I don’t really remember a time without The Baby-Sitters Club (BSC) in my reading diet. In second grade, I stumbled across BSC #4, Mary Anne Saves the Day, at my school library (see the photo at right for the original editions of the first 10 titles). I still have a vivid memory of racing through the first chapter and thinking, “I like this girl. She has brown hair like I do.” I didn’t know the word for it at the time, but obviously, I found the book relatable. My public library had the whole series, so I spent the next several years borrowing and re-borrowing every single title and reading the new ones as they were published. In 7th grade, I was having trouble adjusting to middle school and was being bullied, so I would spend all day pretending to be Mary Anne, living as her in my head so I could get a break from being myself.

As I got older, I began to grow out of Mary Anne’s shy and reserved personality and became more of a Kristy—another babysitter with brown hair, but one who’s unafraid to speak her mind and go after what she wants. I would still occasionally pick up a book from the series as a comfort read, and I discovered the BSC’s online fandom—I read fan fiction and visited the BSC Snark-fest LiveJournal, which lovingly skewered the series’ cheesy moments. 

In 2014, I got to meet series author Ann M. Martin at BookExpo and thank her for how much the books mean to me (see photo at left). She autographed one of the books and wrote “BSC 4-ever!” (Yes, I cried.)

When I turned 30, I developed a severe anxiety disorder and desperately need a break from my own life again. I thought I’d try podcasts to drown out the intrusive thoughts, and I found one called The Baby-Sitters Club Club, which featured two men in their 30s who had been reading the books and treating them with the serious literary analysis they deserve as well as coming up with silly running gags and inside jokes. I spent hundreds of hours with hosts Jack and Tanner as they covered the entire series, and with that distraction (and lots of therapy), I started to get better.

So, yeah, I don’t think it’s hyberbole to say that my obsession with this series saved my life. Twice!

A decade later, as I turn 40 in the same year the BSC does, I’m re-reading the books as Scholastic releases new editions with modern covers to tie into the short-lived-yet-perfect 2020–2021 Netflix adaptation of the series. I’ve never gone more than a few years without engaging with the BSC in some way, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. It turns out that libraries are also seeing continuing engagement with the series that meant so much to so many Millennial kids. Their young patrons are now finding the books in a new format and seeing themselves in the characters. 

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE BSC?

In her author’s note for the scrapbook edition of BSC #1, Kristy’s Great Idea (see the photo at left for my local library’s scrapbook editions of the first four books), Martin writes, “In 1985 I had just left my job and started to write books for kids full-time. That was when my editor [at Scholastic] suggested that I write a four-book mini-series entitled ‘The Baby-sitters Club.’ I had to figure out what a baby-sitters club might be, and decided on a business run by a group of friends. Then I created Kristy, Claudia, Stacey, and Mary Anne. I wanted to create a group of kids who are very different from each other but work well together. … Baby-sitting was easy for me to write about because I did so much of it when I was growing up.” 

The Baby-Sitters Club series was published from 1986 to 2000. The titular club grew to include seven regular members (technically eight, with one member, Dawn, moving away but coming back for special occasions) and two associate members. The series took place in fictional Stoneybrook, Connecticut, and mostly featured grounded stories about typical middle school life: baby-sitting adventures (of course), friendships, crushes, relationships with parents or siblings, struggles in school, etc. 

It also tackled serious topics such as death, racism (Jessi’s family is one of the only Black families in town, and Claudia is Japanese American; both face discrimination at various points), chronic illness (Stacey has Type 1 diabetes), divorce (multiple characters’ parents are already divorced or get divorced during the series) and the challenges of integrating blended families, the foster system, domestic violence, and a character’s house burning down. If it’s ever happened to a kid, it’s probably dealt with in at least one of the books.

