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The Baby-Sitter #1
The Baby-Sitter
From the minute that Jenny accepts the Hagen baby-sitting job, she knows she has made a terrible mistake. First there is the dark and gloomy Hagen house, filling her with dread and horror. Then the crank phone calls start. When she finds a threatening note in her bag, she realizes that this isn't a harmless game.
167 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1989
210 people are currently reading
3911 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Stine
1,679 books18.6k followersRobert Lawrence Stine known as R. L. Stine and Jovial Bob Stine, is an American novelist and writer, well known for targeting younger audiences. Stine, who is often called the Stephen King of children's literature, is the author of dozens of popular horror fiction novellas, including the books in the Goosebumps, Rotten School, Mostly Ghostly, The Nightmare Room and Fear Street series.
R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.
Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.
http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...
R. L. Stine began his writing career when he was nine years old, and today he has achieved the position of the bestselling children's author in history. In the early 1990s, Stine was catapulted to fame when he wrote the unprecedented, bestselling Goosebumps® series, which sold more than 250 million copies and became a worldwide multimedia phenomenon. His other major series, Fear Street, has over 80 million copies sold.
Stine has received numerous awards of recognition, including several Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards and Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Awards, and he has been selected by kids as one of their favorite authors in the NEA's Read Across America program. He lives in New York, NY.
http://us.macmillan.com/itsthefirstda...
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 460 reviews
April 30, 2021
Old school fun!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
October 26, 2018
Cool reading!
HAZARDOUS JOBS!
It wasn't what I was expecting, since I thought that it would be a slasher story, and instead it resulted in a mystery tale...
...but that wasn't something bad at all!
I thought that it would something like the movie, When a Stranger Calls, and since it was my first book of the Point Horror line, I wasn't sure if this one would be bloodier than Goosebumps, but since the book was by R.L. Stine, I think that it was just what I should expect...
...clever, with good ambiance and one heck of entertaining!
Sometimes, readers are unfair with books (or a book series) since some of them have a clear style, and it you take this book expecting to be something like It or The Shinning, and later they gave it a negative rating, well, I think that it's unfair, since maybe the book isn't that bad, it was just that they picked the wrong book for their particular interest on reading in that moment.
For me, this was a very good reading, since I was looking for something quick to read and with good narrative...
...and kept me guessing who was the villain, and even fooled me! So, it was just what I was looking for, even if it wasn't exactly what I thought first.
So, if you decide to take such hazardous job like baby-sitting (at least, you can bet that in a novel, TV series or movie, it won't be a simple work!), follow the rules...
...lock the doors.
...don't invite friends over (even less boy/girl/friends!)
...don't answer the phone!!!
Bwa-ha-ha-ha!!!
HAZARDOUS JOBS!
It wasn't what I was expecting, since I thought that it would be a slasher story, and instead it resulted in a mystery tale...
...but that wasn't something bad at all!
I thought that it would something like the movie, When a Stranger Calls, and since it was my first book of the Point Horror line, I wasn't sure if this one would be bloodier than Goosebumps, but since the book was by R.L. Stine, I think that it was just what I should expect...
...clever, with good ambiance and one heck of entertaining!
Sometimes, readers are unfair with books (or a book series) since some of them have a clear style, and it you take this book expecting to be something like It or The Shinning, and later they gave it a negative rating, well, I think that it's unfair, since maybe the book isn't that bad, it was just that they picked the wrong book for their particular interest on reading in that moment.
For me, this was a very good reading, since I was looking for something quick to read and with good narrative...
...and kept me guessing who was the villain, and even fooled me! So, it was just what I was looking for, even if it wasn't exactly what I thought first.
So, if you decide to take such hazardous job like baby-sitting (at least, you can bet that in a novel, TV series or movie, it won't be a simple work!), follow the rules...
...lock the doors.
...don't invite friends over (even less boy/girl/friends!)
...don't answer the phone!!!
Bwa-ha-ha-ha!!!
March 11, 2019
La historia de Jenny es algo que a pesar de que pasen los años, se siente real, porque es algo que sigue pasando y nos deja un poco incrédulos, en primera porque imaginar que algo así te pudiera suceder es algo aterrador, y en segunda porque es un suceso que sigue y seguirá pasando.
Los acosadores existen y recibir una llamada del mismo número, y que siempre te diga lo mismo enserio que me pondría los pelos de punta.
Una de las mejores historia de R.L. Stine, que se divide en cuatro partes, pero que en realidad se cuenta casi por completo en esta entrega.
