 |
| source |
The Babysitters Club was one my favourite book series when I
was growing up. I haven’t read all the books as there are more than a hundred
books including all the spinoffs and special editions. I am trying to collect
them all. I am mainly interested in the old editions which are easy to find in
most thrift shops. Kristy +Bart=? is the latest one I have purchased.
The Babysitters Club is about seven girls aged 13 and 11 who
babysit in the fictional town of Stoneybrook, New York. The focus is on one of
the girls per book. This book is about Kristy Thomas who is the president of the
Babysitters Club. She is thirteen years old and she is the one that came up with
the idea to form a club.
Kristy is the tomboy of the group. She is outspoken, bossy,
athletic and funny. Kristy lives in a big family of six siblings and her mom,
step dad and grandmother. She has a lot of practice babysitting. Kristy also
manages a softball team made up of neighbourhood kids called Kristy’s Krushers.
They are all the kids who are too young to go to Little League. Her team versus
the Bashers who are lead by another thirteen year old called Bart.
Kristy and Bart are good friends but Bart wants Kristy to be
her boyfriend. Kristy doesn’t feel like she’s ready to have a boyfriend yet. A
secondary storyline is that the babysitters decide to entertain their charges
by asking them to attempt their own version of world records. The children enthusiastically
agree and start doing crazy records. The records include most hats worn in a single
sitting, fastest rendition of I’ve been working on the railroad, potato
throwing, largest dead fly collection and most bananas peeled by feet.
The record attempts were a bit chaotic and as a party pooper
I didn’t approve of the wastage of food. I know that the chaos is meant to be
entertaining and the book is aimed at children though.
The main storyline about Kristy and Bart’s potential romance
was okay. I didn’t know which way it was going to go until the end. There is an
author’s note at the back of the book explaining that the Ann. Martin wanted to
address that she wrote this book to tell young people it is okay not being ready
for a relationship. Kristy was the best choice to explore the issue as she is
the least romantic out of the girls.
Another book review of an Ann M. Martin book
Another book review of an Ann M. Martin book
I didn't read these as a child and somehow skipped over them but I remember them dominating my little sisters life for a while because she loved them. It seems like looking back they are only okay books, but still a good nostalgic reminder.
ReplyDeleteI would agree that they are okay books. The books are good entertainment for light reading.
Delete