Martin had ghostwriters to help her as the series went on. When I met one of them, Peter Lerangis, at a book festival in 2011 (see photo at right), he told me that Martin was very involved in crafting the plot of each book. The massively popular series consists of:

• 131 regular-series books—These were published from August 1986 to May 1999. The books got scrapbook-cover new editions starting in 1995, graphic novel versions starting in 2006, and audiobooks starting in 2019.
• 36 mysteries and four Super Mysteries
• 15 Super Specials
• 6 Portrait Collections (featuring Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, Stacey, Dawn, and Abby)
• 15 California Diaries spin-offs about Dawn’s life away from the BSC
• 3 Special Editions Readers’ Request books (focusing on the associate members)
• 14 Friends Forever titles—These books closed out the series, running from July 1999 to November 2000.

A 128-book spinoff series about Kristy’s stepsister Karen, called Baby-Sitters Little Sister (see the photo at left for one of my local library’s Little Sister books), started in 1990, with those books getting graphic novel versions starting in 2019.

There were also interactive chain-letter books, a series encyclopedia, a guide to baby-sitting, and other peripheral titles (see photo at right). Not to mention two TV series and a feature film. It’s an incredibly immersive world.

THE BSC AT THE LIBRARY

Let’s take a look at how some libraries have been celebrating the BSC recently, whether to mark its 40th anniversary specifically or to introduce programming that leverages the series’ enduring popularity. I reached out to public libraries across the U.S., and these were the ones who responded. I hope you’re able to take inspiration from their experiences, whether you’re planning a BSC-related event or another program focused on children’s literature or junior graphic novels.

A Social Post

Lauren Lowery, director of Saegertown Area Library in Pennsylvania, posted about the 40th anniversary on Instagram and Facebook, writing, “Although the BSC has taken on a much different form from the books that our staff’s [Millennial] librarians loved as little girls … , today’s BSC graphic novels are still in high demand and very well loved! Thank you to Ann M. Martin for creating something that has and continues to have a positive impact on the lives of young girls while keeping them reading!”

Lowery shares that in their small, rural area, “there is a big ‘people still read books?!’ factor for those in our community who have little interaction with the library. The post plays on nostalgia a bit, as I think The Baby-Sitters Club should be memorable for those who either grew up or raised kids in the ’90s. I wanted to show that not only do people still read books, but yes, The Baby-Sitters Club still exists, and the kids are still reading those books, albeit in a bit of a different format.” That format, the graphic novels, are always being checked out, she shares. “They are probably our most popular graphic novels after the Dogman series.”

The BSC series can still teach today’s young people about “growing pains,” Lowery says, and “they can find themselves in the characters,” as well as get a sense of entrepreneurship and collaboration (and baby-sitting tips) from the characters running their business. She notes that the BSC titles were the first chapter books she was allowed to borrow from the school library. “My favorite character was Kristy. As a tomboy type of girl who loved all things baseball, I was enthralled to find representation anywhere. It made me feel okay about being who I was in a world where being a girl meant wearing dresses, looking pretty, and not getting dirty,” they add. “I think any book or books that can make children feel less alone in the world are important. I’m glad that these books that I was able to find myself in are still here for others to find themselves in today.”

An Author Event

Attleboro Public Library in Massachusetts hosted BSC graphic novel author and illustrator Ellen T. Crenshaw on May 9. She gave a presentation and a drawing demo and participated in a Q&A. She was also available to sign books. The event was part of Southeastern Massachusetts’ ArtWeek SouthCoast 2026, what the library calls “a 10-day regional celebration of art, culture, and community,” and it was a success: 60 people attended.

Carrie Sherman, head of reference services, shares, “With the popularity of The Baby-Sitters Club, it was a no-brainer to invite Ellen T. Crenshaw to our library for a program. Tapping into current trends is always a great way to bring in new families, as well as entertain our regular patrons.” Sherman admits that she had an advantage in contacting the author: “She is an old acquaintance of mine (we attended the same college and also worked together professionally). I had been wanting to host Ellen for a while, as I knew she’d be a hit with our patrons, and the grant we received through ArtWeek SouthCoast checked all the boxes to help fund her visit. She was a blast!”