¿Qué harías si en medio de la noche, en una casa desconocida el teléfono sonara a la misma hora, y una voz extraña te dijera que te está observando y muy pronto ya no estarás sola?
Lo sé, suena aterrador.
Los acosadores existen y recibir una llamada del mismo número, y que siempre te diga lo mismo enserio que me pondría los pelos de punta.
Una de las mejores historia de R.L. Stine, que se divide en cuatro partes, pero que en realidad se cuenta casi por completo en esta entrega.
¿Qué harías si en medio de la noche, en una casa desconocida el teléfono sonara a la misma hora, y una voz extraña te dijera que te está observando y muy pronto ya no estarás sola?
Lo sé, suena aterrador.
September 28, 2020
Welcome to my horror gateway book. It turns out I was an even bigger scaredy-cat as a kid than I thought I was. This book absolutely terrified me, so much so that when the phone rang at night for months afterwards I’d hear in my head,
There’s a weird neighbour hanging around, threatening phone calls and a babysitter with a big imagination who is fearing the worst. Oh, and let’s not forget the newspaper headline …
Note to my kid self: When you’re only introduced to a few male characters, it kinda narrows the field of potential male baddies.
I think as a kid I assumed the bad guy was going to be a stranger, because it was the 80’s and we were Stranger Danger all the way. It never occurred to me that you could actually know a villain so R.L. Stine probably didn’t even need to include any red herrings to fool me.
Jenny, who I can only assume failed Horror 101, does what all good potential victims do when they hear a strange noise in the house.
80’s Nostalgia Bonus Points
🎧 Jenny has a Walkman. Cassettes … Those were the days. I loved my Walkman so much, even after I learned that other people could hear me sing while I was using it.
⏰ Laura, Jenny’s friend, wears a Swatch, one of the coolest accessories of my childhood.
📸 Flashcubes are mentioned in a description. I haven’t thought of those in years. It could be my memory deceiving me but I’m almost positive I got a minor burn from one of those.
I probably should apologise to you in advance. There are three more books in this series, I own them all and I just realised that Jenny is in every single one of them. I wonder if she invests in an answering machine. Please don’t tell me she thinks it’s a good idea to babysit again!
“Company’s coming.”If you’re unfamiliar with this book, here are the basics. Jenny has a new babysitting gig for a family she’s only just met. Their house should be featured on a renovation show. The kid Jenny is babysitting, who looks angelic, has interests that range from watching Ghostbusters (awesome choice, kid!) to scaring the babysitter.
There’s a weird neighbour hanging around, threatening phone calls and a babysitter with a big imagination who is fearing the worst. Oh, and let’s not forget the newspaper headline …
THIRD BABYSITTER ATTACK HAS POLICE ON ALERT.This read was a fun trip down memory lane but the things that scared me as a child seem silly now. I could have sworn that Jenny answered at least another dozen creepy phone calls and I don’t remember it being so obvious who the big bad was.
Note to my kid self: When you’re only introduced to a few male characters, it kinda narrows the field of potential male baddies.
I think as a kid I assumed the bad guy was going to be a stranger, because it was the 80’s and we were Stranger Danger all the way. It never occurred to me that you could actually know a villain so R.L. Stine probably didn’t even need to include any red herrings to fool me.
Jenny, who I can only assume failed Horror 101, does what all good potential victims do when they hear a strange noise in the house.
“Who’s there?”For most of the book Jenny lets her imagination run wild, gets scared and second guesses pretty much everything. She waits for the final act, when she probably should be paying attention, to let her guard down.
80’s Nostalgia Bonus Points
🎧 Jenny has a Walkman. Cassettes … Those were the days. I loved my Walkman so much, even after I learned that other people could hear me sing while I was using it.
⏰ Laura, Jenny’s friend, wears a Swatch, one of the coolest accessories of my childhood.
📸 Flashcubes are mentioned in a description. I haven’t thought of those in years. It could be my memory deceiving me but I’m almost positive I got a minor burn from one of those.
I probably should apologise to you in advance. There are three more books in this series, I own them all and I just realised that Jenny is in every single one of them. I wonder if she invests in an answering machine. Please don’t tell me she thinks it’s a good idea to babysit again!
