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The Baby-Sitters Club #95
Kristy + Bart = ?
Bart and Kristy are good friends. They go to dances or to the movies sometimes, but they're not really boyfriend and girlfriend.
Or are they? Lately, Bart seems a little more serious. Kristy doesn't mind, exactly. It isn't that she doesn't like Bart--she definitely does. But she's not sure if she likes him like that. And what's going to happen to their friendship if they become a Couple?
Or are they? Lately, Bart seems a little more serious. Kristy doesn't mind, exactly. It isn't that she doesn't like Bart--she definitely does. But she's not sure if she likes him like that. And what's going to happen to their friendship if they become a Couple?
135 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1996
About the author
Ann M. Martin
1,143 books3,116 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 39 reviews
April 14, 2011
i love the peter lerangis books about the love lives of teenagers. this one seeks to clarify kristy's very confusing relationship with bart taylor. since book #20, they have been variously described as boyfriend & girlfriend, friends that happen to be of different genders, kristy & her crush, kristy & a dude who has a crush on her, softball rivals, etc. continuity has never been a babysitters club strong suit.
the plot is pretty basic: kristy & bart are horsing around & they kiss. they have kissed before, so it's not really a big deal. bart invites kristy to a dance at his school & she accepts. they have been to a lot of dances together in the past, so again, not a big deal. they decide to see a movie together, & bart decides this would be a great opportunity to do some making out. unfortunately for him, kristy is pretty invested in the movie & doesn't appreciate bart's amateur technique. she asks him to give it a rest so she can finish watching the movie, & he does. but he still keeps his arm around her in the movie & on the walk home.
a few days later, kristy is babysitting for her younger siblings. she puts them all to bed & crashes on the couch to watch a mets spring training game. suddenly the doorbell rings. it's bart. he has invited himself over to watch the game. kristy doesn't think twice about it & lets him in, although she thinks to herself that it would have been more polite for him to call first. of course, the game is just a pretense for bart. he actually came out to try making out again. kristy is starting to get into it when she hears watson make a startled noise in the doorway. elizabeth is right behind him. they are not at all excited to see bart there. he beats a hasty retreat & kristy is in big trouble. watson & elizabeth have a no boyfriends/girlfriends in the house when no adults are home rule, & kristy has broken it. she is flabbergasted though. she never really considered bart her boyfriend, & so it didn't occur to her that she was breaking the rule by having him over with watson & elizabeth gone. she certainly did not intend for him to come over & start making out with her. elizabeth grounds kristy for the weekend, & kristy is enraged...at bart. she thinks the whole thing is all his fault. if he hadn't kissed her, she wouldn't be in trouble (she thinks).
once she is ungrounded & allowed to use the phone again, she calls bart & baits him into referring to himself as her boyfriend. she then dumps him & hangs up. but she starts feeling weird about it. after all, it's flattering that bart likes her. she likes him too. she just doesn't know if she likes him as a boyfriend, because she doesn't know if she's ready for a boyfriend. but that makes her feel weird because she thinks she should be ready for a boyfriend. after all, she's 13. mary anne & stacey are 13 & they have boyfriends. kristy is very conflicted & doesn't know what to think or feel. she decides to call jessi for advice, because jessi has a little bit of experience with boys, but is only 11, so kristy thinks jessi will be less likely to make fun of her. jessi is flattered that kristy wants her advice, but explains that she doesn't know how to help. she recommends that kristy call mary anne.
mary anne tells kristy that it sounds like she's just not ready for a boyfriend, & that's okay. she says that kristy shouldn't feel pressured to do something just because everyone else is doing it, or because she thinks she should, or to avoid hurting bart's feelings.
kristy calls bart & explains this to him, & basically says she wants things to go back to the way they were before all the kissing & everything. bart is all, "okay, but, um--" but kristy is like, "awesome! see you soon!"
the next time kristy sees bart, she's feeling good because he smiles at her & it doesn't seem like there are any hard feelings. she says she will be in touch about going to the dance, but bart says, "we're not going to the dance together. i don't want to go with 'just a friend'." kristy kind of freaks out while telling the other babysitters about this conversation. she doesn't understand. kristy & bart have been to other dances as "just friends". she thinks bart must be angry with her, & then she thinks maybe he asked someone else--someone that is more than "just a friend". the other sitters help her understand that even though she wants things to go back to the way they were before, bart may have hurt feelings & their relationship may have changed. kristy talks to bart about it & he confirms that he wanted kristy to be his girlfriend, & when she rejected him, it hurt his feelings & confused him. he says he has asked someone else to the dance, but he doesn't really know her & he's still too sad about kristy to be looking for a replacement girlfriend. he says it will take a little time for him to be friends with kristy again the way she wants, but he'll get there. kristy is sad, but she understands & knows she made the right choice.