This program was the library’s first specifically focused on the BSC, says Krystal Brown, head of children’s services. The “graphic novels still circulate quite frequently, and we have multiple copies of each volume as well as multiple copies of each volume of Baby-Sitters Little Sister. We also own the reissued editions of the original Baby-Sitters Club, and while they do go out, they are not nearly as popular as the graphic novels.”

The graphic novels were originally being published in black and white, and Brown notes that she saw “an uptick in the popularity of the graphic novels when they were published in color in 2015. While the Netflix series may have introduced the stories to tweens who had not previously read the books, its cancellation had no noticeable effect on the circulation of the graphic novels.” 

Sherman says, “The bulk of my childhood was in the ’90s, so I absolutely read my fair share of BSC books and have fond memories of the original TV series as well. My 8-year-old daughter is now reading the graphic novel adaptations, and it has been fun to relive the series through her.” Brown believes, “The full-color graphic novel adaptations retain the magic of the original novels, offering a more visual storytelling experience that resonates with contemporary audiences.”

When thinking about what she’s taken away from the Ellen T. Crenshaw event, Sherman says, “I highly recommend that libraries keep artists and illustrators in mind when planning author talks, especially with the popularity of graphic novels. Ellen brought so much energy and enthusiasm with her drawing demo, I would love to continue to do similar programming.” 

A Baby-Sitting Club

Peters Township Public Library (PTPL) in Pennsylvania started its own babysitting club. The event’s page invites participants to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the BSC “by joining the PTPL Babysitter Club! Become a confident, trusted babysitter by joining us as you learn childcare basics, safety skills, creative activity ideas, and professional tips to start or grow your babysitting business. This club will meet multiple times throughout the summer, come to as many as you can.” 

Sarah Lawrence, youth service librarian for tween and teen programing, says, “The book series was a cultural phenomenon that has collectively sold more than 190 million copies. Today’s parents may remember the original books and TV shows from the ’90s. The recently released juvenile graphic novels continue to be a highly requested book in our library today.” They’re one of the most circulated titles in the library’s youth service department and at the local township elementary school in grades 4 and 5, she elaborates. Lawrence adds, “I found this [program] to be a great way to connect parents (with young families) to tweens and teens. I wanted to create something that would continue to connect generations (those with a young family looking for a babysitter and babysitters).”

Lawrence was apprehensive about reaching such a wide swath of the community when planning the club—both tween and teens who want to babysit and families with young children who need a babysitter. “I broke the program into steps,” she shares. “I wanted to provide the babysitters with practical knowledge and confidence, so I started by reaching out to our township fire department. In working with the fire department, we were able to hold a CPR and First Aid Knowledge Training. We concentrated on infant and child CPR and the Heimlich maneuver, then continued with lessons on first aid practical skills. Next, I set aside time for the babysitters to discuss topics they have/will experience while watching children, and as a mother, I was able to share things that I worried about when leaving my children with babysitters for the first time.” The participants then made posters describing their strengths, including “loves crafting; enjoys playing outside; comfortable with pets in the house.”

Lawrence continues, “The following meetings for The Baby-Sitters Club will be ‘meet-and-greets’—the babysitters will display their poster and be available to talk with young families as they visit the library.” She cautioned the babysitters that they should keep an open mind, since this kind of programming was new to her too. The first event “went really well. We had the babysitters host an open play and craft time for kids. I set up a table, and the babysitters ran the different crafts (coloring, paper weaving, paint dabbers). The babysitters were able to connect with the parents while interacting with the kids. A lot of connections were made! The parents mentioned that they were happy to have an opportunity to talk with kids eager to babysit.” The library will be holding these meet-and-greets each month “to help connect our community and provide entrepreneurial opportunities for young patrons.”

