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The Baby-Sitters Club #29
Mallory and the Mystery Diary
Mallory and Claudia are helping Stacey unpack from her move back to Stoneybrook when they find an antique trunk in the McGill's attic. Stacey doesn't want the dusty thing, so she gives the trunk to Mallory...who finds an old diary at the bottom of it.
The diary belonged to Sophie, a girl who lived in Stacey's house in the 1890s. As Mallory reads deep into Sophie's diary, she discovers a mystery on their hands to solve, because Stacey's house isn't big enough for her, her mom..and a family of ghosts!
144 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1989
93 people are currently reading
997 people want to read
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,112 books3,054 followersAnn 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 memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
Ann gets the ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences, while others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events. All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows, and other times she simply chooses names that she likes.
Ann has always enjoyed writing. Even before she was old enough to write, she would dictate stories to her mother to write down for her. Some of her favorite authors at that time were Lewis Carroll, P. L. Travers, Hugh Lofting, Astrid Lindgren, and Roald Dahl. They inspired her to become a writer herself.
Since ending the BSC series in 2000, Ann’s writing has concentrated on single novels, many of which are set in the 1960s.
After living in New York City for many years, Ann moved to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York where she now lives with her dog, Sadie, and her cats, Gussie, Willy and Woody. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework. Her favorite thing to do is to make clothes for children.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/annmma...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
February 24, 2016
this is my first time reading this book!
wow, this was way better than I expected based on the synopsis. okay. stacey, mallory, and claudia find a bunch of cool old stuff in the attic of the 19th-century house stacey just moved into. one cool thing is a trunk, that mallory takes home and eventually opens to find victorian clothes and a victorian girl's diary. the diary details a mystery involving the girl's maternal grandfather accusing the girl's father of thievery. meanwhile, buddy barrett is having trouble reading in school and mallory becomes his tutor. she teaches him to love reading and they solve the mystery together.
highlights:
-buddy's eventual enjoyment of reading warms this little fakelibrarian's heart. seriously, the chapter where they read comics together and then make their own comics? or the chapter where they take turns reading encyclopedia brown stories to each other and solving the mysteries? so cute!
-mallory notes that she feels like her 11-year-old year has been a decade. well, it's definitely been more than a year by this point, and it will actually be over a decade long. february 1988 is when Logan Likes Mary Anne! came out (and mallory's 6th grade year started), and november 2000 is when Graduation Day came out (and mallory finally finished 6th grade).
-I love that stoneybrook legends have continuity. old hickory from Mary Anne's Bad-Luck Mystery is the jerk grandfather of sophie (the diary owner).
-in one cute chapter, charlotte johanssen reads Katie and the Sad Noise to stacey without showing her pictures, then shows her pictures and stacey realizes it's a christmas book. charlotte did this to prove a point that things are not always as they seem. I love how smart and level-headed she is.
-in general I just like the resolution to this. I like that old hickory couldn't stand to see his daughter's portrait but wanted to keep it so he got it covered up. I like that he was racked by the guilt of letting the rumors that jared (sophie's father) stole the portrait run wild, so he wrote out a confession and hid it. I love imagining the ghost of old hickory sneaking out of the cemetery, seeing mallory and buddy find his confession, seeing stacey and her mom displaying sophie's mom's portrait in their living room, and finally resting in peace.
lowlights:
-when describing the things stacey has to do for her diabetes, mallory narrates, "stacey is philosophical" since she would rather do those things than get sick. okay mallory, I look forward to when you get diabetes and you don't check your blood sugar and give yourself insulin injections because you're not philosophical enough.
-seriously, buddy can barely read and his teacher calls archie comics trash? UGHHHHH. any reading is better than no reading, you jerk!
-kristy dresses up as a "gypsy" for the seance. ugh.
the most boring claudia outfit ever:
-"Claud herself was wearing jeans, a plain white blouse, a pink sweater, white socks, and loafers."
other outfits:
-stacey: "Stacey, on the other hand, was in a much more typical outfit--a short-sleeved blue-and-white jumpsuit with cuffed pants. Parts of it were stripes, parts were solid. On her feet were high-topped sneakers laced only halfway up so that she could roll the tongue of the shoe down (extremely cool), plus she was wearing a lot of jewelry. I think Claud had made some of it for her."
-mary anne: "Mary Anne, who can be pretty funky in her own shy way, was wearing a very cool short printed jumper over a striped shirt...The jumper was white with a small red print, and the shirt was white with narrow, widely-spaced stripes."
snacks in claudia's room:
-pretzels (n.s.)
-ring dings (n.s.)
wow, this was way better than I expected based on the synopsis. okay. stacey, mallory, and claudia find a bunch of cool old stuff in the attic of the 19th-century house stacey just moved into. one cool thing is a trunk, that mallory takes home and eventually opens to find victorian clothes and a victorian girl's diary. the diary details a mystery involving the girl's maternal grandfather accusing the girl's father of thievery. meanwhile, buddy barrett is having trouble reading in school and mallory becomes his tutor. she teaches him to love reading and they solve the mystery together.
highlights:
-buddy's eventual enjoyment of reading warms this little fakelibrarian's heart. seriously, the chapter where they read comics together and then make their own comics? or the chapter where they take turns reading encyclopedia brown stories to each other and solving the mysteries? so cute!