i got a tiny bit enraged while i was reading this book. bart says at a couple of points that he decided he wanted kristy to be his girlfriend because, "i'm a guy, you're a girl, that's just the way things go, we kiss & stuff." if i was kristy, i would find that really insulting. like just anyone with a vagina who happens to hang out with him is enough to make bart want to date them? that if a girl decides to become friendly with bart taylor, she better steel herself for some kissing, whether she's into it or not? he seriously sounds like a date rapist in the making. "i'm a guy, you're a girl, you got into my car, how was i to know you didn't want to have sex?" also, bart never once asks kristy to be his girlfriend, or even if she wants to kiss, or hold hands, or have his arm around her. he just does all these things because he feels entitled to do them, & kristy is confused & doesn't know if it's okay for her to tell him to back off or stop or what. i really feel that bart is taking advantage of kristy a lot & that's he's a chucklehead for not catching on to the fact that she is confused & freaked out. ugh. bart taylor, you totally suck. this is probably the most i have ever liked & empathized with kristy, because i remember how fucked up & confusing it was to be a teenage girl dealing with the crazy-making overtures & privilege of teenage boys.
the subplot blows. the babysitters club decides to have their charges set "world records". for dumbass shit like "speed singing" & "potato throwing". there is a horrifying scene in which the children of stoneybrook waste like two packages of toilet paper, four bunches of bananas, a whole family-sized package of string cheese, three bags of potatoes, etc. these selfish, wasteful little bastards. in this same chapter, one of the sitters thinks about how much dawn would hate to see someone wasting a plastic disposable diaper. but dawn would be totally okay with all this food-wasting? i think not. margo pike once agains shows off her skills at peeling bananas with her feet, & i once again wonder what the fuck the pike parents are thinking, letting her waste bananas like that. hated this subplot.
the plot is pretty basic: kristy & bart are horsing around & they kiss. they have kissed before, so it's not really a big deal. bart invites kristy to a dance at his school & she accepts. they have been to a lot of dances together in the past, so again, not a big deal. they decide to see a movie together, & bart decides this would be a great opportunity to do some making out. unfortunately for him, kristy is pretty invested in the movie & doesn't appreciate bart's amateur technique. she asks him to give it a rest so she can finish watching the movie, & he does. but he still keeps his arm around her in the movie & on the walk home.
a few days later, kristy is babysitting for her younger siblings. she puts them all to bed & crashes on the couch to watch a mets spring training game. suddenly the doorbell rings. it's bart. he has invited himself over to watch the game. kristy doesn't think twice about it & lets him in, although she thinks to herself that it would have been more polite for him to call first. of course, the game is just a pretense for bart. he actually came out to try making out again. kristy is starting to get into it when she hears watson make a startled noise in the doorway. elizabeth is right behind him. they are not at all excited to see bart there. he beats a hasty retreat & kristy is in big trouble. watson & elizabeth have a no boyfriends/girlfriends in the house when no adults are home rule, & kristy has broken it. she is flabbergasted though. she never really considered bart her boyfriend, & so it didn't occur to her that she was breaking the rule by having him over with watson & elizabeth gone. she certainly did not intend for him to come over & start making out with her. elizabeth grounds kristy for the weekend, & kristy is enraged...at bart. she thinks the whole thing is all his fault. if he hadn't kissed her, she wouldn't be in trouble (she thinks).
once she is ungrounded & allowed to use the phone again, she calls bart & baits him into referring to himself as her boyfriend. she then dumps him & hangs up. but she starts feeling weird about it. after all, it's flattering that bart likes her. she likes him too. she just doesn't know if she likes him as a boyfriend, because she doesn't know if she's ready for a boyfriend. but that makes her feel weird because she thinks she should be ready for a boyfriend. after all, she's 13. mary anne & stacey are 13 & they have boyfriends. kristy is very conflicted & doesn't know what to think or feel. she decides to call jessi for advice, because jessi has a little bit of experience with boys, but is only 11, so kristy thinks jessi will be less likely to make fun of her. jessi is flattered that kristy wants her advice, but explains that she doesn't know how to help. she recommends that kristy call mary anne.
mary anne tells kristy that it sounds like she's just not ready for a boyfriend, & that's okay. she says that kristy shouldn't feel pressured to do something just because everyone else is doing it, or because she thinks she should, or to avoid hurting bart's feelings.
kristy calls bart & explains this to him, & basically says she wants things to go back to the way they were before all the kissing & everything. bart is all, "okay, but, um--" but kristy is like, "awesome! see you soon!"
the next time kristy sees bart, she's feeling good because he smiles at her & it doesn't seem like there are any hard feelings. she says she will be in touch about going to the dance, but bart says, "we're not going to the dance together. i don't want to go with 'just a friend'." kristy kind of freaks out while telling the other babysitters about this conversation. she doesn't understand. kristy & bart have been to other dances as "just friends". she thinks bart must be angry with her, & then she thinks maybe he asked someone else--someone that is more than "just a friend". the other sitters help her understand that even though she wants things to go back to the way they were before, bart may have hurt feelings & their relationship may have changed. kristy talks to bart about it & he confirms that he wanted kristy to be his girlfriend, & when she rejected him, it hurt his feelings & confused him. he says he has asked someone else to the dance, but he doesn't really know her & he's still too sad about kristy to be looking for a replacement girlfriend. he says it will take a little time for him to be friends with kristy again the way she wants, but he'll get there. kristy is sad, but she understands & knows she made the right choice.
