Book Description

Available in paperback for the first time, the modern classic that introduced the beloved baby-sitting rottweiler to the world. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

A great "wordless book"
It's not toally wordless.. there are a total of two sentences; one in the beginning and one at the end. The rest of the story is done through beautiful illustrations of interactions between Carl (a Rottweiller) and a baby he's left to care for. For those who find that absurd I point to every story where children are abandoned by mothers (Cat in the Hat, Hansel and Gretel, for that matter every fairy tale ever written). It's fiction! Also it is intended for a pre-reading audience (I recommend 2-3 years) not those who will be judging its probability.

As a speech language pathologist I find this book to be AMAZING for eliciting spoken language. You can ask what the baby is doing, where is the baby, how did that happen, or even "Can a baby swim in a fish tank???" Even my 2 year old son answers no.

It's a great imaginative story with beautiful pictures, phooey to those who are shocked.

Great book for any dog-loving child!
Beautiful pictures captivate child and adult alike as they tell the adventures of lovable Carl and his small charge. On this day, Carl's job is simply to babysit for an afternoon. What an afternoon it turns out to be for Carl and the baby! Even non-readers can follow Carl's adventures and begin to cultivate a love for books through this creatively told story. Dogs and young children are a perfect combination. After reading this book, you will think the same about books and young children!

A great wordless book
(...) It's a beautifully illustrated book with all of two printed sentences. The child can speak the story, question the story, and describe the probability if they are mature enough. Yes, the parents do leave the child with a Rottweiller, but unless you are buying this as a parenting manual this will not affect your children's behaviour.

I am amazed that anyone finds it shocking, considering the truly shocking we see in our culture all day.. a piece of children's ficiton on par with a giant red dog (Clifford?) or any fairy tale ever spoken. It is truly innocent and appealing to most toddlers I've met.

Try another Carl Book
The dog "Carl" is left alone to babysit. If you read the other reviews, you will see people shocked by the antics (sliding down the laundry shoot, swimming in the fish tank, etc.) I have to agree that you don't want your child thinking these things are fun or funny. However, I recommend you try "Carl's Afternoon in the Park." Same idea (rottweiler left to take care of baby, which you may argue is disturbing in itself, but not if you take it in good fun as it is meant) without the really off-limits stuff that you don't want your child attempting. In this book, Carl, baby, and a puppy do things that you would do with your child (go on the merry-go-round, get ice cream, slide down slide, get their pictures painted). My son loves it... laughs at the dog getting water splashed in his face and the puppy sliding down the slide and toppling over the baby. And enough intrigue for an adult (nice to notice every artist is painting the dogs and baby using different styles). Beautiful pictures throughout. Over all, a good, beautiful, imaginative book.

nothing good about this book
i really don't understand how someone could love this book. my mom bought it for my daughter w/o really reading it first. she saw there was a dog on it and my daughter loves dogs so she bought it. well, she gives it to her and we are looking through it and i couldn't believe how stupid and thoughtless this book was! a classic? HARDLY!
a dog left in charge of a child....dog gets the baby out of the crib, dog lets the child get in the fish tank...i mean, what the heck??!
this book, in my opinion is whacked. we chunked it in the trash!
if i could give ZERO stars, i would! ... Read more

Book Description

Taking care of baby

Amelia Bedelia has her hands full when she takes care of Mrs. Lane's baby. As usual, the literal-minded housekeeper mixes things up, but she also wins the heart of her newest and youngest fan.

Reviews (7)

Amelia and the baby
In this book a wacky woman who does not have much common sense baby-sits. This book teaches that you can learn from your mistakes and that the way someone does something different than you might not be the wrong way it might be a better way to do things. It is a good book for 6-8 year olds. It is a good book and I think many kids would enjoy it.

Amelia Bedelia and the Baby
As a child this was one of my favorite books. I just loved anything that had to do with babies, as well as the witty Amelia Bedelia. When I heard of this book it sparked my interest. As usual you can't help but smile when you read about Amelia Bedelia's literal view on life. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Amelia Bedelia is reading her baby-sitting "to do" list and it says to apply powder after bath time. So then Amelia powders herself instead of the baby. Amelia is touched by the thoughtfulness of Mrs. Lane(the baby's mother). This book is altogether clever and enduring. Amelia Bedelia and baby Missy will definately find a place in your heart.