-mallory notes that she feels like her 11-year-old year has been a decade. well, it's definitely been more than a year by this point, and it will actually be over a decade long. february 1988 is when Logan Likes Mary Anne! came out (and mallory's 6th grade year started), and november 2000 is when Graduation Day came out (and mallory finally finished 6th grade).
-I love that stoneybrook legends have continuity. old hickory from Mary Anne's Bad-Luck Mystery is the jerk grandfather of sophie (the diary owner).
-in one cute chapter, charlotte johanssen reads Katie and the Sad Noise to stacey without showing her pictures, then shows her pictures and stacey realizes it's a christmas book. charlotte did this to prove a point that things are not always as they seem. I love how smart and level-headed she is.
-in general I just like the resolution to this. I like that old hickory couldn't stand to see his daughter's portrait but wanted to keep it so he got it covered up. I like that he was racked by the guilt of letting the rumors that jared (sophie's father) stole the portrait run wild, so he wrote out a confession and hid it. I love imagining the ghost of old hickory sneaking out of the cemetery, seeing mallory and buddy find his confession, seeing stacey and her mom displaying sophie's mom's portrait in their living room, and finally resting in peace.
lowlights:
-when describing the things stacey has to do for her diabetes, mallory narrates, "stacey is philosophical" since she would rather do those things than get sick. okay mallory, I look forward to when you get diabetes and you don't check your blood sugar and give yourself insulin injections because you're not philosophical enough.
-seriously, buddy can barely read and his teacher calls archie comics trash? UGHHHHH. any reading is better than no reading, you jerk!
-kristy dresses up as a "gypsy" for the seance. ugh.
the most boring claudia outfit ever:
-"Claud herself was wearing jeans, a plain white blouse, a pink sweater, white socks, and loafers."
other outfits:
-stacey: "Stacey, on the other hand, was in a much more typical outfit--a short-sleeved blue-and-white jumpsuit with cuffed pants. Parts of it were stripes, parts were solid. On her feet were high-topped sneakers laced only halfway up so that she could roll the tongue of the shoe down (extremely cool), plus she was wearing a lot of jewelry. I think Claud had made some of it for her."
-mary anne: "Mary Anne, who can be pretty funky in her own shy way, was wearing a very cool short printed jumper over a striped shirt...The jumper was white with a small red print, and the shirt was white with narrow, widely-spaced stripes."
snacks in claudia's room:
-pretzels (n.s.)
-ring dings (n.s.)
May 8, 2022
Had to laugh at the beginning of this one when Mallory writes in her journal that she feels like she'll be 11 years old forever.
Who wants to tell her??? LOL sorry kid, but you're like an insect frozen in amber. An insect who will permanently be on the edge of puberty. HAVE A NICE DAY.
Mallory is typically one of my favorite babysitters to read from, but this one was a real miss. Just like in The Ghost at Dawn's House (the worst one of the series IMO, at least thus far in my reread), I found myself rolling my eyes so hard at these girls easily and totally believing that a ghost might be haunting Stacey's house. I feel like by middle school, you should be past believing in that kind of thing. I mean, I know there are adults out there who believe in ghosts, but still. (Which is so absurd and stupid I can't even, especially when their "reasons" are equally stupid. Why do you think a ghost has nothing better to do then hang around your apartment, unlocking doors and messing with your twinkle lights? How narcissistic do you have to be to think your life is so interesting that a ghost, who could conceivably go anywhere and do anything would choose to spend all of its days watching you make tofu scrambles and collages? Yes, I might be talking about a specific person.)
Anyway, while I could totally understand Mallory being fascinated by finding a diary from a girl her age from a century earlier, and I would absolutely have loved to find such a thing myself, when we get to this mystery of the stolen painting and potential haunting, it just got dull. Nothing spooky actually happens, and the answer to the mystery was so obvious, the girls ought to have been embarrassed for not only not thinking of it right away, but for being so mind-blown when little kids gave them the idea. I kind of wish the main focus had been on Mallory helping Buddy learn to read and maybe having some kind of connection between that and the diary instead.
So yeah, swing and a miss on this one. And I really hope there aren't any more ghost books coming up.
(Oh, and I should add: there is a scene in here that at the time most people probably would not have realized was offensive, but it definitely is. Kristy shows up at the "séance" the girls plan to hold to contact the girl in the diary (for fuck's sake), and she's dressed as "a gypsy" according to Mallory and calling herself Madame Kristin. Ugh.)
Who wants to tell her??? LOL sorry kid, but you're like an insect frozen in amber. An insect who will permanently be on the edge of puberty. HAVE A NICE DAY.