“Hello? Anyone there?”Blog - https://schizanthusnerd.com
October 13, 2019
Jenny finds Donny Hagen about to fall in the water fountain at the mall. Mom & Dad no where in sight. When they do finally find Donny & Jenny hanging out, they offer her a babysitting job. No questions ask. Also, babysitters have been getting attacked. But Jenny takes the job. Almost immediately she starts getting threatening calls, encounters a weird neighbor and spaced out like you would never believe. There’s no way I’d trust spacey Jenny to watch a child. She only makes 1 smart decision in the whole book. She annoyed so much that’s why I gave this only 2 stars.
September 8, 2021
Jenny starts her new job babysitting Donny, but with a Babysitter attacker being reported in the news it makes her even more nervous on her first day.
Stine really has fun with the jump scares here, most of the cliffhangers are weakly resolved - but that’s the fun part with these books.
All the classic tropes are used with creepy anonymous phone calls, a cat jumping out at Jenny and the obnoxious young boy.
I really enjoyed revisiting this one.
Stine really has fun with the jump scares here, most of the cliffhangers are weakly resolved - but that’s the fun part with these books.
All the classic tropes are used with creepy anonymous phone calls, a cat jumping out at Jenny and the obnoxious young boy.
I really enjoyed revisiting this one.
May 3, 2024
In R.L. Stine's teen "thriller" novel The Babysitter, which somehow has three sequels (I bought them all, ugh), incredibly naive protagonist Jenny Jeffers babysits at the Hagen residence, where an extremely anxious father and his wife want to get out of the house two nights a week, leaving their whiny, mischievous son Donny in Jenny's care. Jenny starts receiving threatening phone calls while babysitting at the Hagen residence, and red herrings then abound as Stine tries to throw the reader off regarding the true identity of the mysterious assailant.
This book has no logic to it at all. The point in this book where my eyes started bleeding was when Jenny was actively thinking that her boyfriend Chuck might be the one making the threatening phone calls...the ones she is so terrified of that she has called the police...and her reaction to this thought is then to rush across the room into Chuck's arms, where she proceeds to make out with him...
Yes, this is that kind of Stine book. Where the writing and plotting is super lazy and things just don't make sense. In another scene, Jenny is literally followed home by someone who has proven not to be who he claimed he was, and who Jenny has seen trespassing at the home where she is babysitting, and when she then runs from him to the Hagen house and tells the Hagens what just happened, their reaction is basically: "Hmm, that's too bad. Well, we've got an evening planned and we shouldn't cancel that, so we're still going out and leaving you here alone. But hey, if anything happens just call the police, they can be here in five minutes."
WHAT?!
How is their reaction to this not calling the police the second the words were out of Jenny's mouth? She may have just been followed to your house by a serial assault criminal, and you just pretend like nothing serious happened and you're going to carry on with your evening? Rofl. It's just plain stupid.
On the plus side, there were a few scenes where Stine captured the teenage vibe perfectly, and those scenes flashed me back to my high school days. The book also had a decent ending, and someone actually dies, which I don't see very often in R.L. Stine books!
Overall though, The Babysitter was a nonsensical read, and the red herrings were not done very well. Stine would have a character act really friendly and upbeat, and then later he'd have them act dark and ominous to try to make you think they were the villain. This just made these characters seem inconsistent, like they had bipolar disorder or dissociative identity disorder. It was weird in a "not good" way. Jenny is also naive to the point of idiocy, and I found myself rolling my eyes at her failure to realize certain blatantly obvious truths on more than one occasion.
On to The Babysitter II. After this, I can't say I'm looking forward to it very much.
2.5 stars
This book has no logic to it at all. The point in this book where my eyes started bleeding was when Jenny was actively thinking that her boyfriend Chuck might be the one making the threatening phone calls...the ones she is so terrified of that she has called the police...and her reaction to this thought is then to rush across the room into Chuck's arms, where she proceeds to make out with him...
Yes, this is that kind of Stine book. Where the writing and plotting is super lazy and things just don't make sense. In another scene, Jenny is literally followed home by someone who has proven not to be who he claimed he was, and who Jenny has seen trespassing at the home where she is babysitting, and when she then runs from him to the Hagen house and tells the Hagens what just happened, their reaction is basically: "Hmm, that's too bad. Well, we've got an evening planned and we shouldn't cancel that, so we're still going out and leaving you here alone. But hey, if anything happens just call the police, they can be here in five minutes."
WHAT?!
How is their reaction to this not calling the police the second the words were out of Jenny's mouth? She may have just been followed to your house by a serial assault criminal, and you just pretend like nothing serious happened and you're going to carry on with your evening? Rofl. It's just plain stupid.
