What do you think?
Rate this book
Baby-Sitters Little Sister #24
Karen's School Trip
After weeks of studying wild animals in class, Karen can hardly wait to see the real live creatures, but Ms. Colman may have to cancel the field trip to the zoo when everyone in the class starts coming down with the flu
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
12 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,112 books3,056 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...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 10, 2025
When you were too old for childrens books, but too young for The Baby Sitters Club.
Ann M. Martin really is a genius to piggy back on the success of The Baby Sitters Club.
After reading the little sisters series I remember feeling like a real adult opening up that first BSC book.
Ann M. Martin really is a genius to piggy back on the success of The Baby Sitters Club.
After reading the little sisters series I remember feeling like a real adult opening up that first BSC book.
June 11, 2025
The book Babysitters Little Sister #24 “Karen’s School Trip” by Ann Martin and illustrated by Susan Tang was first released by Scholastic Inc in 1992. This children’s novel features a seven year old second grade student Karen Brewer, her classmates, and her teacher Ms Colman. Karen attends Stoneybrook Academy in the suburban town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. Karen’s teacher Ms. Colman arranged for the 2nd grade class to travel on a school bus to the township zoo to study the world of wild animals. Ms. Colman prepared a “fill-in-the-blank” fact sheet of questions about the animals she gave to student study teams. Karen’s team animal was a capybaras rodent that weighs between 60 and 175 pounds. The capybaras rodent is related to guinea pigs and rock cavies.
Before going to the zoo to study the animals, Karen and many of her classmates caught the flue. Karen along with her friends were afraid the field trip would be canceled. However a large number of students and Ms Coleman who also had the flu recovered their health and the zoo visit happened. Karen and her classmates had a wonderful day at the zoo; they successfully completed their fact finding “fill-in-the blanks” questionnaires, and they enjoyed buying zoo souvenirs, snacks, and collectibles. They also were able to build clay replicas of their animals; and the replicas were prominently displayed in glass cases at the zoo entrances. The book is about the great happiness Karen and her classmates experienced making the clay wild animal replicas, their deep interest in gathering information about their animals through print sources and live animal observations, the help they received from zoo personnel, and the wonderful experiences they had being with classmates, chaperones, and their teacher Ms. Colman. For me this was a wonderful reading experience. (P)
Before going to the zoo to study the animals, Karen and many of her classmates caught the flue. Karen along with her friends were afraid the field trip would be canceled. However a large number of students and Ms Coleman who also had the flu recovered their health and the zoo visit happened. Karen and her classmates had a wonderful day at the zoo; they successfully completed their fact finding “fill-in-the blanks” questionnaires, and they enjoyed buying zoo souvenirs, snacks, and collectibles. They also were able to build clay replicas of their animals; and the replicas were prominently displayed in glass cases at the zoo entrances. The book is about the great happiness Karen and her classmates experienced making the clay wild animal replicas, their deep interest in gathering information about their animals through print sources and live animal observations, the help they received from zoo personnel, and the wonderful experiences they had being with classmates, chaperones, and their teacher Ms. Colman. For me this was a wonderful reading experience. (P)
October 25, 2023
I remember enjoying this book as a child, and it stood the test of time.
Random Thoughts:
• Stoneybrook Academy has a rule that students cannot take gym class the day they come back from being absent. I had never heard of a rule like that. I wonder if the rule only applies to students who missed school due to illness, as opposed to missing school to attend a funeral or go on vacation.
• Karen's dad needs to be in her classroom permanently since his presence on the field trip stopped her from yelling out of turn.
• I wonder why Natalie isn't on the cover. She was Hannie's partner at the zoo.
• I love how Ms. Colman gave each of her students a patch from the zoo to sew onto their jeans, jacket, or book bag. In 1992 (book released in January), the second graders were so excited to wear their zoo patch.
