Fabiola Velasquez Reviews *Babysitters Club: Kristy's Great Idea*

Review of The Babysitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea

Title: Babysitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea
Author: Raina Telgemeier
Artist/s: Raina Telgemeier
Publisher: Graphix
Publication Date: 2006

The Babysitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea is a graphic novel based on a book by the same name published in 1988. It deals with four friends, Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia and Stacey, who are seventh graders that create a baby-sitters club. They come upon various issues related to growing up while they establish the club. It is an excellent graphic novel for young girls and is filled with topics to which they can relate.

The Babysitters Club possesses a variety of elements of young adult literature. It is told in the point of view of Kristy, who has the idea for the club. Her ambition about the club demonstrates her early maturity and responsibility. The idea of a club of this sort can affect young readers positively by inspiring them to create a similar small business. The value of hard work is an important theme in the novel. Kristy and her friends are great role models for young girls. The Babysitters Club is simple in its plot as well as its drawings. The author makes it easy for readers to follow along and her drawings allow for us to feel what the characters are experiencing. The pictures make the book an enjoyable read.

The graphic novel deals with subjects that young girls can easily relate to. Several of them include Kristy’s divorced parents and her absent father, as well as her mother dating. She cannot get used to her mom’s boyfriend, Watson, but as the novel progresses she gives him a chance and finally accepts him. Her family’s situation is a realistic one. Although her father is not in her life, the book portrays her mother as being very involved. Another common theme that readers can relate to is that of peers growing up at different paces, which is shown in the novel with Claudia. Of the four friends, she is already wearing makeup and seems more concerned about her appearance. Girls like Claudia, who are in a rush to grow up, are so commonly seen in schools.

Further in the book, Claudia shares with her friends that her parents did not give her permission to wear makeup although she is still wearing a pair of skull earrings she is not supposed to. This incident in The Babysitters Club portrays that young girls should be in no rush to grow up. One of the more serious topics of the book is Stacey’s diabetes. It is difficult for children at this age to deal with friends who are sick. Stacey is hesitant to share with her friends about her disease because she is afraid of her friend’s reaction. Fortunately, her friends are supportive and do not tease her like the friends from her old school. The novel is overall optimistic and gives an encouraging message to young readers.

One of the elements of young adult literature that I noticed missing from The Babysitters Club was a diversity of ethnicities. The colorless pictures make the girls races undistinguishable, which made me assume they are of the same ethnicity. I feel that the lack of different cultures is made up for by the different personalities of the characters. They are all unique in their own ways and contribute their abilities to the club.

The novel deals with emotions that are important to young people, especially young girls. It made me think back to my middle school days and the way I felt when I was dealing with similar issues. I find it difficult for the same issues, though, to be relevant to boys. I cannot imagine the novel being read in a classroom and being enjoyed by both genders. The book being an adaptation from another novel makes it complicated for it to include issues that are happening nowadays to young adults.

The Babysitters Club meets the criteria for being considered young adult literature. Its themes are simple but are those that are important to teenagers and its sequels offer the idea of taking the journey of growing up with the four girls with deeper themes. I would definitely recommend The Babysitters Club to young girls and to those who read the original series. I, myself, read the originals and found this adaptation very enjoyable. The Babysitters Club offers young readers the understanding of a few topics in real life while still making it a fun read.