Amelia Bedelia and the Baby
This book was a very funny book. It tells about Amelia Bedelia babysitting for the first time and not knowing how everything works. Amelia goes to Mrs. Lane's house and she gives Amelia a list of things to do for the baby while she is gone. After she leaves the baby, Missy, starts to cry. Amelia doesn't know what to do so she looks at the list, it says "Give Missy a bottle", so Amelia went in the kitchen and looked for a bottle. All she found were glass bottles and she decided that that was too dangerous to give to Missy.
Then one of Mrs. Lane's friends, Mrs. Carter, visits to give Amelia strawberries she picked. She notices that Missy is crying and she shows Amelia what kind of bottle she is supposed to give Missy. They give her the bottle and Missy stops crying. Amelia thanks Mrs. Carter and then Mrs. Carter leaves.
When Missy had finished her bottle Amelia saw what she had to do next, it was to give Missy a bath.
After she gave her the bath she checked the list to see what she was to do next it said, "Be sure to use the baby powder", but instead of putting it on Missy, Amelia put it on herself.
Again she checked the list and it said that from two until three is naptime, but Amelia hated naps so she decidedto make strawberry tarts instead. She walked back into Missy's bedroom and she was asleep so she let Missy have her nap for her.
She went into the kitchen and began to make her very good strawberry tarts and after she was done she set all the tarts out on a plate.
Then Missy began to cry again so Amelia looked over her list to see what she had to do now. It was time to give Missy her mashed banana, so Amelia made her way down to the kithchen and picked up a banana and started to mash it with her hands while it was still in the skin. She went upstairs and gave it to Missy. She started to mash it too, and it exploded all over her playpen. So Amelia took her to get another bath.
Next the list said to put Missy in her stroller, so Amelia did that. Then it said, "But first put a sweater on her." So, Amelia took Missy out of the stroller and put a sweater on Missy and put her back in the stroller. She read the list to see what it said next. It said, "Take her out for a while." Which meant to take outside for a little while, but Amelia misinterpreted and took her out of the stroller all together.
She looked at the list again and it was now playtime until five. But she didn't understand because she thought that it meant play time for her. So she took out Missy's toys and began to play. Missy began to fuss and Amelia saw that it was five o'clock and time for Missy's dinner.
She took Missy downstairs with her and put her in her highchair. The list said to give Missy baby food. So, Amelia sliced baby tomatoes, she cooked baby potatoes, and she made baby hamburgers. She put it on a plate then poured ketchup all over it. Misy put her hands in it, tasted it, and ate it all up. Then Amelia gave her one of her straberry tarts to eat for dessert. She ate it too, but now she was a big mess, so Amelia was about to go get her a bath when Mrs. Lane and Mr. Lane came home. Mrs. Lane was terribly mad when she saw all the red stuff all over her baby, but then her husband gave her a taste of one of Amelia's tarts. She loved it and apologized for her bahavior. Missy started to cry so, Mrs. Lane went over to her, but Missy wanted Amelia Bedelia. Mrs. Lane saw that Missy like Amelia Bedelia so she asked her to come back again.
Then Amelia left and she was happy that she had learned about babysitting that day.
I liked this book a lot it would be nice to read to child just for fun because it doesn't really teach any kind of values, but they may learn a few things about babies.

KOTEWAU's review
I thimk that this book is almost the perfect childrens
book. It has humor, education, and is fun for anyone to
read.

Cute and humorous
I received this book as a present in the second grade. I still remember laughing each night when I read it. Amelia Bedelia was always doing something funny. This was one of my favorites of the series. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (46)

Excellent! You can't put this book down until you are done.
Kristy watches as her mother places several calls to try to find a sitter for her brother, David Michael. She sees how troublesome it must be, and how upset David Michael seems for causing all this trouble. Then, it comes to her in a flash! Her best idea ever! The Baby-sitters Club! A few days later, Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Claudia's new friend Stacey, are waiting eagerly for their first call. At 5:30 exactly, Kristy's mother call for a sitter for David Michael. Stacey gets the job. Then, Kristy gets a job with new clients. The children are Pinky and Buffy. They are both two. When Kristy goes to her job, she is shocked to find out that Pinky and Buffy are St. Bernard dogs. She has an awlful time. Stacey, on the other hand, has a great time playing Candyland with David Michael and Sam. Sam is Kristy's 14 year-old brother, and Stacey has a crush on him. The Baby-sitters Club does not seem to be off to a good start. Kristy's pet-sitting job, Sam keeps calling crank phone calls, and Stacey has a secret that she will not tell.

It All Started With Kristy's Great Idea
While watching her mother struggle to find a baby-sitter one evening, Kristy Thomas comes up with an incredible idea to start a baby-sitting club, so people like her mom won't have so much trouble locating a decent sitter. First, Kristy has to organize the members: Mary Anne Spier, her best friend; Claudia Kishi, a fellow classmate at Stoneybrook Middle School; and Claudia's new friend, Stacey McGill. Second, they advertise in the local newspaper and distribute fliers. Now all they have to do is wait for the calls.