Random Thoughts:
• Stoneybrook Academy has a rule that students cannot take gym class the day they come back from being absent. I had never heard of a rule like that. I wonder if the rule only applies to students who missed school due to illness, as opposed to missing school to attend a funeral or go on vacation.
• Karen's dad needs to be in her classroom permanently since his presence on the field trip stopped her from yelling out of turn.
• I wonder why Natalie isn't on the cover. She was Hannie's partner at the zoo.
• I love how Ms. Colman gave each of her students a patch from the zoo to sew onto their jeans, jacket, or book bag. In 1992 (book released in January), the second graders were so excited to wear their zoo patch.
July 8, 2020
This is the first Karen book I have ever read, by time they were published I had stoped reading the BSC (how could I ever have stopped) so I never got the chance to pick these up.
It was so so cute though, Karen’s school were studying animals and with the hope of a trip to the zoo ahead that was all Karen wanted so badly. I really loved getting to know what Karen’s other family life was like, plus what her school was like. I felt so sad when all her friends were getting sick and that she got sick too.
It was a really fun book, it wasn’t what I was expecting for how Karen was but I really enjoyed it, it was a fun book to read. I’m so happy that I’ve read one from her series and hope to keep reading more.
It was so so cute though, Karen’s school were studying animals and with the hope of a trip to the zoo ahead that was all Karen wanted so badly. I really loved getting to know what Karen’s other family life was like, plus what her school was like. I felt so sad when all her friends were getting sick and that she got sick too.
It was a really fun book, it wasn’t what I was expecting for how Karen was but I really enjoyed it, it was a fun book to read. I’m so happy that I’ve read one from her series and hope to keep reading more.
October 20, 2023
Karen’s class is studying wild animals and made them from plasticine. They have an upcoming school trip to the zoo, but everyone is getting sick and missing school, including Karen. She was having really trippy dreams and getting sick. By the time the trip day came, everyone in class was feeling better except for one person. They saw animals and their models they made were on display there!
October 17, 2023
This trip to the zoo sounds like so much fun!
And I liked that the conflict was super realistic and relatable -- there's a flu going around; will they manage to make the trip or will too many kids be sick?
And I liked that the conflict was super realistic and relatable -- there's a flu going around; will they manage to make the trip or will too many kids be sick?
July 3, 2024
The UK cover of this book is completely unhinged and I love it.
February 26, 2025
Too much barfing, not enough capybaras
April 22, 2012
As far as Karen books go, this one wasn't too bad; in fact, from chapter 18 on, it was pretty funny (I was going to go 3 stars and then I got to chapter 18 and it was so entertaining from there on out that I gave it another star). I think the bit about a zoo coordinator wanting to randomly display their sculptures is a little out there, though. I was impressed with the pictures in the book because it's one of the few books I've read where the pictures accurately reflect the story, though I was disappointed there was no picture of Karen's capybara sculpture; if there had been, I probably would have had to give the book 5 stars!
September 22, 2010
Karen and her classmates are going to the zoo for a field trip- hooray! But a nasty flu is going around. Karen and her classmates catch it- oh no! Will they ever get to the zoo?
Well, no shit they do. I figured the picture on the cover kind of gave it away. But totes to the ghostwriter for trying to hold up some kind of suspense.
Well, no shit they do. I figured the picture on the cover kind of gave it away. But totes to the ghostwriter for trying to hold up some kind of suspense.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2015
Even though I have read every babysitters club book several times I have never read a Karen book before. I was too old by the time they came out. Got from the library with My daughter and she loved it . And I must admit it was pretty cute.
August 15, 2016
A disappointing Karen book. Maybe the fact they skipped the big house for this one has something to do with it. Usually these books have a sub-plot in addition to the oh noes blurb. Ahh well! Good try ghosters.
Read
June 4, 2009JEAR2LS-Mar
March 28, 2020
I enjoy reading this book. Remind me, when I went to the zoo, for school trip. Being sick is no fun.
April 15, 2013
I rather enjoyed the flu description. Morbid, I know.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews