632 books
—
530 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Kristy's Great Idea (The Baby-Sitters Club, #1)” as Want to Read:
Kristy's Great Idea
(The Baby-Sitters Club #1)
by
Kristy thinks the Baby-sitters Club is a great idea. She and her friends Claudia, Stacey, and Mary Anne all love taking care of kids. A club will give them the chance to have lots of fun - and make tons of money.
But nobody counted on crank calls, uncontrollable two-year-olds, wild pets, and parents who don't always tell the truth. And then there's Stacey, who's acting more ...more
But nobody counted on crank calls, uncontrollable two-year-olds, wild pets, and parents who don't always tell the truth. And then there's Stacey, who's acting more ...more
Paperback, 153 pages
Published
September 1st 1995
by Scholastic
(first published 1986)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
To ask other readers questions about
Kristy's Great Idea,
please sign up.
Popular Answered Questions
اسلام البريم
It's Kind of A Great Book
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
okay, so i have never babysat a day in my life. is it surprising that no one would entrust their little precious dumplings to my care??
however - i loved these books. and lately, i have found my mind drifting back to this series, and i kind of want to read them again, is that bad?? they were such a huge part of my early reading life - i read them ever so many times, and took my favorite ones on vacation with me year after year when my mom told me i could bring a friend.(is that super sad?) i stil ...more
however - i loved these books. and lately, i have found my mind drifting back to this series, and i kind of want to read them again, is that bad?? they were such a huge part of my early reading life - i read them ever so many times, and took my favorite ones on vacation with me year after year when my mom told me i could bring a friend.(is that super sad?) i stil ...more
I am firmly convinced that, years hence, when Ann M Martin no longer graces the mortal coil with her presence, scholars will reflect upon the deceptively simple narrative lines of the Baby-Sitter's Club #1 and will discover the singing truths of human experience encoded in the mundane details of affluent suburban youth.
Like so many heroines before, Kristy attempts to reconcile her desire for autonomy with the crippling social restrictions on young females with her suburban Connecticut neighborh ...more
Like so many heroines before, Kristy attempts to reconcile her desire for autonomy with the crippling social restrictions on young females with her suburban Connecticut neighborh ...more
I am using the first Baby-Sitter's Club to represent the approximately, I don't know, 100 plus BSC novels I not only read, but owned, in my late elementary / early middle school years. I was in love with these novels and even belonged to the BSC Book Club, where two novels (in sequential order) were mailed to me every month (or bimonthly, I don't really remember). I was gifted the BSC board game, which was terrible, but amusing. My sisters and I even used these novels as "textbooks" when we play
...more
An irresistible re-read for 2018
The Baby-sitters Club was a concrete part of my 90's childhood. I use to take 3-4 books outside and read them in an afternoon. My cousins and I even wanted to start our own babysitters club!!
Just today ( October 15th, 2018) Goodreads posted a blog celebrating 80's YA paperbacks and my Elementary school still had Babysitters books so I just "had" to grab a few and take a walk down memory lane.
Kristin (Kristy) Amanda Thomas, Claudia Kishi, Mary Ann Spier, and Sta ...more
The Baby-sitters Club was a concrete part of my 90's childhood. I use to take 3-4 books outside and read them in an afternoon. My cousins and I even wanted to start our own babysitters club!!
Just today ( October 15th, 2018) Goodreads posted a blog celebrating 80's YA paperbacks and my Elementary school still had Babysitters books so I just "had" to grab a few and take a walk down memory lane.
Kristin (Kristy) Amanda Thomas, Claudia Kishi, Mary Ann Spier, and Sta ...more
Jul 07, 2011
Rhiannon
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2011,
ya-realistic
"The Baby-Sitters Club was a success. I, Kristin Amanda Thomas, had made it work." - Kristy, accepting the 1986 Mahatma Ghandi Award for Most Humble 12-Year Old Ever
Was Claudia described as having almond-shaped eyes:
Surprisingly, no. Although she was described as "exotic."
