The Stoney So Far... The Baby-Sitters Club #21-30

We're now thirty books deep into the Baby-Sitters Club. Not only that, but we're also in the midst of specials and spinoffs. We have entered into full franchise mode. We also exit the twenties by also exiting the 1980s. The franchise has made it into its fourth year of life and given it was really intended to be just ten books, it's a bit surprising that this series still has a lot of gas in the tank. But given we haven't even scratched the surface 30 books in, I guess that's a testament to how much you can get with a book series about baby-sitting. And the twenties were perhaps the best example of what I mean as I find these ten book were the ones that went deep into worldbuilding. We still got our share of filler books of varying quality, but if you were invested from day one in Stoneybrook and the girls, then this batch really rewarded that brand loyalty. The twenties gave us a great deal of tonal whiplash. From new family members to dying family members, marriages, divorces, relationship concerns, elections, big mysteries and so much more. Not to mention a trip to camp and a lodge for the winter. Let's look back at what made the twenties so interesting.

So, the series is a rousing success for Scholastic at this point. Not only are the mainline books now pretty much monthly, but the spinoff series Baby-Sitters Little Sister is getting closer to being monthly. Not only that, but the Super Specials are now two books a year, prioritizing a summer plot and a winter plot. So the series is now bigger than it was before and given we still have another notable spinoff coming later down the line, as well as some other notable media projects outside of the books in the pipeline, the series feels like it's just getting started. Which is always interesting to see a franchise from the 80s still manage to evolve and grow as the next decade approaches. But given BSC doesn't fully feel like a franchise that's frozen to one decade or another (save for the technology and fashion perhaps) it's not really that massive a concern. 

So what went down in the twenties? In terms of books, only three club members had more than one book. Mary Anne, Mallory and Jessi. The other four all had one book a piece, which aside from Dawn is interesting given that three of the main established club members go with only one book a piece this time. But, save for Dawn even though her story does play a bit into events pivotal to the far flung future of the series, three of the four do get a book that does feel important to the world of of the series while, with the exception of Mary Anne's second book, the others feel very fillery for the majority. 

We'll start with Kristy. Kristy only gets one book and it's a Mother's Day themed book, which is more about giving the mothers a break while they watch all the younger kids for the day. It would be considered a book that's filler fluff if not for the biggest status quo change for the book, as her mother and Watson make the decision to adopt a two year old Vietnamese girl named Emily Michelle. Which is a nice addition, but given that we don't get another Kristy book in this batch, Emily sort of becomes lost in the shuffle of "oh remember when that happened?" Fortunately this is something that the Little Sister books follow up on. I tend to keep the LS books from this recap, but some important things happen with Karen. She gets glasses, tries to form a club for cat-sitting that fails spectacularly, and gets jealous of her new stepsister until she realizes that's a dumb thing to do. To say Karen got more development than Kristy this batch was an understatement. 

It's tricky to say if either Stacey or Claudia had the roughest status quo shift this time around, but we'll start with Claudia. From the seventh book onward, the series has been building on the declining health of Mimi, Claudia's grandmother. Pretty much from the jump of the twenties, the series continues on building on said failing health until we reach the inevitable. Mimi dies. And we get what I feel is one of the strongest books in the series as it's focus is on Claudia's guilt over everything. How she acted in Mimi's final days, her emotions fluctuating from anger, sadness, happiness, to not even wanting to mention Mimi. I like Claudia as a character and I like how the series focuses on so much of her family dynamic. How she's different from her family, which yes, will be a topic for a book in the near future. And more importantly how her relationship is with them, especially with Mimi. It's probably the hardest gut punch the series has to offer at this point. Speaking of gut punches...