On the plus side, there were a few scenes where Stine captured the teenage vibe perfectly, and those scenes flashed me back to my high school days. The book also had a decent ending, and someone actually dies, which I don't see very often in R.L. Stine books!
Overall though, The Babysitter was a nonsensical read, and the red herrings were not done very well. Stine would have a character act really friendly and upbeat, and then later he'd have them act dark and ominous to try to make you think they were the villain. This just made these characters seem inconsistent, like they had bipolar disorder or dissociative identity disorder. It was weird in a "not good" way. Jenny is also naive to the point of idiocy, and I found myself rolling my eyes at her failure to realize certain blatantly obvious truths on more than one occasion.
On to The Babysitter II. After this, I can't say I'm looking forward to it very much.
2.5 stars
October 14, 2019
1.75
Jenny was very annoying and I wouldn't trust her to watch a kid. Constantly imaging things that aren't there and panicking at every little thing. She also made no sense, like sure, let's make out with the guy we think is stalking us. That makes perfect sense! I liked Chuck (after awhile anyway at first he was obnoxious and couldn't understand when to quit), he was kind of adorable being shy and a class clown to cover up the shy-ness. The thing with Willers at the end also kind of bugged me but I can't say why for spoilers. And it was very predictable.
Jenny was very annoying and I wouldn't trust her to watch a kid. Constantly imaging things that aren't there and panicking at every little thing. She also made no sense, like sure, let's make out with the guy we think is stalking us. That makes perfect sense! I liked Chuck (after awhile anyway at first he was obnoxious and couldn't understand when to quit), he was kind of adorable being shy and a class clown to cover up the shy-ness. The thing with Willers at the end also kind of bugged me but I can't say why for spoilers. And it was very predictable.
November 12, 2020
Woo boy this was bad. I think that you of course have to allow for it to be written in the times it was (1989) but there's a lot of boys will be boys mess going on here. I didn't like the love interest for the main character because he was a jerk and was doing a great job of gaslighting her. The main plot (babysitters being attacked) is kind of ignored and the book jumps around a lot. Also the police in this book should have been hit with a lawsuit. The book kind of limped to an ending and I hope that means that Jenny has kicked her terrible love interest to the curb.
"The Baby-Sitter" follows teen Jenny. Jenny has agreed to babysit for the Hagens and watch their son Donny. Jenny runs into them at the mall and after saving Donny (whose name changes a couple of times in the book) they decide she will make a great baby-sitter. Jenny is nervous about the job, though she and her mom need the money. The town has had a spurt of baby-sitters being attacked and Jenny starts to worry she's next when she keeps getting creepy phone calls and finding a mysterious neighbor hanging around. Jenny also is trying to work through whether she has feelings for a new boy named Chuck. FYI, Chuck sucks.
I think the best part of the book is when Jenny is decisive. Stine just makes her too wish-washy after a while. I think there are moments when Jenny realizes Chuck is BS and the whole thing is wrong, and then she just excuses things he keeps doing. Started to make me grit my teeth anytime he was in a scene. That said, there's not much development for any characters here. We hear that Jenny has a hard time saying yes to things. Chuck is the class clown (he's an ass). Jenny's best friend is short and cute and everyone loves her. There's some implied shaming going on there with her too. The Hagens were a mess and the kid Donny made me check that I still have a hearty supply of birth control in my bedside table.
The writing was so-so. The flow didn't work at all. The chapters just ended at times or it felt like we got dumped into a scene that wasn't set up properly. This was via my Kindle and there were probably not enough page breaks going on. I also caught a lot of typos that were distracting after a while.
The ending felt like it came out of nowhere. But honestly you only have like 4 suspects in this one, so I just kind of shrugged about it.
"The Baby-Sitter" follows teen Jenny. Jenny has agreed to babysit for the Hagens and watch their son Donny. Jenny runs into them at the mall and after saving Donny (whose name changes a couple of times in the book) they decide she will make a great baby-sitter. Jenny is nervous about the job, though she and her mom need the money. The town has had a spurt of baby-sitters being attacked and Jenny starts to worry she's next when she keeps getting creepy phone calls and finding a mysterious neighbor hanging around. Jenny also is trying to work through whether she has feelings for a new boy named Chuck. FYI, Chuck sucks.