On their first meeting day, all four baby-sitters miraculously receive jobs for the week. Stacey baby-sits for Kristy's younger brother, David Michael, and falls for Kristy's older brother, Sam. Kristy unknowingly takes a job for two Saint Bernards, Buffy and Pinky. Mary Anne saves Kristy from the dreaded job of baby-sitting her soon-to-be stepbrother and sister, Andrew and Karen. And Claudia, unfortunately, gets the worst job of all: baby-sitting four rambunctious kids when she had been told it would be only one (mellow) child.

Despite the uncertain outcomes of their jobs, everybody in the club considers Kristy's idea a success. They're making plenty of money and doing what they do best: baby-sit.

This is a great series for 8 to 12-year-old girls.

Kristy's Great Idea
Kristy Thomas starts a baby sitting club. She wants her friends Mary Anne Spier and Claudia Kishi to be in the club. Claudia tells them about a new girl named Stacey McGill that could join. She does. Kristy gets a strange phone call at one of the meetins for someone to come and baby sit two kids - but when she gets there, it's two dogs! And they act awful! Stacey acts strange. To find out why, read the book. I've read this from the library, the school library, and now I have it. I have an older one, but now they have better pictures on the cover and pictures and fill in pages, but mine doesn't have that. To tell which ones are the newer ones, they have pictures of all four girls around the side of the book. I think if you buy it here you get the newer one. I've read these so much I can read them in a day! I'm trying to read ten for summer reading, and I've read five already! And it's only been four days since summer reading started!

Really good
This is the first book in the Baby-sitters club series. Twelve-year-old Kristy Thomas is the main character. When her mother had a hard time finding a baby sitter for her brother, Kristy thought of a very good idea. She thought up a plan to start a baby-sitting club, and three other girls joined.

Ann's Great Idea
The first in a series I recommend!Bsc is a fantastic series with lots going on and plenty characters coming and going.It could never be boring.Ann Martin will become a role model to me as I try to forge my path in writing....There is a problem though.The same things about the club will be explained at the start of every book in the same detail each time.Like,do you think that maybe Kristy once saw her mother on the phone trying to get a sitter for little David and then thought wouldn't it be great if mothers could ring up and speak to lots of sitters and then she got the idea of the Babysitters Club..???????You will be told all about this in almost every book!!But really should I complain??Put up with that repetition and ,honestly, it's a terrific series,and you'll always wonder what will happen next. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Competition is in town!
The Truth About Stacey is a really good book. I have it and I read it very, very, very often. This book is about when competition comes to town. I just love books with competition. The BSC discovers another group of older baby-sitters that can stay out later than they do, and have lots and lots of choices for you to chose from. Stacey's parents are kind of a problem too. Their number one mission in life--help Stacey, has gotten way out of hand. They believe that there is a cure for Stacey's diaease and they praticaly drag her to every doctor in America. Stacey is sure that she can prove two things to everyone: One, the BSC is a better survice then the other group of baby-sitters, and two, she can take care of herself and that she already has the best help that she can get for her disease. Now, all she has to do is prove them. How? Read this exciting book and join them to discover the answers!

Competition is in Town!
I've read the book, The Truth About Stacey, and I love it! There are two problems. The BSC are competing with another groups of babysitters who are older and can stay out later. (However, their not the best babysitters around.) And two: Stacey's parents are too overprotective about Stacey's diabeties and they practically drag her to every doctor in America, in hope of finding a cure. Stacey's got to prove two things. One: The BSC give better service than the other club, and two: she can take care of herself very well, and is already getting plenty of help. The ending? Read and find out!

The Truth About Stacey
The Truth About Stacey Is That She Has Diabities And Her Perents Cant Accept That So They Take Her To Every Doctor In America loking For A Cure But The Thing Is That Diabities Is A Desise That Never Goes Away

Babysitters Competition
Uh-oh.A group of girls are trying to compete with the Babysitter's Club!By starting up a Babysitter's Agency.Also,Stacey is being sent to many doctors,as her parents aren't coping with her illness half as well as SHE is!

A great book!!
This is a great book where Stacey tells about diabetes and how she is on a special diet where she can't eat junk food. It is a very, very good book! If you want to find out more, read The Truth About Stacey! ... Read more

Book Description

Speechless

Connor is sure his best friend, Branwell, couldn't have hurt Branwell's baby half sister, Nikki. But Nikki lies in a coma, and Branwell is in a juvenile behavioral center, suspected of a horrible crime and unable to utter the words to tell what really happened. Connor is the only one who might be able to break through Branwell's wall of silence. But how can he prove Branwell didn't commit the unspeakable act of which he's accused -- when Branwell can't speak for himself? ... Read more

Reviews (100)

My summary on Silent to the bone
Silent to the Bone is a great story. The book is about a boy whose name is Branwell and one day when he comes home from school he sees his half-baby sister breathing weird and he starts to yell "Vivi, come here. It's Nikki." The babysitter, Vivian, came into the room and abuses. She tells him to call 911 and he did. When the operator comes on the phone he is silent.

