as a child. I think it was a lot to take in at that age. Learning about a medical condition was a bit overwhelming, though in retrospect and from the perspective of adulthood, I can't help but thinking if it was hard to just read about, how much harder is it to be a child who needs to live with it? That's a concept that was clearly beyond me at that tender age. But on to the specifics.
What I liked about The Truth About Stacey:
The little messages Ms Martin slips in - She managed to educate adolescents about diabetes, and not just that, but to show that kids with chronic health conditions are still just kids. Also, Stacey mentions having a savings account; I love that Stacey is portrayed as being raised to be responsible (whether the saving was her idea or one required by her parents). Finally, secrets usually end up hurting more than they help.
I can better appreciate Stacey from an adult perspective - Reading these as a kid, Stacey was so far beyond any way I could ever imagine myself. Not just because she was diabetic, but just her whole "cool kid" persona. I was way too uncertain and uncomfortable in my own skin at 9 years old (when I first read it, and even as I reread it over and over the next several years) to come even remotely close to identifying what it felt like to be "a Stacey." Now I can see that she just wanted so badly to fit in and have close friends and navigate being a kid. And to have to fight her parents for autonomy on her own body on top of all the growing up struggles? I never could have appreciated back then that it isn't just a walk in the park because you're cute and popular.
Competition - Gah! Even now, I can feel the low-level panic of ::cue ominous music:: The Baby-Sitters Agency. I find it amusing that after all this time I still wanted nothing more than those idea-stealing older girls to take a hike and leave our fearless foursome alone to babysit.
The birth of the Kid Kits - I mean, this is a BSC staple. I always loved hearing the various girls talk about what contents their kits held as they rotated through book narration.
The resolution - I really liked the way the girls ultimately handled the situation with the Baby-Sitters Agency, by stepping back and asking their parents for advice before acting.
What I didn't care for:
The things I cannot reconcile, not matter how far I suspend disbelief - For instance, how on earth does Claudia sleep with candy stashed in her pillowcase?! And how is Stacey smarter than her parents? Shouldn't they have thought on their own to contact Stacey's primary physician before enrolling her in any sort of program on their own?
And so I sit here, in a moment of brief reflection. How I thought I felt about the book -- that my child self was overwhelmed and intimidated by the subject of type 1 diabetes -- was misdirected. What I was really uncomfortable with was all the conflict! To this day (as an Enneagram Type 9, which I now know), I avoid conflict (and it becomes more and more clear why I always gravitated most toward Mary Anne!). Conflict and discord is stressful for me, and I can see that even glancing back over my shoulder at the years unrolled behind me. This book contained a lot of conflict and confrontation. ::cue Edvard Much's The Scream:: I hereby amend my original rating of two stars to three. Still not my favorite book in the series by a longshot but I have a greater appreciation for it now.
**********
I recall this book not being one of my favorites when I read it as a child. I think it was a lot to take in at that age. Learning about a medical condition was a bit overwhelming, though in retrospect and from the perspective of adulthood, I can't help but thinking if it was hard to just read about, how much harder is it to be a child who needs to live with it? That's a concept that was clearly beyond me at that tender age. But on to the specifics.
What I liked about The Truth About Stacey:
The little messages Ms Martin slips in - She managed to educate adolescents about diabetes, and not just that, but to show that kids with chronic health conditions are still just kids. Also, Stacey mentions having a savings account; I love that Stacey is portrayed as being raised to be responsible (whether the saving was her idea or one required by her parents). Finally, secrets usually end up hurting more than they help.
I can better appreciate Stacey from an adult perspective - Reading these as a kid, Stacey was so far beyond any way I could ever imagine myself. Not just because she was diabetic, but just her whole "cool kid" persona. I was way too uncertain and uncomfortable in my own skin at 9 years old (when I first read it, and even as I reread it over and over the next several years) to come even remotely close to identifying what it felt like to be "a Stacey." Now I can see that she just wanted so badly to fit in and have close friends and navigate being a kid. And to have to fight her parents for autonomy on her own body on top of all the growing up struggles? I never could have appreciated back then that it isn't just a walk in the park because you're cute and popular.