I think the best part of the book is when Jenny is decisive. Stine just makes her too wish-washy after a while. I think there are moments when Jenny realizes Chuck is BS and the whole thing is wrong, and then she just excuses things he keeps doing. Started to make me grit my teeth anytime he was in a scene. That said, there's not much development for any characters here. We hear that Jenny has a hard time saying yes to things. Chuck is the class clown (he's an ass). Jenny's best friend is short and cute and everyone loves her. There's some implied shaming going on there with her too. The Hagens were a mess and the kid Donny made me check that I still have a hearty supply of birth control in my bedside table.
The writing was so-so. The flow didn't work at all. The chapters just ended at times or it felt like we got dumped into a scene that wasn't set up properly. This was via my Kindle and there were probably not enough page breaks going on. I also caught a lot of typos that were distracting after a while.
The ending felt like it came out of nowhere. But honestly you only have like 4 suspects in this one, so I just kind of shrugged about it.
September 28, 2024
Holy guacamole, this book reminded me that during a thriller you are supposed to feel some anxiety. I remembered aspects of this somehow from when I was a kiddo, but it was still a good read in my 40s. It is predictable but also just fun to see how you ultimately get to the ending. Definitely will be moving onto the next book in the 4 books that are part of this.
June 12, 2018
1.75/5 stars.
I did not like the female lead at all. She just panics for every single thing, even before she gets the creepy phone calls. Also who in this world kisses someone who they think is stalking and trying to scare them?? O.o Makes no sense.
The story is messy and overall not realistic, but still it was bearable since it's a quick read.
I did not like the female lead at all. She just panics for every single thing, even before she gets the creepy phone calls. Also who in this world kisses someone who they think is stalking and trying to scare them?? O.o Makes no sense.
The story is messy and overall not realistic, but still it was bearable since it's a quick read.
January 10, 2022
This book scores on the tension building. It took the last few pages for me to find out who it was. The other side is that it feels rushed and could have been longer. Still a great read.
June 21, 2022
One of my pre-teen favs. I’m recollecting the Point Horror books as my mum gave my full collection away when I was living in Germany. I’m still grieving over this 😢
January 31, 2019
This has got to be the most famous of the Point Horror titles, and I'm amazed it hasn't been made into a movie yet. Come on, at least even a made-for-TV movie! Stine creates a likable lead in Jenny Jeffers, who starts a babysitting job around the same time as babysitters are being attacked. A lot of the scares Jenny creates for herself, as she has an overactive imagination. But there is a strange neighbour creeping around, and she is receiving scary phone calls (which are really quite sinister). Stine doesn't waste any words on unnecessary extraneous details as the suspense builds slowly but surely to a tense climax, making this still today one of the best YA psychological thrillers out there.
August 3, 2023
For a long time I put off reading the quadrilogy known as The Babysitter series by R.L. Stine.
I don't really know why but when you happen upon the first three books at Half Price Books it has to be a sign. Everybody says the fourth one isn't worth reading but I still keep an eye out for it even if it will only be from a collector's standpoint.
I can't say that it is because this is early in Stine's YA thriller writing career because well it says in the bio at the back that this was his 7th book in the genre. The first Fear Street book, The New Girl, came out a month before this.
The thrill of the plot is there especially if you have seen films like When A Stranger Calls where we don't really see any gore but get the suspense. Babysitting was never anything I ever did but the vulnerability of being alone in a new house in a neighborhood you know nothing about with people you have only just met...is palpable in relatability.
Jenny Jeffers keeps a seven year old boy named Donny from almost drowning in the fountain at the mall. His grateful parents, The Hagens, notice how their son has taken to Jenny and ask her to babysit for them. They just moved to a new house in a different neighborhood and need someone to watch Donny two nights a week, always going to important parties.
They agree to pay her $5 an hour (1989 money) because she has to ride the bus farther out than walking but Mr. Hagen will drive her home. Jenny and her mother really need the money so she agrees.
The first night, Jenny arrives at their home and it is an old fixer up that sets the scene for a haunted house. It is creepy but Jenny and Donny get along just fine with the only catch being that Mr. Hagen is a little bit of an overprotective father.
There is actual reason to be nervous as there seems to be someone out attacking babysitters. Three so far and two of them currently in the hospital recovering while is first is back home already.
Jenny locks the doors as she's told but the house still makes noise and Donny likes to play little pranks on his babysitters. It is no prank of a little boy when a loud knock comes to the door and the phone starts ringing. The forceful pound of a man called Willers who says he is the Hagens' neighbor next door and heavy breathing on the phone.
The next phone call is even worse:
"Hi, Babes. Are you all alone in that big house? Don't worry...company's coming."