i got a tiny bit enraged while i was reading this book. bart says at a couple of points that he decided he wanted kristy to be his girlfriend because, "i'm a guy, you're a girl, that's just the way things go, we kiss & stuff." if i was kristy, i would find that really insulting. like just anyone with a vagina who happens to hang out with him is enough to make bart want to date them? that if a girl decides to become friendly with bart taylor, she better steel herself for some kissing, whether she's into it or not? he seriously sounds like a date rapist in the making. "i'm a guy, you're a girl, you got into my car, how was i to know you didn't want to have sex?" also, bart never once asks kristy to be his girlfriend, or even if she wants to kiss, or hold hands, or have his arm around her. he just does all these things because he feels entitled to do them, & kristy is confused & doesn't know if it's okay for her to tell him to back off or stop or what. i really feel that bart is taking advantage of kristy a lot & that's he's a chucklehead for not catching on to the fact that she is confused & freaked out. ugh. bart taylor, you totally suck. this is probably the most i have ever liked & empathized with kristy, because i remember how fucked up & confusing it was to be a teenage girl dealing with the crazy-making overtures & privilege of teenage boys.
the subplot blows. the babysitters club decides to have their charges set "world records". for dumbass shit like "speed singing" & "potato throwing". there is a horrifying scene in which the children of stoneybrook waste like two packages of toilet paper, four bunches of bananas, a whole family-sized package of string cheese, three bags of potatoes, etc. these selfish, wasteful little bastards. in this same chapter, one of the sitters thinks about how much dawn would hate to see someone wasting a plastic disposable diaper. but dawn would be totally okay with all this food-wasting? i think not. margo pike once agains shows off her skills at peeling bananas with her feet, & i once again wonder what the fuck the pike parents are thinking, letting her waste bananas like that. hated this subplot.
March 24, 2018
in this glimpse into the perfection that is kristy by ghostwriter Peter Lerangis, bart is getting extra, to use a word Maud Hart Lovelace would approve of, spoony: he wants to make out at the movies, and put his arm around kristy, and do all those things that middle school couples do when they’re actually attracted to one another (I mean, he never asks for a hand job, but I think he’s working his way to it). but kristy isn’t actually attracted to bart because she’s gay. I mean, that’s not actually written in the text of the book, but I was 11 when I first read this and even then I read it as, “bart likes kristy; kristy likes girls.” one evening bart comes to kristy’s house while her parents are conveniently out, and when they come home they catch bart and kristy making out on the couch. kristy is grounded and blames bart, because he was the one who turned it into a makeout session when she was just trying to watch the mets game (because the ny mets are her favorite squadron). she dumps bart over the phone rather callously and then when she apologizes for it later, she doesn’t give him a chance to get a word out but is subsequently upset when he decides to bring another girl to a dance he and kristy were supposed to go to together. basically, they’re both 13-year-olds and therefore have no idea what they want to do and keep going back and forth. but in the end kristy and bart decide to just be friends and coaches of rival softball teams, not even romantically-tinged friends the way they had been before. the subplot is that the bsc creates a world records book of silly records, like most verses sung in “the old woman who swallowed a fly” or longest string cheese chain, with the bsc kids coming up with a lot of ridiculous world records.
highlights:
-kristy tries to get mallory to call henrietta hayes from Mallory Pike, #1 Fan to pitch record wreckers (the silly world records book) so she could tell her publishers. god, kristy has NO boundaries. I love her so much.
-bart tries to make out during a movie, and then his arm is resting on her shoulder and it's uncomfortable. and kristy's not into it and it's like that scene in but I'm a cheerleader where natasha lyonne’s boyfriend is passionately sticking his tongue down her throat with his eyes shut tight and her eyes are open and she looks bored.
-wondering if she's supposed to close her eyes while kissing, kristy narrates that people in the movies kiss with their eyes closed, "but they're supposed to be passionately in love. they're movie actors, not kristy and bart." similar to another moment in but I'm a cheerleader, melanie lynsky's quote: "It's really easy to be a prude when you're not attracted to him, isn't it?"
-when she’s grounded kristy basically spends the whole weekend fantasizing about killing bart. I mean, it’s a little ridiculous, but she’s just so funny.
-when abby finds out what happened she says, "all riiiiight, kristy! kissing bandit! whoooo!"
-they were supposed to have a record wreckers session at kristy’s house but she’s grounded, so she agrees to have it outside her house and yells down at them. her mom catches her and says she can't talk to them, so she pantomimes. her mom says she can't be seen by them, so she sends notes as paper airplanes. you can’t stop kristy from being kristy.