Competition - Gah! Even now, I can feel the low-level panic of ::cue ominous music:: The Baby-Sitters Agency. I find it amusing that after all this time I still wanted nothing more than those idea-stealing older girls to take a hike and leave our fearless foursome alone to babysit.
The birth of the Kid Kits - I mean, this is a BSC staple. I always loved hearing the various girls talk about what contents their kits held as they rotated through book narration.
The resolution - I really liked the way the girls ultimately handled the situation with the Baby-Sitters Agency, by stepping back and asking their parents for advice before acting.
What I didn't care for:
The things I cannot reconcile, not matter how far I suspend disbelief - For instance, how on earth does Claudia sleep with candy stashed in her pillowcase?! And how is Stacey smarter than her parents? Shouldn't they have thought on their own to contact Stacey's primary physician before enrolling her in any sort of program on their own?
And so I sit here, in a moment of brief reflection. How I thought I felt about the book -- that my child self was overwhelmed and intimidated by the subject of type 1 diabetes -- was misdirected. What I was really uncomfortable with was all the conflict! To this day (as an Enneagram Type 9, which I now know), I avoid conflict (and it becomes more and more clear why I always gravitated most toward Mary Anne!). Conflict and discord is stressful for me, and I can see that even glancing back over my shoulder at the years unrolled behind me. This book contained a lot of conflict and confrontation. ::cue Edvard Much's The Scream:: I hereby amend my original rating of two stars to three. Still not my favorite book in the series by a longshot but I have a greater appreciation for it now.
August 18, 2008
My 7 year old daughter recommended this book to me--"mom, it's really good, you've gotta read it"--so I did. One of the joys of sharing books w/ your children--you get to talk about characters/situations together and they can become part of your family's "culture". (Although I'm not sure "Babysitter's Club" books will become part of our family culture--I was thinking more about Chronicles of Narnia, or Winnie the Pooh or James and the Giant Peach)
January 23, 2008
BSC was instrumental in bringing to the forefront those hard-hitting issues weighing on every upper-middle class goody-two-shoe New England girl. Here, we learn about the horrible secret Stacey (the pretty/popular girl) has been hiding. I won't spill the beans, but she can't eat sugar!! I know, I almost fainted, too. But with the BSC, you know we'll all make it through!
July 31, 2016
Great book in a series of great books. Much more female empowered than the last one which I had to rant about so that's awesome.
September 6, 2019
This is one of the more realistic plot lines. Thoroughly enjoyable as an escape.
January 7, 2016
titular plot (which is more of a side plot): stacey's parents want her to go to a holistic doctor/bullshitter to try to cure her diabetes. stacey thinks holistic means a faith healer ("holistic...holy?" -- LOL) and is mad. she convinces her parents to let her stick with real doctors. main plot: a new baby-sitters club (called the baby-sitter's agency) takes away the bsc's clients by offering older sitters who can stay out later hours. the bsc ends up winning the club/agency war because its members have work ethics, unlike the agency's members who spend their babysitting time dropping cigarettes on clients' couches and making out with their boyfriends while MTV is playing in the background.
highlights:
-the following quotes about liz and michelle, the members of the baby-sitters agency: "they have smart mouths, they sass the teachers, they hate school, they hang around at the mall. you know, that kind of kid." (conservative claudia on what liz and michelle are like) + "you call them and pay them five dollars, and they show you how to put on make-up, figure out the best way to fix your hair, that kind of thing. it's perfect for them, since that's all they care about." - (square stacey on liz and michelle's new business). claud and stacey are so uncool in these quotes, I love it. it almost reads like things kristy would say about them.
