Mary Anne and the Memory Garden by Ann M. Martin

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The Babysitters Club is a series of books about a group of girls who babysit. It was published in 1986-2000 and there are over 100 books, including spin offs of the original series and film and television adaptations. The Babysitters Club books follow the lives of the girls. They have normal issues like friendship dramas, romances, worrying about school and babysitting. There are also books which feature more sensitive or heavier themes or topics. For example, there are books on racism, ableism, dealing with medical issues such as diabetes and asthma.

This book was written in response to fans writing to Ann. Martin about how to deal with losing people and drink driving. I think Ms. Martin handles the matter sensitively in a way that will engage with young readers. 

In this book, Mary Anne grieves over her friend Amelia, who died in a car crash. Amelia’s family was driving home and hit by a drunk driver. Mary Anne becomes overwhelmed and unsure what to do. Fortunately, she goes to a therapist to help her cope. I liked how the books illustrated grief and that Mary Anne recognized that she needed more help.

The Babysitters grieve in their own way. Kristy is overwhelmed and channels her grief in starting a chapter of the organization called Students Against Drunk Drivers which is a real organization. The organization was started in 1986 but is now called Students against destructive decisions https://www.sadd.org/ .

I have been a fan of The Babysitter’s Club since I was a child. I’ve been collecting the books and this was the first time I read this story. Reading these books makes me nostalgic. The book that I have is second hand and there is a little page there is a little questionnaire page that readers can fill out. The page had been filled out by an eleven-year-old girl named Johanna in 1996. I hope she enjoyed the book as much as I did.