-the way kristy breaks up with bart: "dream on, bart man. starting right now, you are history."
-kristy asks jessi for advice because she's embarrassed to ask mary anne or stacey. jessi tells her to call mary anne, who tells her that it doesn't matter that she herself is ready to date, ages don't matter, if you're not ready then you're not ready. I feel like the implication is that kristy’s as emotionally mature as jessi, and 11-year-old. and I can’t say I disagree!
-when claud shows up in a bowling-themed outfit to babysit jenny, mrs. prezzioso thinks she's in a bowling league
-in ann's letter, she talks about how kids had asked for a story about a kid feeling pressured to be in a relationship they didn't feel ready for, and ann chose kristy because she "was the most likely character to find herself in this situation." I choose to believe that this is ann's subtle way of saying kristy is gay.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-kristy narrates something about how the bsc had to work out kinks, such as "the diversity problem." she means the charges having different sitters, but it still sounds sketchy to say that diversity is a problem.
-a lot of the records are really reckless and irresponsible. I just don’t buy that the bsc would let these kids do a lot of these things.
-the pike girls do a bubblegum spit and spit it into abby's hair. she has to get it cut out and she cries (which is weird...she's way too cool for that, not like some idiot on america’s next top model)
-kristy suggests bart join the bsc. he says he's a boy, and kristy says that logan's in it. bart says, "yeah, but that's because his girlfriend's in it." this shortly after introducing kristy to someone as his girlfriend. I'm sorry, bart man, but maybe you should make up your mind.
-kristy notices that when mary anne is talking and gesticulating, logan immediately takes her hand back when she's done. kristy sees this as a sign that they're effortlessly in love, but I see it as a sign that logan is controlling.
-mrs. prezzioso and mrs. newton assume it's okay to drop jenny and jamie off with stacey who is babysitting other kids without confirming (and presumably without paying)
-a reference to having the record wreckers show on saturday because "it was the only day mary anne's yard was free." were they hosting the neighborhood flea market every other day that week?
claudia outfit:
-"Claudia wore a bowling shirt with the name Ralph sewn over the front pocket, and matching loose rayon pants, gathered at the waist with a leather strip. She'd pinned her hair with a barette in the shape of two bowling pins."
highlights:
-kristy tries to get mallory to call henrietta hayes from Mallory Pike, #1 Fan to pitch record wreckers (the silly world records book) so she could tell her publishers. god, kristy has NO boundaries. I love her so much.
-bart tries to make out during a movie, and then his arm is resting on her shoulder and it's uncomfortable. and kristy's not into it and it's like that scene in but I'm a cheerleader where natasha lyonne’s boyfriend is passionately sticking his tongue down her throat with his eyes shut tight and her eyes are open and she looks bored.
-wondering if she's supposed to close her eyes while kissing, kristy narrates that people in the movies kiss with their eyes closed, "but they're supposed to be passionately in love. they're movie actors, not kristy and bart." similar to another moment in but I'm a cheerleader, melanie lynsky's quote: "It's really easy to be a prude when you're not attracted to him, isn't it?"
-when she’s grounded kristy basically spends the whole weekend fantasizing about killing bart. I mean, it’s a little ridiculous, but she’s just so funny.
-when abby finds out what happened she says, "all riiiiight, kristy! kissing bandit! whoooo!"
-they were supposed to have a record wreckers session at kristy’s house but she’s grounded, so she agrees to have it outside her house and yells down at them. her mom catches her and says she can't talk to them, so she pantomimes. her mom says she can't be seen by them, so she sends notes as paper airplanes. you can’t stop kristy from being kristy.
-the way kristy breaks up with bart: "dream on, bart man. starting right now, you are history."
-kristy asks jessi for advice because she's embarrassed to ask mary anne or stacey. jessi tells her to call mary anne, who tells her that it doesn't matter that she herself is ready to date, ages don't matter, if you're not ready then you're not ready. I feel like the implication is that kristy’s as emotionally mature as jessi, and 11-year-old. and I can’t say I disagree!
-when claud shows up in a bowling-themed outfit to babysit jenny, mrs. prezzioso thinks she's in a bowling league
-in ann's letter, she talks about how kids had asked for a story about a kid feeling pressured to be in a relationship they didn't feel ready for, and ann chose kristy because she "was the most likely character to find herself in this situation." I choose to believe that this is ann's subtle way of saying kristy is gay.
lowlights/nitpicks:
-kristy narrates something about how the bsc had to work out kinks, such as "the diversity problem." she means the charges having different sitters, but it still sounds sketchy to say that diversity is a problem.
-a lot of the records are really reckless and irresponsible. I just don’t buy that the bsc would let these kids do a lot of these things.
