The Baby-Sitters Club Review

One of the things I have noticed that as I get older, certain childhood memories come back as if it was yesterday.

The Baby-Sitters Club premiered on Netflix last night. Based on the beloved books by Ann M. Martin, the series is updated to 2020 while remaining true it’s literary predecessor.

Bringing the main characters to the screen are Sophie Grace (Kristy Thomas), Momona Tamada (Claudia Kishi), Malia Baker (Mary Anne Spier), Shay Rudolph (Stacey McGill), Xochitl Gomez (Dawn Schafer), Vivian Watson (Mallory Pike), and Anais Lee (Jessi Ramsey).

I started watching initially for the nostalgia factor and was immediately sucked in. Though I was watching with adult eyes and adult experiences, my former thirteen year old self was watching it with me. It was still the BSC I knew and loved, but with a modern sensibility. I think what makes it feel like BSC with a 2020 twist was the casting. Choosing non-white actors for the roles of Mary Anne and Dawn was a brilliant decision. It was also a brilliant decision to cast Alicia Silverstone as Liz Thomas-Brewer, which made me feel very old.

I absolutely recommend it.

The Baby-Sitters Club is available for streaming on Netflix.

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Thoughts On The Baby-Sitter Club Trailer

There is something about a favorite book from your childhood. No matter how old one gets or what adult circumstances you find yourself in, reading that book immediately takes you back.

For decades, The Baby-Sitters Club has been a beloved series of novels for multiple generations of women. Written by Ann M. Martin, the books told the stories of an enterprising group of young women who start a babysitting business.

In July, a reboot of the beloved series will make its debut on Netflix.

My former thirteen-year-old self is doing a happy dance. To this day, I can’t help but smile when I think about what these books meant to me at that stage. There was a character that was relatable to everyone. The stories were both universal for the age of the characters and for general life experiences that we all can understand to one degree or another.

Looking back, I can see how the books inspired its former readers. The stories were not just about boys and romance (as much as one can be at that age). They were about young women who were independent and determined to succeed while doing a service to their community.

To say that I am looking forward is an understatement.

P.S. Ask anyone who grew up in the ’90s and they will tell you that the phone in Claudia’s room was the epitome of cool. Kids today with their own cell phones know nothing of what it was like to wish for a phone like that.

P.P.S Alicia Silverstone (Clueless) is playing Kristy’s mother. If that does not make us ’90’s kids feel old, I don’t know what does.

Flashback Friday-The Baby-Sitters Club (1995)

For many young book worms, The Baby-Sitters Club was a must read at a certain age.  Several generations of young girls have come of age reading and loving the series by Ann M. Martin.

In 1995, the books were made into a movie. The cast of then up and coming actresses included Larisa Oleynik as hippie Dawn, Rachael Leigh Cook as shy Mary Anne and Schuyler Fisk as tomboy Kristy. The premise of the movie is that while the girls are running a summer camp for the kids in the neighborhood, they are dealing with the growing pains that comes with early adolescence.

While some adult critics at the time might have dismissed the film, fans of the books (myself included) love it. Unlike other movies that are based on novels, The Baby-Sitters Club was true to its source material in narrative, character development and casting.

Do I recommend it? Yes