BABYSITTERS CLUB REVISITED

Yesterday I arrived home from work to find a surprise package waiting for me from an old family friend, Alison Ledterman (now Maitlen).  I tore open the package to find a hard cover copy of The Summer Before (the Babysitters Club) by Ann Martin.  Ann managed to pump out a prequel to her beloved Babysitter's Club series almost 25 years after she published her first Babysitter's Club book!  I was instantly brought back those pre-teen years, where Alison and I would eagerly await for the next book to come out.  We would both bring our copies of the latest on our family trips to Mammoth and would spend hours reading, brainstorming scenarios of what could possibly happen next, and chatting about our favorite characters.  Eventually we grew out of the Babysitter's Club, but the series holds a special place in our hearts.

Not to miss out on what happened the summer before the BSC, I eagerly opened my new copy of the prequel and was shocked to see how big the type was.  Was it always like that?  Quite possibly considering the series is targeted at 10-12 year olds.  I still have my collection of pastel colored paperbacks in my closet at my parent's house.  I will have to check it out next time I am home.  That said I would love to recommend to Ann that she come out with an additional book of life AFTER the Babysitter's Club.  Considering her original readers are now 30+ it would be interesting to see what became of Kristy, Mary Ann, Claudia, Stacey and Dawn.  Did Kristy ever grow out of her tomboy ways or did she become a lesbian?  Did Mary Ann eventually marry Logan?  Did Claudia become a famous artist?  Is Stacey still boy crazy?  Ann, your readers want to know!