-the pike girls do a bubblegum spit and spit it into abby's hair. she has to get it cut out and she cries (which is weird...she's way too cool for that, not like some idiot on america’s next top model)
-kristy suggests bart join the bsc. he says he's a boy, and kristy says that logan's in it. bart says, "yeah, but that's because his girlfriend's in it." this shortly after introducing kristy to someone as his girlfriend. I'm sorry, bart man, but maybe you should make up your mind.
-kristy notices that when mary anne is talking and gesticulating, logan immediately takes her hand back when she's done. kristy sees this as a sign that they're effortlessly in love, but I see it as a sign that logan is controlling.
-mrs. prezzioso and mrs. newton assume it's okay to drop jenny and jamie off with stacey who is babysitting other kids without confirming (and presumably without paying)
-a reference to having the record wreckers show on saturday because "it was the only day mary anne's yard was free." were they hosting the neighborhood flea market every other day that week?
claudia outfit:
-"Claudia wore a bowling shirt with the name Ralph sewn over the front pocket, and matching loose rayon pants, gathered at the waist with a leather strip. She'd pinned her hair with a barette in the shape of two bowling pins."
May 22, 2024
My favorite line: “For some reason, I noticed his fingers dangling off my shoulders, like a bunch of mini-bananas.”
April 13, 2026
This book made me so sad as a kid because I always thought Bart was so sweet to Kristy in previous books. Reading this as an adult, they really ruined his character here.
Also, am I the only one who doesn’t understand the “eye exam Ralph” joke?
Also, am I the only one who doesn’t understand the “eye exam Ralph” joke?
April 10, 2022
I think I like the Kristy books the best. She makes me laugh with her arrogance and bossiness....but the girl gets things done. Summary in comments
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2022
The Babysitters Club is about seven teenagers (aged 13 and 11) who babysit in a fictional town called Stoneybrook. Each girl narrates per book. This one is about Kristy Thomas, who is the president of the club. She is 13 years old and is the founder of the Babysitters Club.
Kristy is basically the tomboy of the club. She lives in a big family of six siblings and her mom, Watson (her stepfather), and grandmother. Kristy also manages a softball team made up of neighbourhood kids called Kristy’s Krushers. They are all the kids who are too young to go to Little League. Her team versus the Bashers who are lead by another 13 year old called Bart.
This book was mainly about Kristy and Bart’s potential romantic relationship. Kristy gets grounded after her parents caught her and Bart kissing. Not gonna lie, I strongly dislike Bart as he decides on a couple of points that he decides Kristy should be his girlfriend as “I’m a guy, you’re a girl, that’s just the way things go, we kiss & stuff.” If I were Kristy, I would find that very insulting. Like just anyone with a vagina who happens to hang out with him is enough to make Bart want to date them? that if a girl decides to become friendly with Bart Taylor, she better steel herself for some kissing, whether she’s into it or not? he seriously sounds like a date rapist in the making. “I’m a guy, you’re a girl, you got into my car, how was i to know you didn’t want to have sex?” also, Bart never once asks Kristy to be his girlfriend, or even if she wants to kiss, or hold hands, or have his arm around her. he just does all these things because he feels entitled to do them, & Kristy is confused & doesn’t know if it’s okay for her to tell him to back off or stop or what. i really feel that Bart is taking advantage of Kristy a lot & that’s he’s a chucklehead for not catching on to the fact that she is confused & freaked out. ugh. Bart Taylor, you totally suck. This is probably the most i have ever liked & empathized with Kristy, because i remember how fucked up & confusing it was to be a teenage girl dealing with the crazy-making overtures & privilege of teenage boys.
There is an author’s note at the back of the book explaining that the Ann. Martin wanted to address that she wrote this book to tell young people it is okay not being ready for a relationship.
Kristy is basically the tomboy of the club. She lives in a big family of six siblings and her mom, Watson (her stepfather), and grandmother. Kristy also manages a softball team made up of neighbourhood kids called Kristy’s Krushers. They are all the kids who are too young to go to Little League. Her team versus the Bashers who are lead by another 13 year old called Bart.
This book was mainly about Kristy and Bart’s potential romantic relationship. Kristy gets grounded after her parents caught her and Bart kissing. Not gonna lie, I strongly dislike Bart as he decides on a couple of points that he decides Kristy should be his girlfriend as “I’m a guy, you’re a girl, that’s just the way things go, we kiss & stuff.” If I were Kristy, I would find that very insulting. Like just anyone with a vagina who happens to hang out with him is enough to make Bart want to date them? that if a girl decides to become friendly with Bart Taylor, she better steel herself for some kissing, whether she’s into it or not? he seriously sounds like a date rapist in the making. “I’m a guy, you’re a girl, you got into my car, how was i to know you didn’t want to have sex?” also, Bart never once asks Kristy to be his girlfriend, or even if she wants to kiss, or hold hands, or have his arm around her. he just does all these things because he feels entitled to do them, & Kristy is confused & doesn’t know if it’s okay for her to tell him to back off or stop or what. i really feel that Bart is taking advantage of Kristy a lot & that’s he’s a chucklehead for not catching on to the fact that she is confused & freaked out. ugh. Bart Taylor, you totally suck. This is probably the most i have ever liked & empathized with Kristy, because i remember how fucked up & confusing it was to be a teenage girl dealing with the crazy-making overtures & privilege of teenage boys.