Was Mimi's accent described as rolling:
Nope
How many times was the word "incredulously" used:
Twice
What Would Claudia Wear:
-Short, very baggy lavender plaid overalls, a white lacy blouse, a black fedora, red high-top sneakers wit ...more
Was Claudia described as having almond-shaped eyes:
Surprisingly, no. Although she was described as "exotic."
Was Mimi's accent described as rolling:
Nope
How many times was the word "incredulously" used:
Twice
What Would Claudia Wear:
-Short, very baggy lavender plaid overalls, a white lacy blouse, a black fedora, red high-top sneakers wit ...more
Like so many '90s kids, I was obsessed with The Baby-sitters Club. OBSESSED. I still have most of my collection (I sadly got rid of the many doubles I had), but I haven't really revisited the series as an adult. I was afraid that they'd feel really dated and it would tarnish the memory I have of them.
But yesterday the nostalgia got too much for me and I decided to pick up Kristy's Great Idea for the first time in about 20 years. And while aspects of the plot certainly are dated (so much of it h ...more
But yesterday the nostalgia got too much for me and I decided to pick up Kristy's Great Idea for the first time in about 20 years. And while aspects of the plot certainly are dated (so much of it h ...more
I don't feel like taking the time to add the whole series. But C'mon, you know you read them...all 549085290 of them AND the spin-offs. Looking back, they were terribly written and not realistic at all...But that didn't stop us from dressing like Claudia or trying to start our own BSC.
This book made me feel guilty. As a little soon-to-be gay boy in the 1980s, I watched my older sister devour the Baby-Sitters Club series. She just ate them up. And I learned at a young age it wasn’t “appropriate” for young boys to like the same things as their sisters.
“Michael, take off those Madonna gloves!”
When I picked up the first of the super-popular Baby-Sitters Club series, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of guilt. Kristy’s Great Idea is book #1, and about Krsity Thomas’ idea of forming a ...more
“Michael, take off those Madonna gloves!”
When I picked up the first of the super-popular Baby-Sitters Club series, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of guilt. Kristy’s Great Idea is book #1, and about Krsity Thomas’ idea of forming a ...more
Nov 16, 2017
Cora Tea Party Princess
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Cora by:
Aoife
5 Words: Friendship, secrets, loyalty, family, responsibility.
That was cute.
I would have likely loved it when I was 12, and even now when I'm very much older it was a lovely read. I enjoyed the story, how the girls were introduced, the funny little problems they encountered. It was lovely.
That was cute.
I would have likely loved it when I was 12, and even now when I'm very much older it was a lovely read. I enjoyed the story, how the girls were introduced, the funny little problems they encountered. It was lovely.
Feb 20, 2017
Sarah DiMento
added it
This just popped up on my Goodsreads updates and now I'm feeling so nostalgic. I adored this series when I was a kid. Even just looking at the covers makes me happy. I'm really tempted to buy them all and read them again, but what if they're terrible now??
Sep 18, 2009
Dray
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
80s babies who are all now too old to be reading these
Recommended to Dray by:
they had colorful covers. that's all it takes
I'm terribly tempted to add all the BSC books to my goodreads for two reasons:
1. I'm at work doing absolutely nothing else.
2. It would make me look all badass with lots of books...until someone happened to notice that half of them are the Babysitter's Club books. My badass badge would then be taken away.
So I'll just add the first one. These books get five stars for the sheer entertainment value of 7-10 year old Andréa. I thought those girls were SO COOL. Stacy and Claudia were totally my favorit ...more
1. I'm at work doing absolutely nothing else.
2. It would make me look all badass with lots of books...until someone happened to notice that half of them are the Babysitter's Club books. My badass badge would then be taken away.
So I'll just add the first one. These books get five stars for the sheer entertainment value of 7-10 year old Andréa. I thought those girls were SO COOL. Stacy and Claudia were totally my favorit ...more
Nov 13, 2007
Jessica
added it
Recommends it for:
maybe little girls who hate to read, if you're really desperate
Shelves:
wee-ones-and-bored-teenagers
I can't rate these books, because giving a bad rating would be a lie -- I was crazy about them when I read them -- but giving them a good rating would be misleading because it would lead you to believe that they were good, and they're not. I mean, in a way they must be or they wouldn't have been so popular, but they're definitely Lame, especially when you consider how much incredible children't fiction there is out there.