Mallory is typically one of my favorite babysitters to read from, but this one was a real miss. Just like in The Ghost at Dawn's House (the worst one of the series IMO, at least thus far in my reread), I found myself rolling my eyes so hard at these girls easily and totally believing that a ghost might be haunting Stacey's house. I feel like by middle school, you should be past believing in that kind of thing. I mean, I know there are adults out there who believe in ghosts, but still. (Which is so absurd and stupid I can't even, especially when their "reasons" are equally stupid. Why do you think a ghost has nothing better to do then hang around your apartment, unlocking doors and messing with your twinkle lights? How narcissistic do you have to be to think your life is so interesting that a ghost, who could conceivably go anywhere and do anything would choose to spend all of its days watching you make tofu scrambles and collages? Yes, I might be talking about a specific person.)
Anyway, while I could totally understand Mallory being fascinated by finding a diary from a girl her age from a century earlier, and I would absolutely have loved to find such a thing myself, when we get to this mystery of the stolen painting and potential haunting, it just got dull. Nothing spooky actually happens, and the answer to the mystery was so obvious, the girls ought to have been embarrassed for not only not thinking of it right away, but for being so mind-blown when little kids gave them the idea. I kind of wish the main focus had been on Mallory helping Buddy learn to read and maybe having some kind of connection between that and the diary instead.
So yeah, swing and a miss on this one. And I really hope there aren't any more ghost books coming up.
(Oh, and I should add: there is a scene in here that at the time most people probably would not have realized was offensive, but it definitely is. Kristy shows up at the "séance" the girls plan to hold to contact the girl in the diary (for fuck's sake), and she's dressed as "a gypsy" according to Mallory and calling herself Madame Kristin. Ugh.)
July 7, 2020
While I actually started reading around age 3 (thank you, my Granny's Dick and Jane books!), this series is what I remember most about loving to read during my childhood. My sister and I drank these books up like they were oxygen. I truly think we owned just about every single one from every one of the series. We even got the privilege of meeting Ann M. Martin at a book signing, but of course little starstruck me froze and could not speak a word to my biggest hero at that time. Once in awhile if I come across these at a yard sale, I will pick them up for a couple hour trip down memory lane, and I declare nearly nothing centers and relaxes me more!
December 15, 2023
Read via audio (narrated by Vanessa Johansson).
April 10, 2022
One of my favorites - super cute. Personal summary/spoilers in comments
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2019
Oh no. One of the kids that the BSC members babysit for has fallen behind his peers in reading. Buddy isn’t as fast as the other kids in his class. So Mallory is assigned the task of tutoring him. While all this is going on Mallory also finds a mysterious diary in a trunk that was in Stacey’s attic in her new house. This isn’t any ordinary diary though, it was written over 100 years ago by a 12 year old girl named Sophie! As she is reading through it she discovers that Sophie’s father was wrongly accused of stealing a portrait and the mystery was never solved if what actually happened to it. Can Mallory solve the mystery even though it was over 100 years ago? And can she also help Buddy in his reading during the process?? You will just have to read to find out.
December 3, 2022
Mallory and the Mystery Diary
Stacey has moved back to Stoneybrooke and Mrs. Pike sends Mal over with a casserole. Claudia is there and Mrs. McGill sent them all to put some boxes in the attic. It’s there they find a bunch of antique objects and a beautiful (locked) trunk. Mrs. McGill wants to throw it away because it’s taking up space, but Claudia and Mallory object. Mallory ends up getting the trunk and taking it home.
Since Buddy is having trouble reading, Dawn offers Mrs. Barrette one of the BSC members to tutor him. The triplets get the trunk open and inside are vintage lace clothes, hats, broaches, a blank book with pressed flowers, and a journal that belonged to a 12-year-old girl named Sophie in the 1800. Mal saves the journal for later, thinking that she hopes she can get Buddy as interested in reading as she is (she’ll be the one tutoring him).
At the first session, Buddy keeps trying to stall Mallory. She makes up a game using the flashcards that whatever words he gets right he gives 1 minute of free time. He has trouble sounding out words and his sister can read better than him (She’s five. He’s eight).
Mallory reads some more of the diary and finds out Sophie was very social and was in love with a boy named Paul. Sophie’s mother gives birth to a boy Edgar but dies afterward. The Grandfather comes into a lot of money but cuts off Sophie, her brother, and her father Jared because Jared is has a dark past. The Grandfather (Hickman) accuses Jared of stealing a valuable painting. Sophie is angry and didn’t think it was her dad. Vanessa and Mal talk about it and wonder if Sophie and Jared’s spirits still haunt the house and that’s why over the years the house has had such a large turn over. (Why would they haunt *this* house? Grampa Hickman, she said lived in a mansion? They’ve already said Stacey’s house isn’t that.)
Kristy, Karen, Emily, Andrew, and David Michelle spent the afternoon exploring the fourth-floor attic and find what they think is Old Ben Brewer’s furniture and some old antique toys. (I’m not sure why this chapter was even added).
At the next meeting they all throw around theories. Kristy wonders if Sophie’s grandfather Old Hickory (an old recluse who when he died left his nephew a fortune and told him not to give him a grave but he did anyway. Now his spirit haunts the cemetery).
Dawn wonders if Jared is *the* Jared that haunts her secret passage. Then they say Sophie or Edgar could have stolen the painting, but Mallory discredits this theory because Sophie would have used the diary to confess not lie.
Mal comes up with the brilliant idea to make reading fun for Buddy by bringing Archie comics and then having them make their own.