There is an author’s note at the back of the book explaining that the Ann. Martin wanted to address that she wrote this book to tell young people it is okay not being ready for a relationship.
May 4, 2022
I liked this one, despite it's bittersweet-seeming ending. I felt Kristy's discomfort at how the situation with Bart was progressing, and I liked the revelation that things maybe can't go back to how they were. Mostly, though, it was refreshing to read a BSC book that showed that everyone grows at different rates, and it's okay to not be practically married at 13.
Also, I could totally tell just from the first few pages it was a Peter Lerangis written book, and he was pretty perfect for it. Kristy being grounded was hilarious, finding ways to get around it. And it was just so on-brand for Kristy to assume that the "no boy/girlfriends" rule didn't apply when Kristy and Bart weren't exactly dating, and he had just come over to watch baseball anyway.
Wasn't a fan of the records sub-plot, it got tiring reading of kids hucking potatoes or eating cereal. It was a little too chaotic, which was too much of a contrast to the kind of introspective tone of the rest of the book. (Also, does the BSC really have to plan events every other week for the neighbourhood kids? It's exhausting.)
Also, I could totally tell just from the first few pages it was a Peter Lerangis written book, and he was pretty perfect for it. Kristy being grounded was hilarious, finding ways to get around it. And it was just so on-brand for Kristy to assume that the "no boy/girlfriends" rule didn't apply when Kristy and Bart weren't exactly dating, and he had just come over to watch baseball anyway.
Wasn't a fan of the records sub-plot, it got tiring reading of kids hucking potatoes or eating cereal. It was a little too chaotic, which was too much of a contrast to the kind of introspective tone of the rest of the book. (Also, does the BSC really have to plan events every other week for the neighbourhood kids? It's exhausting.)
August 17, 2023
Lol Kristy and her awkwardness at serious conversations.
I do like that this book talks about feeling expected to mature at a certain rate but then realizing you're not quite ready yet and that's okay. As badly as Kristy handled it (LOL! To the ghostwriter's credit, it was a truly hilarious and relatable scene), good for her for deciding to go through romance at her own pace. Even if it means not yet being boyfriend girlfriend. And good on Bart as well for handling it maturely (much more maturely than most boys would've, I imagine, so he's seriously romance hero material here).
I also love the awkward descriptions of their kisses and Bart's attempts to put his arm around Kristy. Cringeworthy, and very relatable.
The subplot about the kiddie records doesn't quite hold up for me, coz all the kids can just create whatever records they want? What if no one else cared about those records and only one kid attempted it? And as for the final "book", was it just a random list of "records"?
5 stars for the main plot, eye roll on the subplot.
I do like that this book talks about feeling expected to mature at a certain rate but then realizing you're not quite ready yet and that's okay. As badly as Kristy handled it (LOL! To the ghostwriter's credit, it was a truly hilarious and relatable scene), good for her for deciding to go through romance at her own pace. Even if it means not yet being boyfriend girlfriend. And good on Bart as well for handling it maturely (much more maturely than most boys would've, I imagine, so he's seriously romance hero material here).
I also love the awkward descriptions of their kisses and Bart's attempts to put his arm around Kristy. Cringeworthy, and very relatable.
The subplot about the kiddie records doesn't quite hold up for me, coz all the kids can just create whatever records they want? What if no one else cared about those records and only one kid attempted it? And as for the final "book", was it just a random list of "records"?
5 stars for the main plot, eye roll on the subplot.
April 12, 2026
Kristy and Bart are my favorite BSC couple, so this was a tough read, right up there with the book where Mimi dies.
Any time Kristy has a storyline that doesn’t involve a big baby-sitting ordeal, I’m reminded that she can actually be a very fun character. I genuinely laughed at all the ways she subverted being grounded. I loved her various meltdowns over Bart, because who hasn’t been a confused, horny, awkward teenager in a weird relationship? And I enjoyed reading more of the pure friendship side out of all the girls, instead of them just being coworkers.
Shoutout to ghostwriter Peter Lerangis, who seems to be the only ghostwriter who actually knows who to write teenagers. This had such a nice balance of teaching “lessons” to young readers about boundaries and communication in dating, without hitting you over the head with it, and still making the story something I could relate to and get a laugh out of in my thirties.
Any time Kristy has a storyline that doesn’t involve a big baby-sitting ordeal, I’m reminded that she can actually be a very fun character. I genuinely laughed at all the ways she subverted being grounded. I loved her various meltdowns over Bart, because who hasn’t been a confused, horny, awkward teenager in a weird relationship? And I enjoyed reading more of the pure friendship side out of all the girls, instead of them just being coworkers.