Jenny is terrified as she should be because of these attacks on babysitters but part of her brain can't help but wonder if this all just a prank being pulled on Jenny by the new boy at school, Chuck Quinn.
He's cute but he's also a jokester with a weird sense of humor. One minute Jenny thinks going out on a date with him might be fun and then the next minute, Chuck does or says something so immature that it gets on her nerves.
Can't he ever be serious? Perhaps...if he is playing this joke on Jenny with a deranged, sick sense of humor...
When Jenny finds a note in her bookbag, the threatening contents the same words as the voice on the phone, she realizes that this is no joke...
Going into any more detail would spoil it for anyone who has yet to read the book but once we get to the point where we find a note, there aren't too many possibilities as to how it got there.
The reveal is not shocking as to who it is and the reasoning is plausible to also explain the character's actions. The climax isn't very climatic and the ending is quick with the normal amount of quirky wit you can expect from Stine.
Why it got any sequels to it is so far the real mystery but I understand publishers sometimes push writers for sequels even if they don't warrant one so maybe that was the case.
It isn't the best start but for me I can only hope that The Babysitter series gets better...
I don't really know why but when you happen upon the first three books at Half Price Books it has to be a sign. Everybody says the fourth one isn't worth reading but I still keep an eye out for it even if it will only be from a collector's standpoint.
I can't say that it is because this is early in Stine's YA thriller writing career because well it says in the bio at the back that this was his 7th book in the genre. The first Fear Street book, The New Girl, came out a month before this.
The thrill of the plot is there especially if you have seen films like When A Stranger Calls where we don't really see any gore but get the suspense. Babysitting was never anything I ever did but the vulnerability of being alone in a new house in a neighborhood you know nothing about with people you have only just met...is palpable in relatability.
Jenny Jeffers keeps a seven year old boy named Donny from almost drowning in the fountain at the mall. His grateful parents, The Hagens, notice how their son has taken to Jenny and ask her to babysit for them. They just moved to a new house in a different neighborhood and need someone to watch Donny two nights a week, always going to important parties.
They agree to pay her $5 an hour (1989 money) because she has to ride the bus farther out than walking but Mr. Hagen will drive her home. Jenny and her mother really need the money so she agrees.
The first night, Jenny arrives at their home and it is an old fixer up that sets the scene for a haunted house. It is creepy but Jenny and Donny get along just fine with the only catch being that Mr. Hagen is a little bit of an overprotective father.
There is actual reason to be nervous as there seems to be someone out attacking babysitters. Three so far and two of them currently in the hospital recovering while is first is back home already.
Jenny locks the doors as she's told but the house still makes noise and Donny likes to play little pranks on his babysitters. It is no prank of a little boy when a loud knock comes to the door and the phone starts ringing. The forceful pound of a man called Willers who says he is the Hagens' neighbor next door and heavy breathing on the phone.
The next phone call is even worse:
"Hi, Babes. Are you all alone in that big house? Don't worry...company's coming."
Jenny is terrified as she should be because of these attacks on babysitters but part of her brain can't help but wonder if this all just a prank being pulled on Jenny by the new boy at school, Chuck Quinn.
He's cute but he's also a jokester with a weird sense of humor. One minute Jenny thinks going out on a date with him might be fun and then the next minute, Chuck does or says something so immature that it gets on her nerves.
Can't he ever be serious? Perhaps...if he is playing this joke on Jenny with a deranged, sick sense of humor...
When Jenny finds a note in her bookbag, the threatening contents the same words as the voice on the phone, she realizes that this is no joke...
Going into any more detail would spoil it for anyone who has yet to read the book but once we get to the point where we find a note, there aren't too many possibilities as to how it got there.
The reveal is not shocking as to who it is and the reasoning is plausible to also explain the character's actions. The climax isn't very climatic and the ending is quick with the normal amount of quirky wit you can expect from Stine.
Why it got any sequels to it is so far the real mystery but I understand publishers sometimes push writers for sequels even if they don't warrant one so maybe that was the case.
It isn't the best start but for me I can only hope that The Babysitter series gets better...
May 2, 2012
I found the books in this mini-series for cheap at Half Price and decided to read them now that I have all of them. This was just an 'ok' R.L. Stine book. It was creepy, but nowhere near the best I've read. I actually liked the cast of characters. Jenny was a fun main character and I liked how she was always so paranoid about things going on. It reminded me of myself, since I have an overactive imagination. The little boy Donny that she babysat was meh. He got on my nerves a bit and made me remember why I never wanted to watch other people's kids. I had a love-hate relationship with Chuck. At times, he was cute and I felt bad that Jenny was being mean and rejecting him. Then, there were times where I wanted to punch him in the face for being obnoxious and I didn't blame Jenny for getting irritated at him.
