The Baby-Sitters Club Lives On

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When I was younger, I always liked reading, but it was The Baby-Sitters Club series that truly sucked me in. My parents made the wonderful mistake of saying they’d always buy me a book if I ask for it, and there are a lot of BSC books, so I read so many of them!

The Baby-Sitters Club taught me much more than the wonderful world of books though. Through the books, I learned about:

  • Baby-Sitting
  • Racism
  • Autism
  • Diabetes
  • Death
  • Divorce
  • Eating Disorders
  • Deafness and ASL
  • Asthma
  • Childhood Cancer
  • Crushes
  • Friendships
  • Being a Strong Girl
  • Acceptance of Different Personalities
  • And so much more!

I truly believe that the BSC is a big reason why I feel like I have a foundation of empathy and openness. The books also prompted me to copy many of their baby-sitting techniques such as an information sheet and a kid kit probably giving me a foundation of being an educator also.

The original Baby-Sitters Club books were published from 1986 to 2000 (with a few spin-off book series, a TV mini-series, and a movie during the same time period). Then they reemmerged through graphic novels in 2006. And now, on Netflix, a new TV series came out on July 3rd, and that is what prompted me to write this post.

The Netflix series exceeded my expectations. It was beautifully done. The series has taken what made the BSC books a favorite of millions and moved the story to 2020. In the 10 episodes that have come out, once again the BSC girls are teaching their viewers about so much, including about:

  • Sexism
  • Divorce
  • Friendship
  • Bullying
  • Diabetes
  • Stroke
  • Absent Parents
  • Consequences of Cheating
  • Transgender
  • Menstration
  • Economic Disparities
  • Unhealthy Crushes

All of that in just 10 episodes and with great writing and casting!
(See NYT’s article: The Baby-Sitters Club Defies and Exceeds Expecations)

I realize that sometimes we have to let go of the books we loved as a kid because of different reasons, but The Baby-Sitters Club has lived on. I hope they redo the books with just a few modernizations because the revival of the show shows that the stories still resonate with kids.

I will always be thankful for Ann M. Martin (who I met and cried!!!) and her characters for showing me about life, and I am so happy a new generation are going to love them too.

1 thought on “The Baby-Sitters Club Lives On”

  1. Thanks for giving the publication years. I kept wondering why I didn’t give the Babysitter’s Club a look, but I was a junior in high school when they were first being released and wasn’t reading a ton. I also was reading mostly adult books at that point. I just watched the first episode last night and thought it was pretty sweet. I love the diversity of the cast members in personalities, family makeup, and race. Many people I know are really enjoying the series.

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