Shoutout to ghostwriter Peter Lerangis, who seems to be the only ghostwriter who actually knows who to write teenagers. This had such a nice balance of teaching “lessons” to young readers about boundaries and communication in dating, without hitting you over the head with it, and still making the story something I could relate to and get a laugh out of in my thirties.
April 4, 2026
At first, i thought i hated this book. Kristy's parents are RIDICULOUS. Good grief, what a dissertation i could write about their excessively harsh authoritarian parenting and sex shaming - along with a healthy dose of negative heteronormativity (boys and girls are inherently sexually drawn together, so we can't let them be near each other, because they'll do evil bad sex things). But then the book talked a lot more about Kristy's feelings, and it was great. She and Bart are definitely way too emotionally mature and introspective even for grown adults lol, but the ways they express their feelings are really nicely articulated for preteens. (Honestly, most adults could learn something from these two thirteen year olds.)
February 25, 2024
This BSC has not aged well. The main plot tries to take on the question of Kristy's readiness for a romantic relationship, but it comes off in a way that, to contemporary ears, sounds dismissive of her actual desires and interests. And Kristy's mother is completely unconcerned with her daughter's emotional state or the actual semi-consensual relationship she's in; she's much more interested in punishing her for disobeying rules. Meanwhile in the side plot, the BSC's charges act both infantile and much older than their age. 2.5 stars.
Read
July 29, 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
December 27, 2020
(LL)
This was another breath of fresh air. It was great to see a story about someone who isn’t sure if they are ready for a relationship and doesn’t like the person the same way, however, they feel pressured to have a boyfriend because they are a certain age/all their friends have a significant other. A relatable and realistic storyline overall. Solid.
As an aside: The subplot of the Record Wreckers was really cute.
This was another breath of fresh air. It was great to see a story about someone who isn’t sure if they are ready for a relationship and doesn’t like the person the same way, however, they feel pressured to have a boyfriend because they are a certain age/all their friends have a significant other. A relatable and realistic storyline overall. Solid.
As an aside: The subplot of the Record Wreckers was really cute.
October 17, 2017
Oooh, Kristy. After years of absolutely no actual will they won't they between her and Bart, she decides they won't while he decides they will. She dumps him, whines about it, but decides to stick firm. Then gets mad when he takes another girl to the dance.
That's really all that happens because the B-Plot about some stupid record book for the kids sucked.
That's really all that happens because the B-Plot about some stupid record book for the kids sucked.
April 19, 2021
I’m not sure if I’ve ever read a BSC book before. My daughter may have read a few.
Thoughts - Wow. Kristy is pretty full of herself. This has a pretty good message about deciding for yourself if you’re ready for a relationship. I absolutely hated the sub-plot about the kids breaking made-up records. It was so chaotic and ridiculous. All that food wasted really bothered me.
Thoughts - Wow. Kristy is pretty full of herself. This has a pretty good message about deciding for yourself if you’re ready for a relationship. I absolutely hated the sub-plot about the kids breaking made-up records. It was so chaotic and ridiculous. All that food wasted really bothered me.
July 26, 2022
This book is great for us ace folks (even though I don't think in any way, shape, or form, it implies that Kristy is ace--it's a familiar feeling).
Honestly, if the (a little too silly) subplot had been decent and Kristy didn't go on and on about the Mets, this one could have been something great.
Honestly, if the (a little too silly) subplot had been decent and Kristy didn't go on and on about the Mets, this one could have been something great.
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.
August 13, 2022
Kristy and Bart have been good friends for a while, so she is surprised when Bart wants them to be boyfriend and girlfriend. Kristy realizes that she isn't ready to date, and has to let down Bart gently.
May 11, 2025
I read the Babysitters Club books as a teen and am reading ones now I didn’t get to back then. I personally love Kristy and Bart’s relationship and their character development. Very mature of Kristy to realize how she feels about having a boyfriend but I kinda also wished all had worked out.
November 12, 2019
Review on www.Audible.com please listen to this book
August 28, 2020
Strongly relatable.
Read
December 9, 2020Read my recap at A Year with the BSC via Stoneybrook Forever: https://www.livethemovies.com/bsc-blo...
June 6, 2022
somewhat boring. i thought it'd be good but it just didn't turn out the way i wanted too (i was kind of rooting for bart though)
January 24, 2023
why was this one so relatable
October 20, 2023
Definitely not my favorite book in the series, but I still enjoyed it.
January 8, 2024
I think that it was a good book Kristy finally tries to have a boyfriend but it sort of doesn’t rap up her feelings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2024
BSC learns about consent, and proper communication in relationships.
August 9, 2020
Bart wanted to be Kristy's boyfriend, but Kristy only wanted to be friends. She was willing to be friends who attended dances and parties together and occasionally kissed. Kristy liked the attention Bart gave her because she had to fight for attention in her large family. I strongly disliked Bart's rationale that it was no big deal for them to go out and kiss "'because you’re a girl and I’m a guy and that’s the way it goes'". It was heterosexist and minimized Kristy's feelings since going out and kissing were clearly a big deal to her. I wonder if Bart used this line with every girl.
