When I saw that Ann M. Martin was going to be appearing at Book Expo America/Book Con this week the little girl in me let out a shout of excitement. When I was in elementary school these were my absolute favorite books. I read them all over and over, even when I was really just a bit to old for them. Maybe this explains my adult love for YA novels?

As a kid I was lucky enough to have a best friend who loved to read as much as I did and a public library within walking distance. It seems like we spent every weekend and summer vacation either in that library or camped outside reading until the sun went down (and even after that by porch light). The Baby-Sitters Club series was a favorite of both of ours and we often raced up the stairs to the children’s room (much to the dismay of the librarian) to snatch the newest release from the shelf. Since our library usually didn’t have multiple copies, more often than not, we’d end up reading the book together adjusting our reading speeds so we one didn’t have to wait too long for the other. I don’t think there was one book in the series we didn’t love. We compared ourselves to Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, Stacey, Dawn and the others, we used their ideas when babysitting in real life, and felt that these girls could have been our friends. A book obsession of the highest order.

Needless to say that after seeing that Ms. Martin was signing books I went on a frantic search for my yellowed and well loved copy of Kristy’s Great Idea. Not finding it (I think it may be stored in my mom’s attic) I frantically searched the internet for a used copy with the “right” cover. Not the new, flashy, reissued cover but the classic yellow cover of my childhood. I found one and happily it arrived the other day. Even though I’m about 30 years older than it’s target audience, I just had to read it again–and still loved it. I’ll be taking it to Book Expo on Thursday and hope that Ms. Martin will make the little girl in me very happy by signing it. But even if she doesn’t, this trip down memory lane was well worth the money spent. It’s memories like this that make me hope my future children love to read as much as I do. And, Jen, if you end up reading this thanks for being my first and best bookworm friend ❤

Title: The Baby-Sitters Club Series
Author: Ann M. Martin
Rating: 5 Kid-Kits
Date Read: The first book came out in August 1986 and I’m pretty sure I read it when it was new or newish. Re-read in May 2014.
Reviewer: Jess