-ann m martin thinks 1980s 13 year olds joke like it's the 1950s: after kristy calls leslie and janet rotten babysitters and says, "what do you call a baby-sitter who doesn't show up for a job, and doesn't call the parents to explain why?" janet says, "I'd call her anything except late for dinner!"
-introduction of laine and all that drama
-for two weeks, stacey apparently wore red lace gloves with no fingertips. kristy trash talked a girl who did this in Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls in front of stacey and stacey said nothing.
-introduction of the kid kits! it's funny that their formation is in response to the agency, but they become such an integral part of the bsc identity (and are described in every "describe the bsc and its members" chapter in later books).
zero outfits:
no claudia, no stacey, no anyone else. there are a handful of accessories and such that are described here and there, but no outfits! it's almost not worth reading this book for this reason alone.
three snacks in claudia's room:
-life savers in a shoe box under her bed
-gumdrops under the cushion of her armchair
-smushed saltines (for Stacey) under the cushion of her armchair
kid kit items (all stacey's):
-chutes and ladders
-spill and spell
-The Cricket in Times Square
-crayons, chalk, drawing paper
-jigsaw puzzle
-Color-forms
-jacks
highlights:
-the following quotes about liz and michelle, the members of the baby-sitters agency: "they have smart mouths, they sass the teachers, they hate school, they hang around at the mall. you know, that kind of kid." (conservative claudia on what liz and michelle are like) + "you call them and pay them five dollars, and they show you how to put on make-up, figure out the best way to fix your hair, that kind of thing. it's perfect for them, since that's all they care about." - (square stacey on liz and michelle's new business). claud and stacey are so uncool in these quotes, I love it. it almost reads like things kristy would say about them.
-ann m martin thinks 1980s 13 year olds joke like it's the 1950s: after kristy calls leslie and janet rotten babysitters and says, "what do you call a baby-sitter who doesn't show up for a job, and doesn't call the parents to explain why?" janet says, "I'd call her anything except late for dinner!"
-introduction of laine and all that drama
-for two weeks, stacey apparently wore red lace gloves with no fingertips. kristy trash talked a girl who did this in Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls in front of stacey and stacey said nothing.
-introduction of the kid kits! it's funny that their formation is in response to the agency, but they become such an integral part of the bsc identity (and are described in every "describe the bsc and its members" chapter in later books).
zero outfits:
no claudia, no stacey, no anyone else. there are a handful of accessories and such that are described here and there, but no outfits! it's almost not worth reading this book for this reason alone.
three snacks in claudia's room:
-life savers in a shoe box under her bed
-gumdrops under the cushion of her armchair
-smushed saltines (for Stacey) under the cushion of her armchair
kid kit items (all stacey's):
-chutes and ladders
-spill and spell
-The Cricket in Times Square
-crayons, chalk, drawing paper
-jigsaw puzzle
-Color-forms
-jacks
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!
January 17, 2018
The feud with the Baby-sitters Agency is a pretty iconic moment in BSC history - though I think it's hilarious that in Ann M Martin's picturesque world, the "bad kids" are the ones who *gasp* chew gum and *pearl clutch* sass teachers. (I mean, there was also a smoker, so they're not all gum-chewing teacher sassers. But I digress.)
And, thanks to the BSC, I know everything about diabetes ever so I can relate to my diabetic boyfriend on a whole nother level. (Him: "Medicine has changed a lot in 30 years." Me: "Excuse you, it's 32 years this summer, thankyouverymuch.")
And, thanks to the BSC, I know everything about diabetes ever so I can relate to my diabetic boyfriend on a whole nother level. (Him: "Medicine has changed a lot in 30 years." Me: "Excuse you, it's 32 years this summer, thankyouverymuch.")
August 25, 2018
Uh Oh! Looks like there is new competition in Stoney Brook! What happens when a new babysitter club forms? AND all these babysitters are older. The girls start losing jobs and don’t know what to do. Can they regain control and beat out this new competition? On a side note: I loved how much information is shared about diabetes in the book.
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