The closest thing to these books for me is the Doors, one of the other few ...more
The closest thing to these books for me is the Doors, one of the other few ...more
Puntje 17 van de Verbeelding Book Challenge: "Een boek lezen waar je gek van was als kind". De babysittersclub. Ayup. Ik denk dat ik bijna alle boeken van de Babysittersclub reeks heb gelezen, back in the day, en het was fijn om even terug te keren naar die personages. Maar het boek als volwassene lezen is toch helemaal anders dan het boek als negen of tien-jarige lezen.
Looking back I'm a bit ashamed to admit I enjoyed this series so much. By no means are the books well written; the characters are flat, the plots predictable. Everything is dressed in a neat and tidy bundle, all works out in under 150 pages. You can almost hear the sappy music as the book draws to a close. Even as a preteen I recognized this was not great literature, especially as the series rapidly expanded, Ann Martin and what must have been a slew of ghost writers turning out books at an alar
...more
On one of my book challenges, I needed to read a book from my childhood. Plus, I'm in a pretty serious reading slump, and thought a short book would help me get out of it..
I loved these books when I was younger, I remember checking out a couple every time I went to the library as a child.
It wasn't a bad book, I enjoyed the nostalgia from re-reading it, and it was a quick read.
2.5/5.
(my ten year old self would've given it a 5/5)
I loved these books when I was younger, I remember checking out a couple every time I went to the library as a child.
It wasn't a bad book, I enjoyed the nostalgia from re-reading it, and it was a quick read.
2.5/5.
(my ten year old self would've given it a 5/5)
A Single Step, or, Adventures in Gayby-sitting
During Orientation Week in college, I made all the best friends I would ever need, thank you very much. This was the beginning of my Great Transformation. From an aloof, emotionally-reserved Band Geek in high school, I was embarking on a Journey that would make me a Free Man and a Cool Kid and in retrospect probably a complete freeloading burnout.
In that first week, I went with my new best friends to sit on "Mount Oberlin" -- a tiny hill that was the ...more
During Orientation Week in college, I made all the best friends I would ever need, thank you very much. This was the beginning of my Great Transformation. From an aloof, emotionally-reserved Band Geek in high school, I was embarking on a Journey that would make me a Free Man and a Cool Kid and in retrospect probably a complete freeloading burnout.
In that first week, I went with my new best friends to sit on "Mount Oberlin" -- a tiny hill that was the ...more
I never read a single one of these books when I was a kid, even though I was a kid when they were at their height. I was very turned off by their covers, and also by the fact that they were the popular thing to be reading at school....I tended to reject anything that was popular.
On the recommendation of friends who have fond memories of these books, I read the first book just last month and I can't believe how much I LOVED it. I've read two more since then. I've been encouraging my students to r ...more
On the recommendation of friends who have fond memories of these books, I read the first book just last month and I can't believe how much I LOVED it. I've read two more since then. I've been encouraging my students to r ...more
Decided I wanted to Re-Live my childhood and read all these books from start to finish! 4 childhood friends come together to start a BABY-SITTERS CLUB. All of these girls Have major differences but all manage to be great friends. In this specific book we find out a big secret that Stacy is hiding...but would her friends truly judge her if they knew? What a great and fast nostalgic read
Feb 03, 2019
Asheley
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
childrens-and-middle-grade
I reread this one in no time at all before listening to the corresponding episode of SSR Podcast, which was so much fun.