For the majority of the twenties, Stacey was still in New York. And while the series would bring her back for certain occasions, her loss in the series was still felt, even with Jessi and Mallory's additions to the club. And while I think Ann M. Martin had good intentions in the idea of taking Stacey from Stoneybrook, her coming back was sorely needed. And much like with Mimi's health, the books were setting up the main reason for Stacey's return, and that's with her parents getting a divorce. And much like with Claudia dealing with Mimi's death, the books put heavy focus on how this affects Stacey. Her frustrations, her need for the divorce to not happen, and ultimately if she should stay in New York with her dad or return to Stoneybrook with her mom. Ultimately, given the book title, the answer isn't really in doubt, which I do wish the book didn't do, but you gotta sell books so spoilers be damned. But Stacey is back and while it's still early, it'll be interesting to see how this affects the series as a whole to have all seven protagonists together.

Dawn's solo book was finally her first good book. Because it's the first I feel that really focused on her character in a meaningful way. I've always stated that I feel Ann M. Martin hasn't really gotten Dawn. The basics of her character are down, but a lot of her stories have always felt focused on something else that doesn't really involve her character. Be it her brother wanting to go back to California or dealing with a maybe-ghost or a pageant or stuff like this. This feels like the first time that we get a story that plays into Dawn's real concerns. That she needs to make a decision in terms of where she truly feels her heart belongs. California with her dad and Jeff or back in Stoneybrook with her mom. And the book does a good job in building her pros and cons, making it not so cut and dry and not fully making this decision feel as final as it should, which, spoilers for way later, we're not fully done with Dawn and California. But she's finally out of the "middling book" doghouse.

Can't say the same for Jessi though. Her first book is decent, with her having to sit for a house full of pets, which also features a general nothingburger of an election plot with the club. It's more the second book that feels the weakest. Sitting for a child star who claims to have issues with a bully, only to be a bully himself. Acting out because he was being bullied for being a child actor. The main factor of development for her though is her ballet practice and managing to actually land some roles, so while the books aren't the strongest, the development's there. Mallory on the other hand still doesn't have too much development. She gets her ears pierced, but in terms of real development, there's not much. She starts with what might be the most filler book of the series to this point with her watching the Arnold twins Marilyn and Carolyn who want to be treated different and not identical. But she does bounce back with a solid mystery where she also helps Buddy Barrett learn to read better. So she ends up in a much stronger place than she started.

Mary Anne this time around had one very important book and one filler. Her filler saw her deal with her cat Tigger being missing, all while Logan is letting his failure at baseball make him a bit of a jerk all told. Her other story, while mostly being another book about the same twins Mallory dealt with, actually has an important status quo shift to it. This time being that Richard Spier and Sharon Schafer get married, officially making the two stepsisters, which will be continued on in book 31, so we'll see how things get along then. We also had two Super Specials to deal with as the girls went to Camp Mohawk (or Camp Moosehead in the newer reprint) and had camp-themed misadventures, then to Leicester Lodge for a winter carnival with the rest of Stoneybrook Middle School where, again, misadventures ensue, including a bus crash with elementary school students in it, which yes, is one hell of a tonal whiplash for this book series. 

So, we know what went down, but what books were the best and which were the worst? Honestly, nothing went below B- this time around. Nothing leaving me too annoyed either. Some do feel like filler, but we got a good balance of some of the better works in the series. So let's see what was good and bad this time around. Again, no Little Sister books, even though we've done far more than the last time we were in this situation.

#12:  Baby-Sitters' Winter Vacation (SS 03): This book accentuated the biggest problem with the Super Specials. They're filler, but they're filler that has to feature multiple subplots for each girl, and the books don't have enough time to really give you much to do with them. It's the worst case here as none of the girls have anything juicy to do here. And several of the subplots feel like things we've already done multiple times. The book starts harrowing with the storm and the school bus crash, but then just sort of mellows out a bit too much. There's fun moments in the book, and it wasn't a complete feeling of time wasted, but it also kind of shows that maybe two a year wasn't what the Super Specials needed.