Although Lawrence didn’t grow up reading the BSC books, she “was aware of the successful series. I am excited to see kids’ enthusiasm for reading and know that The Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels are a big part of that. If it encourages kids going to the library or asking their parents to read with them, I am all in!”

A Book Club

River Stanley Blake, children’s librarian at Athol Public Library in Massachusetts, inadvertently started a graphic novel book club when, in October 2025, Colleen AF Venable appeared at the library’s Comic Book Fest. Blake helped host a discussion of Venable’s graphic novel series Katie the Catsitter, and enough kids attended that Blake asked if a monthly club would be of interest. “They loved the idea and helped me make a list of potential books. We’ve been running it monthly since January of this year,” they say. “Baby-Sitters Club was suggested by one of our group members, but it was always going to make it on the list because it’s such a popular title. While I love matching readers to new books, my hope was that choosing popular titles would attract more readers to the club, since they would already know they like talking about the book. Then, once they’d seen how fun the club is, they would want to join regardless of the book. So far, this has been working well for finding and retaining club members.”

The club discussed the first BSC book in February. “Just like The Baby-Sitter’s Club is more about friendship than baby-sitting, Book Club is more about making connections with other kids than deep-diving about the book. We use the story more as a jumping-off point for conversations. If we get completely off-topic, that is okay; it’s not supposed to be like school,” Blake notes. “One of the ways I encouraged the kids to get to know each other is by pairing introductions with personality quizzes. I read each question out loud and had them raise their hands for their multiple choice answer; that way, they saw who they had things in common with. Then we shared our results when we shared our names. This turned out to be an accessible, non-threatening way to share things about ourselves.”

Blake hopes to do another book club session on the Baby-Sitters Little Sister books next year. “I was a ’90s kid, so I missed the boat on the first series,” they say, “but I did receive a box set of the Baby-Sitters Little Sister series.”

A Trivia Event

“As one of our popular titles, I wanted to provide a space for fans of the series to meet, chat, and participate in some fun themed activities,” says Arleen Rivas, youth services program specialist at Arlington Public Library in Texas. “Themed programs based on specific books have done well in the past, and I was inspired by our many young patrons who would come in throughout the year inquiring about the series.” 

Rivas hosted Welcome to The Baby-Sitters Club on Oct. 9, 2025. The program’s description is: “Do you have what it takes to join the Baby-Sitters Club? Know everything about Kristy, Claudia, Stacey, and Mary Anne? Visit the Southwest Branch and celebrate everything you know and love about The Baby-Sitters Club series! In addition to crafts and trivia, learn what goes into making your own baby-sitting kit.” She called the program a great experience, with a mix of fans and newcomers attending. The kids moved among activity stations—making friendship bracelets, decorating their own BSC membership card, answering trivia questions, and creating their own BSC character. Rivas attributes the program’s success to collaborating with her team members, who helped with the list of supplies they’d need and how to lay out the activity stations. 

“The [BSC] books do very well at our library. Many young readers still request them, especially the graphic novel versions. I think tweens of today find the characters and their storylines relatable,” Rivas says. “I had not personally read the series while I was growing up, but I do remember many classmates and friends enjoying them. To better prepare for the program, I read through a handful of the graphic novel adaptations and could instantly see why they have remained classics. I appreciate that the books showcase different types of family units as well as the complex but valid feelings the girls of the club experience. I think we can all relate to at least one problem or insecurity they have faced. It’s through their unique personalities that the club itself is a success, and I think it’s a great series for any young reader to dive into.”

An Anniversary Party

“The Baby-Sitters Club has inspired generations of readers with its timeless themes of friendship, responsibility, and community. As a public library, we strive to celebrate books that have made a lasting cultural impact while fostering intergenerational connections through reading. The series’ 40th anniversary provided the perfect opportunity to introduce these beloved stories to a new generation while giving longtime fans a chance to revisit the books that first sparked their love of reading,” says Emily Dowie Yoon, Librarian II, Adult Services, at Greenburgh Public Library in New York.