The buildup of suspense with the creepy phonecalls and stuff was really good, but the ending was what killed it for me. I just didn't like it much and I felt kind of let down. I wish that there would have been more of an explanation about . I finished reading the last page, and I was like, 'Really? That's it?'. I also couldn't believe that .
The buildup of suspense with the creepy phonecalls and stuff was really good, but the ending was what killed it for me. I just didn't like it much and I felt kind of let down. I wish that there would have been more of an explanation about . I finished reading the last page, and I was like, 'Really? That's it?'. I also couldn't believe that .
April 21, 2025
I read this with my book club that I run on Instagram where we revisit Point Horror and other books from our childhood - @talespointhorrorbookclub
Tagline - Every step she takes, he’ll be watching.
Memorable For – Wondering why Jenny continues to babysit and an awful love interest that will make you 🤢
Some Thoughts -
The Babysitter is the first book in the Babysitter series, and the 3rd book R.L Stine wrote for the Point Horror series.
Jenny Jeffers is new to the area and gets recruited at the mall to babysit a six year old twice a week, Thursdays and Saturdays in a strange house and in a strange neigbourhood!
Because she needed the money for Christmas she agrees! But don’t worry with the help of Mr Hagens “rules” and Jenny’s wild imagination they have it totally covered.
Opppppssss did I mention the creepy heavy breathing phonecalls, eerie dark shadows and the folded up theatening notes that make the rules hard to follow!
Company’s coming Babes!
Other highlights include police who tell you to take down another number, a point horror girl with a very over active imagination, a 6 year old obsessed with horror films and hide and seek, a creepy old house and yucky Chuck the love interest who does questionable things with bananas 🤢
And even after everything that happens in this book Jenny still continues to babysit 😂😂
Tagline - Every step she takes, he’ll be watching.
Memorable For – Wondering why Jenny continues to babysit and an awful love interest that will make you 🤢
Some Thoughts -
The Babysitter is the first book in the Babysitter series, and the 3rd book R.L Stine wrote for the Point Horror series.
Jenny Jeffers is new to the area and gets recruited at the mall to babysit a six year old twice a week, Thursdays and Saturdays in a strange house and in a strange neigbourhood!
Because she needed the money for Christmas she agrees! But don’t worry with the help of Mr Hagens “rules” and Jenny’s wild imagination they have it totally covered.
Opppppssss did I mention the creepy heavy breathing phonecalls, eerie dark shadows and the folded up theatening notes that make the rules hard to follow!
Company’s coming Babes!
Other highlights include police who tell you to take down another number, a point horror girl with a very over active imagination, a 6 year old obsessed with horror films and hide and seek, a creepy old house and yucky Chuck the love interest who does questionable things with bananas 🤢
And even after everything that happens in this book Jenny still continues to babysit 😂😂
August 20, 2020
This is such a throwback read. I remember I used to read these books, while babysitting. I'd get so worked up and freaked out I'd practically run home.. I never said I was a smart teenager! 😂
I love that Stine makes everyone look shady as feck, aside from the person who ends up being the bad guy.
I love that Stine makes everyone look shady as feck, aside from the person who ends up being the bad guy.
October 14, 2019
1.5 stars, upped to 2 for a couple of creepy moments.
This chick was the worst babysitter ever. There's no way she'd get a job looking after my kids, or anything of mine actually. And if my kid behaved the way this little 'adorable angel' does, he'd be going to bed with a sore bum!
Too many plot inconsistencies and unrealistic decisions by the characters. far from being his best.
This chick was the worst babysitter ever. There's no way she'd get a job looking after my kids, or anything of mine actually. And if my kid behaved the way this little 'adorable angel' does, he'd be going to bed with a sore bum!
Too many plot inconsistencies and unrealistic decisions by the characters. far from being his best.
March 15, 2024
I loved this one! When Stine does hit with a good one it’s so much fun. Although most of the action takes place at the end, it’s a great little twist and the suspense was built up so well throughout the book.
Read
October 26, 2022Thrilling little book! I have no idea how to rate it, so I won't, but I did enjoy it despite shaking my head a handful of times ha.
October 9, 2025
Actual rating 3.5 but rounding up because it was a fun time!