Mallory thinks to try a séance to contact Sophie or Jared. But Madame Kristine is definitely no Manfred Bernardo.
Charlotte teaches Stacey a lesson through a story that appears to be about one thing, but the pictures show something else that things aren’t always what they seem (people either but that’s another lesson).
Mallory lets Buddy solve some Encyclopedia Brown mysteries and he’s good at it. So she tells him about the diary and they go over to her house. Buddy while looking for clues in the trunk discovers a secret compartment and in it is a confession from Old Hickory saying that he had the painting painted over and just let everyone believe Jared did it. He wrote the confession knowing one day someone would know the truth. Buddy asks how the trunk got to Stacey’s and Mal said maybe the nephew moved somethings from Hickory’s place to Sophie’s (Hickory owned both houses). Then Buddy says maybe the painting is still there. And it is,
Mal finds a painting of ships with a ring showing. Stacey and her mom decide to hang it over the mantle. And Buddy he goes on to the middle reading level -the Robins- and he reads a chapter book (The Hardy Boys) with few mistakes. So Mal has the idea to take some of the treasury money and buy him a reward (the book the GOOPS) which I never heard of.
My Thoughts:
I am jealous! Stacey has a cool attic. Kristy has a cool attic. Attics have always been a fascination of mine because in stories and television shows the coolest and weirdest things are found in attics (like glowing Books of Shadows). I once had a friend whose bedroom was in the attic and we use to have sleepovers. Do you know what’s in our attic? Installation vents. Not very interesting. That and crazy squirrels that get a kick out of running back and forth (and also sounding like they’re tussling or oh GAWD I don’t wanna think of the alternative). Mal’s idea of bringing comics to read to show Buddy how fun reading is and then drawing their own comics was a GREAT idea! I use to love the Betty and Veronica comics. They’re still on my reading list and I’ve found quite a bunch of them on a favorite site of mine that has a the most MASSIVE selection of comics you will ever see! However, a little weird to wonder if an 8-year-old is in love with you and then think that wouldn’t be so bad. Uh YES, it would! I definitely have to give Mal points in this because the séance was also another cool idea! Not that I’d really know what to say if one of my grandparents or the spirits of my cousin’s twins started speaking to me through a host’s body (and I knew the person). But I really liked the mystery and it’s held up over the years. I remember how it was like OOO when I first found out what happened to the painting. For some reason, I even liked the cover of this one. Everything tied up nicely. I’m a HUGE reader so I was very happy that this one was extremely reading-related. Then I also liked diaries. I kept quite a few when I was twelve and thirteen and still have them believe it or not.
Rating: 8
Stacey has moved back to Stoneybrooke and Mrs. Pike sends Mal over with a casserole. Claudia is there and Mrs. McGill sent them all to put some boxes in the attic. It’s there they find a bunch of antique objects and a beautiful (locked) trunk. Mrs. McGill wants to throw it away because it’s taking up space, but Claudia and Mallory object. Mallory ends up getting the trunk and taking it home.
Since Buddy is having trouble reading, Dawn offers Mrs. Barrette one of the BSC members to tutor him. The triplets get the trunk open and inside are vintage lace clothes, hats, broaches, a blank book with pressed flowers, and a journal that belonged to a 12-year-old girl named Sophie in the 1800. Mal saves the journal for later, thinking that she hopes she can get Buddy as interested in reading as she is (she’ll be the one tutoring him).
At the first session, Buddy keeps trying to stall Mallory. She makes up a game using the flashcards that whatever words he gets right he gives 1 minute of free time. He has trouble sounding out words and his sister can read better than him (She’s five. He’s eight).
Mallory reads some more of the diary and finds out Sophie was very social and was in love with a boy named Paul. Sophie’s mother gives birth to a boy Edgar but dies afterward. The Grandfather comes into a lot of money but cuts off Sophie, her brother, and her father Jared because Jared is has a dark past. The Grandfather (Hickman) accuses Jared of stealing a valuable painting. Sophie is angry and didn’t think it was her dad. Vanessa and Mal talk about it and wonder if Sophie and Jared’s spirits still haunt the house and that’s why over the years the house has had such a large turn over. (Why would they haunt *this* house? Grampa Hickman, she said lived in a mansion? They’ve already said Stacey’s house isn’t that.)
Kristy, Karen, Emily, Andrew, and David Michelle spent the afternoon exploring the fourth-floor attic and find what they think is Old Ben Brewer’s furniture and some old antique toys. (I’m not sure why this chapter was even added).
At the next meeting they all throw around theories. Kristy wonders if Sophie’s grandfather Old Hickory (an old recluse who when he died left his nephew a fortune and told him not to give him a grave but he did anyway. Now his spirit haunts the cemetery).
Dawn wonders if Jared is *the* Jared that haunts her secret passage. Then they say Sophie or Edgar could have stolen the painting, but Mallory discredits this theory because Sophie would have used the diary to confess not lie.
Mal comes up with the brilliant idea to make reading fun for Buddy by bringing Archie comics and then having them make their own.
Mallory thinks to try a séance to contact Sophie or Jared. But Madame Kristine is definitely no Manfred Bernardo.