The library is hosting The Baby-Sitters Club 40th Anniversary Party on Aug. 21, rescheduled from July 21. “When I realized that The Baby-Sitters Club was celebrating its 40th anniversary, I immediately reached out to our Youth Services librarians to schedule a planning meeting. They were just as enthusiastic as I was about creating a meaningful celebration for our community. From the beginning, we wanted the program to capture the spirit of the series while appealing to both lifelong fans and first-time readers,” Yoon shares. “We found that the key to planning a successful anniversary celebration is understanding what has made the series endure for four decades. Our goal was to create an experience that blended nostalgia with discovery, so we incorporated a screening of the 1995 film, friendship bracelet-making, themed giveaways, and opportunities for attendees to browse and check out the books. We wanted longtime fans to relive cherished memories while inviting today’s children to experience The Baby-Sitters Club for the first time.” 

Yoon continues, “One of the best decisions we made was reaching out to Scholastic early in the planning process. Their generosity in providing promotional materials and giveaway items adds a special touch to the celebration and helps generate excitement for the event. My advice to other librarians is to embrace partnerships and focus on interactive, themed activities that encourage participation. Even with a modest budget, thoughtful collaborations and hands-on programming can create a memorable event that celebrates the enduring legacy of a beloved book series.”

Yoon and her team were prepped and ready … until the rain started. “Unfortunately, we had to cancel the event due to severe weather, including excessive rain and flooding in our area, which made it unsafe for patrons and staff to travel,” Yoon says. “While we were disappointed that we couldn’t celebrate The Baby-Sitters Club’s 40th anniversary as planned, the enthusiasm leading up to the event was incredibly encouraging. We received positive interest from our community, and we were grateful for Scholastic’s willingness to support the program.”

Weathering this disappointment may have a silver lining—the giveaway materials from Scholastic hadn’t arrived by the original July 21 date. Now that the program is scheduled for August, they’ll hopefully be able to be included in the program. Yoon advises, “I would encourage librarians to begin planning well in advance, especially if partnering with publishers or outside organizations for promotional materials or giveaways, as shipping timelines can be unpredictable. It’s also helpful to have a contingency plan for weather-related cancellations or other unforeseen circumstances.”

Like at the other libraries featured in this article, the BSC is particularly popular these days in graphic novel form. “The enduring themes of friendship, problem-solving, and growing up continue to resonate with young readers,” Yoon asserts. “One of the most rewarding aspects of planning [the party] was seeing how excited both library staff and community members were about celebrating The Baby-Sitters Club. The response confirmed that the series continues to have a devoted fan base across generations. I would absolutely encourage other libraries to consider similar programming.”

The anniversary party is “deeply personal” for Yoon. “I still remember borrowing my older sister’s copies of the books with their original cover artwork and eagerly reading through the series. I watched the television series throughout the 1990s. My parents even bought me the VHS tapes, which I watched over and over again. When The Baby-Sitters Club movie was released in 1995, my older sister and I saw it together in theaters. Those stories are woven into some of my favorite childhood memories and evoke a wonderful sense of girlhood nostalgia.”

Yoon appreciates how the series “made young girls feel seen. Each member of The Baby-Sitters Club had a distinct personality, interests, and challenges, making it easy for readers to find themselves in one of the characters. As a librarian, I wanted to honor the enduring legacy of The Baby-Sitters Club and celebrate the joy it has brought to generations of readers while ensuring that today’s children have the opportunity to discover its magic for themselves. Looking back as both a reader and a librarian, I especially appreciate Ann M. Martin’s ability to treat young readers with respect. She addressed real-life issues with honesty, empathy, and optimism. The books never talked down to their audience, which is one of the reasons they continue to resonate. It’s no surprise that The Baby-Sitters Club has remained a beloved classic for 40 years.”

Photos by Brandi Scardilli