February 15, 2020
It's been over 20 years since I read this.
It was a nice blast from the past re reading it, the tension building was as good as I remember.
I think this might encourage me to revisit more books it the point horror series.
The amount of errors in the text on the kindle version made for a frustrating read though.
It was a nice blast from the past re reading it, the tension building was as good as I remember.
I think this might encourage me to revisit more books it the point horror series.
The amount of errors in the text on the kindle version made for a frustrating read though.
November 3, 2016
I used to love these books and I was so excited to find this at a used book store and take a walk down memory lane. Unfortunately, all I could think was "who in the world can afford a babysitter twice a week?"
November 14, 2007
i could not put this book down. from begining to end it kept me hooked. i couldnt wait to see what would happen to the main characters. its as if their fears were my fears!
December 3, 2020
Yep. Just as creepy as I remembered.
November 24, 2018
Si lo que buscas es un libro corto que te ayude a despejar tu mente, éste es la mejor opción.
Mi opinión con los libros de R.L. Stine sigue siendo que son predecibles, pero no por eso dejan de ser buenos. En esta historia, nos encontramos con "la canguro" o "niñera", la cual es una chica que, aunque por un motivo sumamente raro, acepta cuidar de un niño que se encuentra perdido en el centro comercial.
La chica desde un principio se muestra perdida, asustada y con miedo a que algo le suceda, por lo cual ya sabemos que todo estará mal. A eso debemos sumarle que en la ciudad se han estado cometiendo asesinatos con las niñeras, que por lógica, nuestra protagonista también podría ser víctima de ello. Es así como vamos descubriendo una situación de tensión y ganas de escapar, después de raros actos que comienzan a suceder en casa, así como secretos y acciones que salen a la luz.
Se presentan diferentes personajes, todos para que jueguen con el factor de "quizá sea este o éste", pero si eres fan del género y sabes cómo distinguir, te darás cuenta rápidamente de a quién debes estar observando y el porqué de las cosas. Aquí debemos agregar que el niño al que se cuida tiene papeles fundamentales, pues debo admitir que a veces él me daba más miedo que las mismas situaciones en sí.
Debo a que se sitúa en épocas pasadas, se puede encontrar rápidamente referencias en cuanto a la vestimenta, forma de hablar y lo que en aquél entonces, se consideraba como una leyenda urbana popular, que era la de “el asesino de canguros”.
La historia me gustó bastante, no tiene 5 estrellas debido a que es predecible. Tiene algunos clichés, pero no son obsesivos y el peso de la trama se pone cada vez mejor. Recomendable, siempre y cuando no lo mires con ojos de ser demasiado crítico.
Mi opinión con los libros de R.L. Stine sigue siendo que son predecibles, pero no por eso dejan de ser buenos. En esta historia, nos encontramos con "la canguro" o "niñera", la cual es una chica que, aunque por un motivo sumamente raro, acepta cuidar de un niño que se encuentra perdido en el centro comercial.
La chica desde un principio se muestra perdida, asustada y con miedo a que algo le suceda, por lo cual ya sabemos que todo estará mal. A eso debemos sumarle que en la ciudad se han estado cometiendo asesinatos con las niñeras, que por lógica, nuestra protagonista también podría ser víctima de ello. Es así como vamos descubriendo una situación de tensión y ganas de escapar, después de raros actos que comienzan a suceder en casa, así como secretos y acciones que salen a la luz.
Se presentan diferentes personajes, todos para que jueguen con el factor de "quizá sea este o éste", pero si eres fan del género y sabes cómo distinguir, te darás cuenta rápidamente de a quién debes estar observando y el porqué de las cosas. Aquí debemos agregar que el niño al que se cuida tiene papeles fundamentales, pues debo admitir que a veces él me daba más miedo que las mismas situaciones en sí.
Debo a que se sitúa en épocas pasadas, se puede encontrar rápidamente referencias en cuanto a la vestimenta, forma de hablar y lo que en aquél entonces, se consideraba como una leyenda urbana popular, que era la de “el asesino de canguros”.
La historia me gustó bastante, no tiene 5 estrellas debido a que es predecible. Tiene algunos clichés, pero no son obsesivos y el peso de la trama se pone cada vez mejor. Recomendable, siempre y cuando no lo mires con ojos de ser demasiado crítico.
October 12, 2024
3.5, pretty good! The ending felt kind of rushed but I didn't really mind
June 13, 2017
3.5 stars
Chronique à venir...
Chronique à venir...
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