Charlotte teaches Stacey a lesson through a story that appears to be about one thing, but the pictures show something else that things aren’t always what they seem (people either but that’s another lesson).
Mallory lets Buddy solve some Encyclopedia Brown mysteries and he’s good at it. So she tells him about the diary and they go over to her house. Buddy while looking for clues in the trunk discovers a secret compartment and in it is a confession from Old Hickory saying that he had the painting painted over and just let everyone believe Jared did it. He wrote the confession knowing one day someone would know the truth. Buddy asks how the trunk got to Stacey’s and Mal said maybe the nephew moved somethings from Hickory’s place to Sophie’s (Hickory owned both houses). Then Buddy says maybe the painting is still there. And it is,
Mal finds a painting of ships with a ring showing. Stacey and her mom decide to hang it over the mantle. And Buddy he goes on to the middle reading level -the Robins- and he reads a chapter book (The Hardy Boys) with few mistakes. So Mal has the idea to take some of the treasury money and buy him a reward (the book the GOOPS) which I never heard of.
My Thoughts:
I am jealous! Stacey has a cool attic. Kristy has a cool attic. Attics have always been a fascination of mine because in stories and television shows the coolest and weirdest things are found in attics (like glowing Books of Shadows). I once had a friend whose bedroom was in the attic and we use to have sleepovers. Do you know what’s in our attic? Installation vents. Not very interesting. That and crazy squirrels that get a kick out of running back and forth (and also sounding like they’re tussling or oh GAWD I don’t wanna think of the alternative). Mal’s idea of bringing comics to read to show Buddy how fun reading is and then drawing their own comics was a GREAT idea! I use to love the Betty and Veronica comics. They’re still on my reading list and I’ve found quite a bunch of them on a favorite site of mine that has a the most MASSIVE selection of comics you will ever see! However, a little weird to wonder if an 8-year-old is in love with you and then think that wouldn’t be so bad. Uh YES, it would! I definitely have to give Mal points in this because the séance was also another cool idea! Not that I’d really know what to say if one of my grandparents or the spirits of my cousin’s twins started speaking to me through a host’s body (and I knew the person). But I really liked the mystery and it’s held up over the years. I remember how it was like OOO when I first found out what happened to the painting. For some reason, I even liked the cover of this one. Everything tied up nicely. I’m a HUGE reader so I was very happy that this one was extremely reading-related. Then I also liked diaries. I kept quite a few when I was twelve and thirteen and still have them believe it or not.
Rating: 8
May 7, 2025
I liked this volume, though I thought the B-plot of Mallory teaching Buddy how to read was more interesting than the diary A-plot.
Reveal:
Reveal:
July 1, 2021
4 stars. Such a fun mystery that Mallory and the girls go on. I feel like Mallory is a very underrated member but I love her and find that I really enjoy stories that are focused on her. This is only her third book in the series where her name is in the title but they are a fun time. This one just had the BSC bonding and having fun solving a mystery and I loved it.
August 5, 2010
when mallory brings a tuna casserole over to stacey & mrs. mcgill's house, stacey, claudia, & mallory unearth an old leather trunk in stacey's attic. it's taking up a lot of space & mrs. mcgill wants to throw it out, but mallory convinces the mcgills to let her have it. the only problem: it's locked & there's no key. after sitting with the trunk a few days, mallory finally lets the triplets break the lock after vanessa threatens to start speaking in rhyme. the trunk is full of old clothes from the turn of the twentieth century, which just fir vanessa. & in the bottom of the trunk, mallory discovers an old diary.
the diary is written by 12-year-old sophie in the year 1894. she lived in stacey's house with her parents. mostly she writes about school & crushes, but in the spring, she announces that her mother is going to have another baby. but there are complications, & she'll have to be on bed rest throughout the pregnancy. the baby, a boy named edgar, is born in october, & sophie's mother dies two days later. sophie's maternal grandfather, mr. hickman, is furious with sophie's father, jared, for allowing sophie's mother to have another baby when she was too frail to survive giving birth again. he vengefully writes jared, sophie, & edgar out of his will--which is a big deal, because he's the richest man in town.
the splot thickens when jared is convinced of stealing a portrait of sophie out of mr. hickman's house. sophie knows her father is innocent, but the townspeople side with mr. hickman & jared has trouble finding work & supporting the family. in the last entry, sophie vows to clear her father's name or her spirit will never rest. which leads to the obvious question: are the mcgills sharing their house with a restive adolescent ghost?
mallory shares the story in the diary with the other sitters & they want to solve the mystery. kristy suggests that mr. hickman may be old man hickory, last seen in book #17 when cokie mason lured mary anne to his grave to try to scare her & make logan dump her. the babysitters all agree to do some investigating & see what they can learn. when stacey sits for charlotte, charlotte points out that it can be helpful to try to look beyond the obvious.
