Review: "Kristy's Great Idea-The Baby-Sitters Club #1"

Kristy's Great Idea: The Baby-Sitters Club #1 by Ann M Martin

5 out 5 stars

Okay, how could I not give 5 stars to the book that started it all?! No, it's not the best writing (omg, I almost put "righting" lol). Yes, it's extremely repetitive. Yes, it's extremely repetitive. hehe...sorry! But it's the start of something magical, a series that lasted 14 years and over 200 books! I grew up reading these books. *sigh* Okay, enough cheese, on to the review!

All the pictures of the books are from my own

collection...need proof? :D Yep, that's me. Probably from 4th or 5th grade...when do you start learning cursive? I dunno. Anyway, it was probably after a reread at one point. Also, can I just complain about how cheap books used to be? $2.50? Man, you can't get a magazine for $2.50 now.

The book starts out with Kristy, our narrator, getting in trouble in class. Typical. *Shakes head* We meet Kristy and Mary Anne, her BFF, and she starts telling us about her family and friends. Kristy is a tomboy and Mary Anne is super shy but they've lived on the same street all their lives, so proximity BFF's and all that. The girls are in the 7th grade and are close friends with Claudia Kishi, who also lives in their neighborhood, but lately "the gap between [them] seems to have widened just since school started. Even though [they're] all seventh-graders, Claudia suddenly seemed...older. She talks about boys, and spends most of her time adding to her wardrobe and talking on the phone." Plus, "she's wearing a bra." Lol...

Kristy lives with her mom and 3 brothers; their dead-beat dad ran out on them when they were younger so Kristy's mom is struggling along. She is constantly looking for a babysitter for David Michael, the youngest Thomas kid, which gives Kristy the idea of the Baby-Sitters Club. Also, Kristy's mom is dating Watson, a millionaire, which annoys the crap out of Kristy.

Kristy tells Mary Anne all about the BSC and they decide to ask Claudia to join, which begins my favorite part of the BSC books: "What Claudia is wearing". I decided to make this even more fun by coming up with my version of some of her outfits in Polyvore. (I tried my best! lol)

"She was wearing short, very baggy lavender plaid

overalls, a white lacy blouse, a black fedora, and red high-top sneakers without socks. Her long black hair was carefully arranged in four braids. I felt extremely blah compared to her. [Who wouldn't!] .... There was blue stuff on her eyelids, gold stuff above her eyes, and magenta stuff on her cheeks."

Claudia is so awesome. She's got a genius sister, Janine, and is actually pretty smart herself but just can't apply herself. Been there, heard that. Claudia is super creative though too, hence the crazy outfits.

So, Kristy tells them all about her plan for the BSC. "...make one call and reach a whole bunch of us at once." Claudia is down with it and agrees to have the meetings in her room, cause she's like, totally awesome and has her own phone line. And she suggests the new girl, Stacey McGill, to join the club with them. They decide to meet the next day at 5:30 SHARP and hey! Here's another "What Claudia is Wearing"!

Claudia was "...this time wearing a baggy yellow-and black-checked shirt, black pants, red jazz shoes, and a bracelet that looked like it was made from a telephone cord. [Do you remember those bracelets? They always pulled my arm hair! lol...and I'm not like gorilla-hairy either just so ya know!] Her earrings were dangling jointed skeletons that jumped around when she moved. I noticed she wasn't wearing any makeup."

Stacey is at the meeting too and I would have done a "What Stacey is Wearing" but I ran out of time and really...how would I find: "a pink sweat shirt with sequins and a large purple parrot on the front; short, tight-fitting jeans with zippers up the outsides of the legs; and pink plastic shoes."? Stacey is tres-chic because she's from NEW YORK CITY! Oooohhh...and also, she's got some secret that she doesn't divulge til the 4th to last page. (Pssst...she's diabetic. Don't tell!)

They all agree to the rules and decide to celebrate. With candy and junk food of course. Claudia is the master hoarder of junk food and I just need to know: why doesn't this girl ever get a zit? And why doesn't she weigh 300 lbs? Yikes. Here's a brief list of the food she has hidden around her room (in book #1 ONLY!):

Peanut M&M's-under her pillow

Bubble Gum-underwear drawer

Chocolate Bar-behind the encyclopedias

Twinkies-desk drawer

Wint-o-Green Lifesavers-piggy bank (what? loose like coins? ??)

Gummy Bears-pencil case

Jawbreakers-box labeled "Sneakers"

Okay, this is turning into the longest post ever and I can't decide if that's bad or good? What do you guys think? Do you prefer lots of detail and thoughts or just a short synopsis? This blogging thing is hard.

So for the sake of making this shorter, let's make a brief list of the highlights thru the rest of the book:
-Kristy babysitting Pinky & Buffy who turn out to be gigantor dogs

-Claudia babysitting for Jamie Newton (Hi-Hi!) and a bunch of other bratty kids and calming them down by reading Where the Wild Things Are which is my very favorite children's book ever!

-Stacey babysitting for David Michael and meeting Sam, Kristy's older brother, who is a "gorgeous hunk" and thinks Stacey is a "foxy chick". *Snort*

-Another Stacy outfit: "matching top and skirt made of gray sweat shirt material with big yellow number tens all over it. Her hair was pinned back with clips shaped like rainbows. Little silver whistles were dangling from her ears."

-Mary Anne babysitting for Watson's kids, Karen & Andrew,

and meeting Boo-Boo the big scary cat and MORBIDDA DESTINY aka Mrs Porter, the old lady who lives next door who Karen is convinced is a witch and I secretly agree!

-The BSC members tallying up their wages for the week and coming out to $26.75 which is enough for a pizza party! Yeah! Not!

-Kristy's mom & Watson get engaged and Kristy gets over her irrational hatred for the rich guy.

-The BSC members have a mini-fight and make up almost immediately.

-The Baby-Sitters Club was a success....awww....

-And finally, who wants to join me in forming my very own

Baby-Sitters Club??? I always wanted to do this. And hurry! The offer expires on June 30, 1987!! ;)