BSC #1 - Kristy's Great Idea OR Sheep Are In!

    

Ah, the one that started it all! Dedicated to Ann’s childhood BFF (and the inspiration for Kristy), Beth McKeever Perkins.

Cover Art:

I ilke the original cover better because it’s the original and because the girls look 12… although I wouldn’t trust a one of them with my child. The new cover isn’t bad. I like that it gives us more of an idea of how Claud’s room really was and portrays the characters’ outfits better. I always liked the scrapbook pictures in the back of the newer books, but I wish they would change the pictures up every few books.

Plot:

I think we all know what this book is about – and the first of many GENIUS ideas from Miss Kristy Thomas – the creation of The Baby-Sitters Club! This book shows Kristy’s mother (right now her name is Edie; she’ll later be called Elizabeth) trying to find a sitter when her regular sitter backs out. Kristy watches as her mother makes phone call after phone call trying to find a new sitter. Kristy almost “chokes” when she gets the idea for the BSC. And thus, a monster is born.

Kristy recruits her friends, Mary Anne Spier and Claudia Kishi, to help with the club. She wants a third member, and luckily, Claudia knows just who to ask – Stacey McGill.

This book tells the story of each girl’s first babysitter job:

Kristy – her first job is for Buffy and Pinky McKeever – DOGS! I remember thinking it was funny when I first read this, but now I think it’s dumb. I don’t like bad dog owners and Mrs. McKeever sounds like one. Those dogs are crazy – sounds like they need some exercise and structure! And if they’re fine in the laundry room while someone’s home, won’t they be fine in there for a couple hours while someone’s not home? She makes $3.50.

Claudia – sitting for Jamie Newton, one of the most loveable characters in the series, I think. But it’s not just Jamie – it’s Jamie plus those 3 crazy cousins of his, Rob, Brenda, and Rosie Feldman. The cousins are monsters, but Claudia tames them by reading The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Where the Wild Things Are.

Stacey – her first job is for David Michael. Conveniently, “gorgeous hunk” Sam shows up and we see just how boy-crazy that “foxy chick” Stacey McGill is. Stacey’s wearing the gray outfit with yellow number 10s over it with silver whistles hanging from her ears. I remember that outfit so well!

Mary Anne – sitting for Watson’s kids! Karen – who is gigundoly annoying – and Andrew.  Karen’s only 5 in this book, and Andrew is 3. Not sure how he turned 4, but Karen turned 7. We also meet Mrs. Porter. I always felt kinda sorry for her.

The girls plan a pizza party with their babysitting money. Stacey, of course, tries to weasel her way out of it by saying she has to go to New York. Mary Anne later backs out because Mr. Spier won’t let her spend her money on a pizza party.  Claudia can’t go because her grades suck. This later works itself out, but causes the first fight amongst the club members because Stacey is a liar-liar-pants-on-fire.

Kristy ends up having to babysit for Karen and Andrew because Watson has an emergency with his ex-wife. Seth was out of town for the weekend, so Watson had to fill out paperwork at the hospital and help his ex-wife get home. Kristy ends up liking the kids. Good thing because Watson and Edie are engaged by the end of the book.

Bullet-Point Worthy Items!!!:

-          The girls are only 12 and in 7^th grade in this book.

-          Who else learned what “decorum” means from this book?

-          Whatever happened to Kathy once the BSC started?

-          I’ve ALWAYS wanted to know how to do the flashlight code Mary Anne created.

-          I never picked up on Watson never being home when his kids are visiting until I got older. Ms. Thomas has a date with Watson on Saturday night, and Watson is working Saturday morning – and he wants Kristy to babysit in the morning because his kids will be there. I get having to work, but did he also have to plan a date for that night? Spend time with your kids! Karen’s a MONSTER, but Andrew’s not so bad.

-          Watson brings Chinese over later (while his kids are visiting), but leaves his kids at home. Why not just bring his kids too? It can’t be because the Thomas’s house is small – Kristy later hosts a slumber party there.

-          Kristy waited until after school to talk to Mary Anne about the BSC – what, no lunch table chatter??

-          I don’t know why Stacey’s so weird about telling them she has diabetes – geez, Stace, it’s  not herpes.

-          Kristy (talking about Karen and Andrew) “I bet they’re brats.” I bet you’re right!

-          It cracks me up that the day the girls see their ad in the newspaper, Kathy is sitting for David Michael. Maybe Ms. Thomas wanted to give her a few more jobs before she completely dropped her?

-          Buffy and Pinky’s “mother” is named Mrs. McKeever – after Ann’s friend, Beth. Awww.

-          Claudia’s handwriting in this book is different than what we will come to know. And her spelling isn’t completely disastrous. Her terrible spelling is distracting in later books. I hate how dumb they make her look.

-          Mary Anne mentions Sarge (the Pike’s cat) in this book. Whatever happened to him??

-          Karen isn’t “’asposed” to talk about divorce and mommies and daddies because it upsets Andrew. He must be a pretty smart kid. I don’t know many three year olds who start crying over that kind of talk – they usually don’t understand. Andrew must be another Gabbie Perkins!

-          Oh memories – “Sheep are in.” I don’t think I’ll ever forget quote – or that Claudia said it “witheringly.”

-          It's nice that Chapter 2 isn't a "skip chapter" yet.

Outfits:

I didn’t fully appreciate all of them until I was older, although I was inspired a little by Claudia. I can’t remember which book it is, but Claudia says that she picks her clothes out of her closet with her eyes clothes. I tried that once. Not sure why her picks always made her look fabulous, but mine made me look like a retarded clown.

Claudia: Our very first BSC outfit! “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.”

Claudia: “…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. Her earrings were dangling jointed skeletons that jumped around when she moved.” Not too wild. I have skeleton earrings, but I only wear them around Halloween.

Stacey: “Stacey had on 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: “…was wearing a 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.”