mallory has a steady tutoring gig helping buddy barrett with his reading problems. she's gotten him excited about reading by letting him read & make comic books, & when he shows an interest in mysteries, she shows him sophie's diary. he investigates the contents of the trunk & gets his hand stuck in a hidden compartment containing mr. hickman's confession: after sophie died, he felt too sad looking at her portrait, so he hired someone to paint over it. when his friends noticed sophie's portrait was gone, he allowed them to believe jared had stolen it. buddy suggests that the portrait may still be in stacey's attic. they run over to look around, & find a painting of boats where some of the paint is chipped & an image of a bejeweled finger is peeking through. mrs. mcgill agrees to take it to an art restorer & see if it's the painting of sophie.
conclusion: it's sophie's portrait. the babysitters & buddy have cleared jared's name & sophie's ghost can rest easy. mrs. mcgill hangs the portrait over the hearth. mallory's inventive tutoring techniques have inspired a love of reading in buddy. he is moved into a higher reading skills group & no longer dreads school. everyone lives happily ever after.
i still have a soft spot for mallory books, & this one has the added bonus of a mystery diary, a secret trunk full of historical artifacts, & a dude named jared (my boyfriend's name). what's not to love?
the diary is written by 12-year-old sophie in the year 1894. she lived in stacey's house with her parents. mostly she writes about school & crushes, but in the spring, she announces that her mother is going to have another baby. but there are complications, & she'll have to be on bed rest throughout the pregnancy. the baby, a boy named edgar, is born in october, & sophie's mother dies two days later. sophie's maternal grandfather, mr. hickman, is furious with sophie's father, jared, for allowing sophie's mother to have another baby when she was too frail to survive giving birth again. he vengefully writes jared, sophie, & edgar out of his will--which is a big deal, because he's the richest man in town.
the splot thickens when jared is convinced of stealing a portrait of sophie out of mr. hickman's house. sophie knows her father is innocent, but the townspeople side with mr. hickman & jared has trouble finding work & supporting the family. in the last entry, sophie vows to clear her father's name or her spirit will never rest. which leads to the obvious question: are the mcgills sharing their house with a restive adolescent ghost?
mallory shares the story in the diary with the other sitters & they want to solve the mystery. kristy suggests that mr. hickman may be old man hickory, last seen in book #17 when cokie mason lured mary anne to his grave to try to scare her & make logan dump her. the babysitters all agree to do some investigating & see what they can learn. when stacey sits for charlotte, charlotte points out that it can be helpful to try to look beyond the obvious.
mallory has a steady tutoring gig helping buddy barrett with his reading problems. she's gotten him excited about reading by letting him read & make comic books, & when he shows an interest in mysteries, she shows him sophie's diary. he investigates the contents of the trunk & gets his hand stuck in a hidden compartment containing mr. hickman's confession: after sophie died, he felt too sad looking at her portrait, so he hired someone to paint over it. when his friends noticed sophie's portrait was gone, he allowed them to believe jared had stolen it. buddy suggests that the portrait may still be in stacey's attic. they run over to look around, & find a painting of boats where some of the paint is chipped & an image of a bejeweled finger is peeking through. mrs. mcgill agrees to take it to an art restorer & see if it's the painting of sophie.
conclusion: it's sophie's portrait. the babysitters & buddy have cleared jared's name & sophie's ghost can rest easy. mrs. mcgill hangs the portrait over the hearth. mallory's inventive tutoring techniques have inspired a love of reading in buddy. he is moved into a higher reading skills group & no longer dreads school. everyone lives happily ever after.
i still have a soft spot for mallory books, & this one has the added bonus of a mystery diary, a secret trunk full of historical artifacts, & a dude named jared (my boyfriend's name). what's not to love?
April 23, 2013
So Stacey moved back to Stoneybrook and there's crap in the attic. Including a mysterious trunk, which she gives away to Mallory and which makes so much sense. (Seriously, do relics from the 1890s usually sit around in attics without getting noticed when houses are sold? I didn't think that actually happened unless the house was handed down within a family or something.) There's a convenient little diary in the trunk (along with old clothes), and Mallory's totally into it. Because a girl her age wrote about her life in the 1890s, and she's excited about both reading it and getting one of the kids she sits for interested in reading to help her solve the "diary mystery."
I liked the idea of a diary being involved in the plot, because I always had a diary and probably would have written things similar to what the little girl from the 1890s would have. Except then the diary turned into a mystery story with a dead mother and a stolen painting, and everyone starts wondering if there's a ghost yearning for resolution. Conveniently, a confession explaining everything is in the same trunk, which was unbelievable to me even when I was a kid. Maybe this is why I hate mysteries; it's so hard to make an interlocking puzzle out of real-life events that is actually believable, and this failed harder at being believable than most mysteries, so it was disappointing to me.
I liked the idea of a diary being involved in the plot, because I always had a diary and probably would have written things similar to what the little girl from the 1890s would have. Except then the diary turned into a mystery story with a dead mother and a stolen painting, and everyone starts wondering if there's a ghost yearning for resolution. Conveniently, a confession explaining everything is in the same trunk, which was unbelievable to me even when I was a kid. Maybe this is why I hate mysteries; it's so hard to make an interlocking puzzle out of real-life events that is actually believable, and this failed harder at being believable than most mysteries, so it was disappointing to me.