Kristy was not attracted to Bart and thought she was just a late bloomer. Mary Anne gave Kristy some sage advice when Kristy called her to vent about Bart. "'If you’re not ready, you’re not ready, Kristy. Ten, thirteen, fifteen, thirty — it doesn’t matter what age. Nobody should do anything that doesn’t feel right. Ever.'" I throughly enjoyed Mary Anne's advice, but it was overshadowed by Bart's toxic masculinity.
Kristy was not attracted to Bart and thought she was just a late bloomer. Mary Anne gave Kristy some sage advice when Kristy called her to vent about Bart. "'If you’re not ready, you’re not ready, Kristy. Ten, thirteen, fifteen, thirty — it doesn’t matter what age. Nobody should do anything that doesn’t feel right. Ever.'" I throughly enjoyed Mary Anne's advice, but it was overshadowed by Bart's toxic masculinity.
January 31, 2026
I read this book a lot as a kid, and revisiting it as an adult it stands up. Lots of classic Lerangis humour appears throughout.
The core plotline is really well executed. The author has really captured that weird but of adolescence where you are interested in romance, but aren't necessarily ready for it, but don't really know that you aren't ready either.
The core plotline is really well executed. The author has really captured that weird but of adolescence where you are interested in romance, but aren't necessarily ready for it, but don't really know that you aren't ready either.
December 14, 2015
The Babysitters Club was one my favourite book series when I was growing up. I haven’t read all the books as there are more than a hundred books including all the spinoffs and special editions. I am trying to collect them all. I am mainly interested in the old editions which are easy to find in most thrift shops. Kristy +Bart=? is the latest one I have purchased.
The Babysitters Club is about seven girls aged 13 and 11 who babysit in the fictional town of Stoneybrook, New York. The focus is on one of the girls per book. This book is about Kristy Thomas who is the president of the Babysitters Club. She is thirteen years old and she is the one that came up with the idea to form a club.
Kristy is the tomboy of the group. She is outspoken, bossy, athletic and funny. Kristy lives in a big family of six siblings and her mom, step dad and grandmother. She has a lot of practice babysitting. Kristy also manages a softball team made up of neighbourhood kids called Kristy’s Krushers. They are all the kids who are too young to go to Little League. Her team versus the Bashers who are lead by another thirteen year old called Bart.
Kristy and Bart are good friends but Bart wants Kristy to be her boyfriend. Kristy doesn’t feel like she’s ready to have a boyfriend yet. A secondary storyline is that the babysitters decide to entertain their charges by asking them to attempt their own version of world records. The children enthusiastically agree and start doing crazy records. The records include most hats worn in a single sitting, fastest rendition of I’ve been working on the railroad, potato throwing, largest dead fly collection and most bananas peeled by feet.
The record attempts were a bit chaotic and as a party pooper I didn’t approve of the wastage of food. I know that the chaos is meant to be entertaining and the book is aimed at children though.
The main storyline about Kristy and Bart’s potential romance was okay. I didn’t know which way it was going to go until the end. There is an author’s note at the back of the book explaining that the Ann. Martin wanted to address that she wrote this book to tell young people it is okay not being ready for a relationship. Kristy was the best choice to explore the issue as she is the least romantic out of the girls.
The Babysitters Club is about seven girls aged 13 and 11 who babysit in the fictional town of Stoneybrook, New York. The focus is on one of the girls per book. This book is about Kristy Thomas who is the president of the Babysitters Club. She is thirteen years old and she is the one that came up with the idea to form a club.
Kristy is the tomboy of the group. She is outspoken, bossy, athletic and funny. Kristy lives in a big family of six siblings and her mom, step dad and grandmother. She has a lot of practice babysitting. Kristy also manages a softball team made up of neighbourhood kids called Kristy’s Krushers. They are all the kids who are too young to go to Little League. Her team versus the Bashers who are lead by another thirteen year old called Bart.
Kristy and Bart are good friends but Bart wants Kristy to be her boyfriend. Kristy doesn’t feel like she’s ready to have a boyfriend yet. A secondary storyline is that the babysitters decide to entertain their charges by asking them to attempt their own version of world records. The children enthusiastically agree and start doing crazy records. The records include most hats worn in a single sitting, fastest rendition of I’ve been working on the railroad, potato throwing, largest dead fly collection and most bananas peeled by feet.
The record attempts were a bit chaotic and as a party pooper I didn’t approve of the wastage of food. I know that the chaos is meant to be entertaining and the book is aimed at children though.
The main storyline about Kristy and Bart’s potential romance was okay. I didn’t know which way it was going to go until the end. There is an author’s note at the back of the book explaining that the Ann. Martin wanted to address that she wrote this book to tell young people it is okay not being ready for a relationship. Kristy was the best choice to explore the issue as she is the least romantic out of the girls.
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