*
I read every BSC book over and over when I was young and honestly I could read them all over again right now. I can't remember many things I wanted more when I was young than to be in a cool club like the one in this books and to have BFFs as cool as these girls. I thought it was so cool that Kristy and Mary Anne lived next to each other and used their flashlights to signal-ta ...more
*
I read every BSC book over and over when I was young and honestly I could read them all over again right now. I can't remember many things I wanted more when I was young than to be in a cool club like the one in this books and to have BFFs as cool as these girls. I thought it was so cool that Kristy and Mary Anne lived next to each other and used their flashlights to signal-ta ...more
Jan 03, 2010
Ciara
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kids-books,
read-in-2010
always a classic. i read this one for the first time on my birthday in 1986. that was the year i turned seven. being a precocious reader, i was the target audience for the babysitters club series. i have been reading them ever since...24 years now, i guess. i'm not going to bother finding that at all shameful. it's an accomplishment!
these early books are kind of a yawn, because ann wrote them, & she doesn't have the same flair for drama & middle school catfights as some of the later ghos ...more
these early books are kind of a yawn, because ann wrote them, & she doesn't have the same flair for drama & middle school catfights as some of the later ghos ...more
I totally LOVED these books as a kid. I read all of them and my mom even signed me up for the book club, where they mailed you four books (sequentially) every month. I was so excited when they would arrive. Reading this one now, as an adult, definitely brought back memories of staying up late to find out what crazy adventure the girls were going to go through next.
There are a lot of people out there who feel that these books aren't well written and are completely unbelievable. I disagree. The bo ...more
There are a lot of people out there who feel that these books aren't well written and are completely unbelievable. I disagree. The bo ...more
When asked to name a childhood hero at a recent Feminist Club meeting, I instantly knew who to name: Kristy Thomas. Kristy is a tomboy, an alpha female, and totally gay (well, she gets a boyfriend later, but he is totally a beard). This book is girl love at its finest.
Mar 17, 2016
Krissy
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-to-my-sammy-girl
Since I read this to my daughter I allowed her to rate it. But I fully agree with her choice :)
Mar 28, 2018
Karielys
added it
its about 4 girls that started a babysitting club (Kristy,Claudia,Mary Anne and Stacie).its also about there adventures while baby sitting and some the kids they baby sit and there a secret with Stacie.
great introduction to the club and the characters, plus a glimpse into some of the challenges they are going to face. highlights include the buffy & pinky story (the saint bernards kristy "baby-sits") and the introduction of morbidda destiny/mrs. porter (the alleged witch who lives next door to kristy's stepdad-to-be watson) and boo-boo (watson's crotchety old cat whose belly touches the floor while he walks).
two claudia outfits:
-She was wearing short, very baggy lavender plaid overalls, a w ...more
two claudia outfits:
-She was wearing short, very baggy lavender plaid overalls, a w ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Jun 01, 2008
Tina Bryan
is currently reading it
this book is great book, I wished there was movie out to watch it Tina Bryan in ca
I hated these books so much, my grandma would buy them and then give me money for completing them.
A little walk down memory lane! These are pretty well written, and I enjoyed turning back the hands of time!
I loved this series as a kid. I read every one that I could get my hands on. Granted part of that was to gain an edge against my rival in an ever escalating battle to get the the most AR points but I still genuinely enjoyed them. So when I saw the first one as I was packing up all my books for storage I couldn't help but read it again. Some thoughts.
- I definitely remember them all being older than 12. If you had asked me yesterday I would have said 16.
- Claudia and her fashion! Yes! "Well you ...more
- I definitely remember them all being older than 12. If you had asked me yesterday I would have said 16.
- Claudia and her fashion! Yes! "Well you ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HMSA Summer Reading: Book Review; The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy's Great Idea | 1 | 2 | Aug 19, 2018 09:06PM | |
| STOP FIGHTING! I'M GOING TO DIE!!! | 6 | 67 | Nov 25, 2014 05:36AM | |
| the baby-sitter club | 13 | 68 | Nov 25, 2014 05:18AM | |
| Goodreads Feedback: Lost review after changing read to currently-reading and back | 4 | 49 | Oct 05, 2014 08:54AM |
Ann Matthews Martin was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane. After graduating from Smith College, Ann became a teacher and then an editor of children's books. She's now a full-time writer.
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood me ...more
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood me ...more
Other books in the series
The Baby-Sitters Club
(1 - 10 of 131 books)
16 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“I hoped that Mary Anne, Claudia, Stacey, and I - the Baby Sitters Club - would stay together for a long time.”
—
9 likes
“Sheep are in.”
—
7 likes
More quotes…