Read
November 22, 2016In my quest to read all the BSC books in order, I found myself with another BSC ghost book without actual ghosts this week. I always love the Mallory books because she's bookish and always promotes reading. I loved that she used comic books to help Buddy, a very reluctant reader, enjoy reading. I know Mallory wants to be a writer but maybe her day job will be a Teen Services Librarian who promotes graphic novels and comics???
February 21, 2013
This is one of my favorites simply for the mystery involved. I'm a sucker for the Victorian/Edwardian era, and I always liked Mallory despite fandom and possibly canon's hatred for her. This one was a fun read!
April 5, 2018
This book is totally for mystery lovers. I loved this book. I wish I had been given that trunk. I would keep all the dresses. Lucky I don’t have a sister! I want you to READ THIS BOOK!
Thanks for reading this! I would be happier if you read the book, though.
Thanks for reading this! I would be happier if you read the book, though.
September 27, 2021
I don't remember if Mallory was ever one of my favorite characters or one I secretly loathed because she was most like me (and also the only BSC member with real pre-teen/teen body image insecurities), but I did enjoy this book.
Aside from the strange mention of a nose job (I either didn't understand what it was when I first read this book or perfectly understood why anyone would want to get one), this was a good read. Never realized how New England the BSC setting was (is it a thing to move out of your house and not take or at least trash all of your stuff with you?), and still think it's odd that anyone would place so much responsibility on an 11-year-old (while at the same time restricting what she can wear and when she should be back at home), but good read. (Although, with Stacey's strange need to "correct" Charlotte when she said "can" instead of "may" when she's supposed to be a math/fashion person instead if some grammar nerd, it occurred to me what kind of people the BSC target audience is supposed to want to grow up to be.)
Aside from the strange mention of a nose job (I either didn't understand what it was when I first read this book or perfectly understood why anyone would want to get one), this was a good read. Never realized how New England the BSC setting was (is it a thing to move out of your house and not take or at least trash all of your stuff with you?), and still think it's odd that anyone would place so much responsibility on an 11-year-old (while at the same time restricting what she can wear and when she should be back at home), but good read. (Although, with Stacey's strange need to "correct" Charlotte when she said "can" instead of "may" when she's supposed to be a math/fashion person instead if some grammar nerd, it occurred to me what kind of people the BSC target audience is supposed to want to grow up to be.)
July 27, 2017
Okay, so I always did like this one. Then again, I always liked Mallory. She was a nerdy type girl who loved to read and wanted to be an author, just like me. What wasn't to like!? This one was actually fun, and I can now (as an adult) tie this to a real life story. I actually met another writer who was in residence at a major university during a weekend workshop. She was basing her entire thesis around a diary she had found at a yard sale, and the girl who had written it. Seriously reminded me SO much of this book, since the diary had ended on a cliff hanger and you never find out what ACTUALLY happened to the writer.
So yes. Four stars for this, because I even liked the B-Plot with Buddy Barrett being taught to read by Mal. You go, girl!
So yes. Four stars for this, because I even liked the B-Plot with Buddy Barrett being taught to read by Mal. You go, girl!
December 27, 2018
The best part of this wasn't the mystery (though I love the pre-Mystery mysteries, they're more realistic,) even if I quite enjoyed Madame Kristin's séance. The best part of this book, surprisingly, was the "baby-sitting" (aka tutoring) that Mallory did throughout the book. I love that Mallory got Buddy excited about reading, and I loved the ways that she did it. (Although the more I think of it, the more I enjoy learning about Stoneybrooke's history and Old Hickory. I need to know if his son-in-law was Dawn's ghost!)
October 14, 2019
I'm shocked, surprised, and delighted that this was one of my favorites of the series so far. I know I've mentioned in previous reviews that I never really liked Mallory as a kid, so I'm continually surprised that I keep enjoying her perspective. As far as BSC mysteries go, this one was the strongest plot-wise so far--then again, Mallory is a little more practical than Mary Anne and I remembered the Phantom Caller a little too well already. But, nevertheless, creepy ghost story meets Baby-Sitters Club meets an actual sad story from the past that also happens to involve Stacey a lot (and she isn't whining about boys! yay!)
January 4, 2022
I really enjoy when I read the BSC books. It reminds me of when I first started reading plus some of these books I don’t even think I have read so it’s nice to read them for the first time.
Mallory is helping Stacy and Claudia move boxes up to Stacy’s attic when they come across and old trunk. Stacy’s mum gives Mallory permission to take it home however it’s locked and no one can seem to break the locks. Mallory enlists her brothers to break them and when they do she finds an old diary from the 1800s. Then the mystery unravels of whom this person is. She also teaches one of the kids to babysit how to fall in love with reading. Definitely a fun story.
Mallory is helping Stacy and Claudia move boxes up to Stacy’s attic when they come across and old trunk. Stacy’s mum gives Mallory permission to take it home however it’s locked and no one can seem to break the locks. Mallory enlists her brothers to break them and when they do she finds an old diary from the 1800s. Then the mystery unravels of whom this person is. She also teaches one of the kids to babysit how to fall in love with reading. Definitely a fun story.
September 11, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. I thought there was just the right amount of baby sitting vs outside drama. The mystery jumped the shark a bit but what do you expect?
