In 1986, author Ann M. Martin introduced readers to a girl named Kristy Thomas and her Great Idea. Originally meant as finite series, The Baby-Sitter’s Club became a middle-grade publishing phenomenon, running from 1986 to 2000, and inspired several spin-offs, a movie and a short-lived television series–not to mention numerous real-life counterparts.
Women who grew up reading the books can still tell you which babysitter they most wanted to be like (Boy-Crazy Stacey, anyone?). “As I was touring for other books I’ve written in the last few years, I began to meet more and more older fans–fans who were in their twenties and thirties–who read the books when they were kids and said, ‘We loved the Baby-Sitter’s Club books but we can’t find them anymore’,” said Martin.