#11: Jessi and the Superbrat (27): This book was existent. Probably the most filler book I've covered so far as really, aside from Jessi's continuing ballet dreams, there isn't much to really go with here. Derek Masters is just an okay kid at best, who isn't the bratty child star you probably thought he was going to be. And he only makes the conflict himself by lashing out at everyone giving him guff for being an actor. Aside from that, there's not too much that makes you really want to come back to this one.

#10: Mallory and the Trouble with Twins (21): I'm not that interested in the Arnold twins, mainly because we get a book here where the obvious issue is super obvious, but we have to spend a whole book with Marilyn and Carolyn doing mind games on Mallory and the other sitters that it just feels like such a filler book in every way. The only notable thing to happen is Mal and Jessi get their ears pierced, but that's really about it. Superbrat is filler in a worse way than this one, but this one is super close in being super forgettable in the grand scheme. Thankfully Mallory does get a better book than this later on.

#09: Mary Anne and the Search for Tigger (25): This book has a neat idea with Mary Anne's kitten being missing, and we do get one really decent scene with a phony catnapper trying to steal money from the club, but aside from that I felt this one to be a bit of a headache book. Logan is frustrating in this one. Granted, he's good when he comes up with the plan to catch the phony catnapper, but the rest of the book he's a bit too much of a jerk. And no, him sucking at baseball practice doesn't really forgive it. But Mary Anne's frustrations with Logan annoy me too. And I just hate that she knows Logan's in a foul mood, sees that his sister was the one who took Tigger, and then thinks Logan was trying to hide it from her and that's also why he's been acting off. Even though she was literally told by Dawn why Logan's behavior was so bad. It's probably the most annoying argument the series has given us so far. 

#08: Kristy's Mother's Day Surprise (24): Save for the big reveal at the end, this book feels like lather, rinse, repeat for Kristy. A book where she and the club watch over a group of kids for the majority only for the book to end on a big status quo shift. Previously, it was the wedding of Elizabeth and Watson. Here it's the welcoming of adopted sister Emily Michelle to the Thomas-Brewer brood. And because of this, I think this book ends up more elevated than maybe it ultimately deserved. I still liked it better than Kristy's Big Day in the long run, so points for it there too I guess.  

#07: Mary Anne and the Great Romance (30): On the one hand, I love the build towards the wedding of Mr. Spier and Mrs. Schafer. I like the conflict we get with Mary Anne realizing her life is going to drastically change from this, including living in Dawn's house. I like the wedding, even if it's really rushed at the end, mainly because this is secretly (I guess secretly when it came out more so) a two-part story. On the other hand, I just, again, don't care about the stuff with the Arnold twins. It's more of them wanting to be different from one another, and being annoyed that one has a friend group and the other doesn't. And the resolution is so quick it makes the whole thing more annoying in the grand scheme. But it's far from the worst baby-sitting plot so it's ultimately fine. Needed more Gozzie Kunka though.

#06: Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter (22): This book is better than it seems on the surface. Granted, you probably want more pet sitting stuff, but I felt the book provided a lot. But the book's really about both Jessi's ballet pursuits and the club being at each other's throats yet again. Only this time it's an election that ultimately goes nowhere, but is at least fun to get to. Aside from some of the kids getting hamsters, there's really nothing major in terms of status quo changes. Which makes it a case of a decent filler book. One that isn't going to be earth shattering, but still not feel like a book hat wasted your time. More books need to be like that.

#05: Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation (SS 02): Again, the issues surrounding these Super Special books are still there, but I liked this one much more. The plots we get are actually interesting for the most part. Maybe like Kristy and Dawn get the weakest stuff this time around. And there's the issue of the slur and how the girls who treated Jessi and Mallory sort of get too quick of a resolution. But the summer camp setting really works to make this a fun summer story. And mercifully not just full of references to Disney attractions like the first Super Special was. So points in its favor there as well.