I really enjoyed this quote from Mallory. “As I read I thought, how lucky I was. I mean, just to be reading. When you read you can sit in your room and travel back and forth in time,…”. Definitely felt that reading this book about the 80s.
Speaking of, if you need a fashion fix, p78 of this book gives a description of what each member of the club is wearing at the meeting. Have to laugh at Mallory’s “I ❤️ kids” shirt. The girl is only 11!!
I really enjoyed this quote from Mallory. “As I read I thought, how lucky I was. I mean, just to be reading. When you read you can sit in your room and travel back and forth in time,…”. Definitely felt that reading this book about the 80s.
Speaking of, if you need a fashion fix, p78 of this book gives a description of what each member of the club is wearing at the meeting. Have to laugh at Mallory’s “I ❤️ kids” shirt. The girl is only 11!!
May 27, 2020
I always forget how old Stacey’s house is, because I don’t think it’s ever mentioned as being that way in later books.
Books like this always made me want to find some old attic that I could explore, especially one with a mystery to solve. I remember my best friend and I reading this book and then searching hard to try and find a hundred year old diary in both of our houses, until our mothers told us that our houses were only, like, 20 years old. It was a huge bummer.
Books like this always made me want to find some old attic that I could explore, especially one with a mystery to solve. I remember my best friend and I reading this book and then searching hard to try and find a hundred year old diary in both of our houses, until our mothers told us that our houses were only, like, 20 years old. It was a huge bummer.
Read
August 27, 2020As a kid my best friends sister had the whole BSC series on a book shelf in her room. I thought she was so grown up. And I envied this bookshelf. And would often poke my head into that room just to look at it.
And when I read BSC, I felt like such a grown up.
And while I might have still been a little too young to understand some of the issues dealt with in these books, I do appreciated that Ann M. Martin tackled age appropriate issues, some being deeper than others, but still important
And when I read BSC, I felt like such a grown up.
And while I might have still been a little too young to understand some of the issues dealt with in these books, I do appreciated that Ann M. Martin tackled age appropriate issues, some being deeper than others, but still important
March 10, 2021
I recently read Paperback Crush, a book about the history of YA in the ‘80s and ‘90s and it got me feeling a little nostalgic so I grabbed this Baby-Sitters Club book while at the library yesterday since I was a huge BSC fan back in the day.
I am pleased to report that it held up. It was really cute and I would be just fine (excited in fact) if my daughter reads then when she gets old enough. I may even grab another one next time I am at the library.
I am pleased to report that it held up. It was really cute and I would be just fine (excited in fact) if my daughter reads then when she gets old enough. I may even grab another one next time I am at the library.
September 5, 2023
This was fun. I would totally have loved to discover an old diary at Mallory's age.
I do think it's a bit creepy that Though to be fair, I would've thought that was the coolest thing back when I was thirteen.
I do think it's a bit creepy that Though to be fair, I would've thought that was the coolest thing back when I was thirteen.
November 3, 2022
I loved the subplot of Mallory tutoring Buddy with reading and showing him that reading is fun.
Th me mystery was good too but when Mail suggested a seance I was just like, “GO TO THE LIBRARY!”
Kristy messing with them as Madame Kristen was funny.
The mystery was solved with good detective work.
I also liked how some Stoneybrook history and folklore was included.
4 out of 5 Portraits.
Th me mystery was good too but when Mail suggested a seance I was just like, “GO TO THE LIBRARY!”
Kristy messing with them as Madame Kristen was funny.
The mystery was solved with good detective work.
I also liked how some Stoneybrook history and folklore was included.
4 out of 5 Portraits.
March 5, 2023
When I was 10 I joined a readers club/group where we got a new book every week. I chose The babysitters club.
The books are fantastic! So enjoyable. I loved getting the book every week. They are super quick reads and I was able to read it in one day.
Highly recommend for young teenagers to read or even younger if they are able too read well.
The books are fantastic! So enjoyable. I loved getting the book every week. They are super quick reads and I was able to read it in one day.
Highly recommend for young teenagers to read or even younger if they are able too read well.
October 22, 2024
Mallory finds a diary in a locked trunk and discovers a mystery involving a missing painting. The side story involves Buddy Barrett who is having trouble reading. I REALLY did not remember this book at all but I was so glad that I re-read it because it actually really got my attention. I liked both the man plot and the subplot as well.
September 24, 2019
Three and a half stars
The story itself was pretty good but the ghost and which business especially from the older girls, got old the first time, still the bulk of the story was good
The story itself was pretty good but the ghost and which business especially from the older girls, got old the first time, still the bulk of the story was good
November 29, 2025
Fun and interesting for young audiences! A super quick read, and nostalgic for me. 🤭🫶🏼
For parents: the girls hold a seance in order to contact the ghost they believe haunt Stacey's house, but it results in a mockery of the whole thing. "Oh my lord" is used three of four times.
For parents: the girls hold a seance in order to contact the ghost they believe haunt Stacey's house, but it results in a mockery of the whole thing. "Oh my lord" is used three of four times.
December 6, 2018
I love the focus on the joys of reading in this story.
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