#04: Dawn on the Coast (23): Dawn finally gets her first good book. And it comes not from Ann M. Martin, but a ghostwriter. Like I said I do feel sometimes that that Martin has never fully gotten Dawn. That a lot of her stories with Dawn have involved more stuff in the background and she's not given very strong character stuff in most of them. Hell, the Winter Vacation book gave her the riveting plot of "sucks at sports". Here she's brought back to California and is given a very important decision of where she feels her heart belongs. With her father and Jeff in California or with her mother in Stoneybrook. And what we get is good character work for Dawn as this isn't something she can easily make an answer of, nor is it something that does feel definitive. And given we're far from done with Dawn in California, it's a good way to really get us started on this topic. Dawn finally gets a W. Let's hope it's not the last.

#03: Mallory and the Mystery Diary (29): If there's anything in this series that I am genuinely excited to get into, it's the Mystery series. Because I think while the series is solid when it comes to drama and fun stuff, it's actually done really well with mystery plots for the most part, and this is its most compelling. A mystery of a missing painting that sees Mallory and Buddy Barrett work together to solve, all while Mallory helps Buddy with his reading skills. And they make a fun duo that helps elevate this book. It's another filler story, but like Pet-sitter, this uses its pages to at least make for a fun story that doesn't feel like too much of a time waster. And it finally gets Mallory a good book, meaning that at long last all of the girls have at least a decent at best book. 

#02: Welcome Back, Stacey (28): I'll say it. I think moving Stacey to New York was a mistake. I get Ann M. Martin had good intentions in mind, and her moving to New York introduces Mallory and Jessi into the central cast. But there was always a prominent, diabetic hole missing in the series with her gone. So it's good to have her back which helps make this one so good. But what makes it great is that this is not just a book about Stacey moving back to Stoneybrook. This is a book about divorce. And, much like the #1 pick, it's really a book about a kid dealing with their trauma from a horrible event in their life. You feel the weight of the divorce, how the McGills are at each other's throats pretty much, how Stacey can't just magically fix this, her concerns about which parent she'll live with and her feeling guilty about how that will affect the one she won't live with. It is great character work from my second favorite character in the series. The best thing BSC does is make these characters feel like they could be real people dealing with real situations. Stuff I think kids need in their lives. And this is one of the best works in the series to represent that. But not the absolute best.

#01: Claudia and the Sad Good-Bye (26): This book is a gut punch in every way possible. Because Mimi's death wasn't just something that happens so suddenly in the series. This was built upon for twenty books. From the stroke to her declining health to her inevitable passing. And what the series has done very well from the very first book is establish how important Claudia's grandmother is to her, and how kind and lovable Mimi was, not just to Claudia but to everyone. Mimi feels like a loving presence in the series. A comfort. And to lose her is the worst feeling you can have. It speaks to the worldbuilding and character investment that the series presents. And it's an important Claudia book. Her feelings on the matter fluctuating from grief, to guilt, happiness, sadness, anger, frustration. At one point happy to remember Mimi to wanting to not hear her name to snapping at Janine for going through Mimi's belongings. Claudia thinking so much about the bad and losing sight of what was good. It's the strongest character work in the series to this point and one of the best books that the series has put out. It rewards the reader (for lack of a better term) for their investment, while also making new readers feel the weight of just how much Mimi meant to Claudia. It is the worldbuilding at its absolute best.

I think the twenties were my favorite batch of books to this point. It didn't land with back to back great books, but I feel like these are the ones where the effort to read this series up to this point is paying off. Important plot points have happened, major status quo shits, a general feeling of Stoneybrook being realized and the girls being more fleshed out. And, while not every time, it's filled with a few very solid filler books that don't feel like a slog to get through. It makes me glad to have continued the series last year and took this pilgrimage to continue the series. I don't know if the series reaches some of these notable heights going forward, but whatever is next, I'm ready for it.

And what is next? We have the buyer's remorse of having a stepfamily, a very special episode about autism, more mysteries, bossy aunts, a cheating scandal, and the horrors of financial peril. And I mean early 90s financial peril, not the 2026 equivalent where everyone who's not a billionaire is screwed. Also more Karen stuff. The club is entering the 1990s and it'll be fun to see what that truly means.