Nikki lies in a coma while they send Branwell him to the Juvenile Behavioral Center where everyday his best friend Connor comes and see him. Branwell stayed in the Behavioral Center for 20 days. 10 days went by and on the 11th he was making progress, like, he was touching the letters of the alphabet and spelling out words so that Connor could talk to these people.

On the 19th and 20th day he was talking and didn't want anyone to know that, only Connor and Margaret (Connor's big sister). He finally came out of the Behavioral Center and stayed at Margaret's house.

On New Year's Eve, Branwell's dad came to pick up Branwell. He came along with Tina (Branwell's new mom) and Nikki. For the first time that Nikki was ever born Tina gave Branwell Nikki to hold.

My Review; by a Frankford Student.
When I heard about the book "Silent to the Bone", I thought it sounded quite interesting, and decided to read it. This bok is for young adults. It is about a 13 year old boy named Branwell who is accused of seriously injuring his infant sister, Nikki. His best friend Connor is determined to help out his friend and figure out who really injured Nikki. There is only one problem, Branwell goes silent, and refuses to speak about what actually happened. Although, him and Connor still figure out a way of communicating. I believe the theme of this book is, silence is an art. Branwell was smart not to say anything and let Connor ask all the questions. He thought that if he didn't say anything at all, you can't say anything wrong. Overall, This book wasn't as exciting as I expected it to be, and it wasn't challenging to read at all. Although, there were some humorous characters such as Connor, and there were sad times as well. For example, when Branwell's father gets remarried he neglects Branwell. This book really kept me guessing the real criminal who injured Nikki was. I would reccomend this book to people who like books with suspense.

Rats. Obvious and cheap work from a good writer.
Who did it first, DiCamillo with Tale of Despereaux, or Konigsburg with this?

What I mean is, fine writers putting out silly, under edited cliches.

The bad guy was obvious by page three.

Konigsburg can write well without silly cliched sex subplots. (That niche is filled by Judy Blume.)

And, as another reviewer pointed out, gaping, unexplained holes in the main storyline. (Maybe if she hadn't had to put in the ham-handed subplot, she would have had time to make sense of the main one.)

MOTHERS - Stay Home With Your Children!!!!!!!!!
This book is very strange in that Here we have baby who is neglected and called a brat by the babysitter and then dropped on her head and nearly DIES.

We see no consequences come to Vivian except that she loses her job and any possibilities of working in childcare. And how could one Nanny agency provide that restriction. That's a police matter!

I thought it was so gross that Branwell did not tell his parents that Vivian was not taking good care of HIS sister.

We hear nothing of what should have been ULTRA guilt and ULTRA rage from the parents. How would a real mother feel if she handed over her responsibility to care for her child into the hands of someone who DID NOT care for her, didn't even change her diapers enough and who almost KILLED her. Personally I woudl almost feel like killing myself. WHY HAVE CHILDREN if you are going to pawn them off without a second look back?? Having children is not something you put on your "To Do" list and when they are born you go on to the next item.

Niki opening her eyes and smiling at her mother who said "Mother's here" is funny. Niki would hardly know who she was! They must have had extreme minimal time with her, coming home at 6:00 pm every eve. She would have thought Vivian was her mother and Branwell her dad.

Personally THEY neglected and abused their baby daughter for not caring enough to have quality care for her (which ideally is one of the parents)

I think that makes this story so weak and shallow and dangerous.
We see none of the remorse or reparations. In fact at the end they are getting another babysitter!!!! Makes me sick!

I liked the relationship between Margaret and Connor but that's about it.

Another Very Good book by a Very Good Author
Something has happened to Branwell Zamborska. This boy who loves not only words, and their power, but the sound of his own voice has gone mute. Accused of dropping his sister, Branwell, or Bran, has been taken into custody. Branwell's best friend Connor takes it upon himself to find out what happened on that fateful day, convinced that this will allow his friend to start talking again. Alternating between flashback and present day events Connor is a likable, but admittedly not perfect, narrator. Konigsburg does an excellent job of tackling some of the deep and powerful issues revolving around adolescence in a serious manner, but avoids making the book feel like a downer. Through his investigation Connor discovers as many things about himself as he does about Bran leading to a satisfying conclusion.

McGillin does an a mostly good job of giving each of the characters a distinct voice, and especially, and surprisingly so, with the female characters. His narration makes for easy listening and adds definite value to the already very good book. ... Read more

Book Description

Mama"s out dancing, and Lulu, the babysitter, is in charge. The Five Little Monkeys are supposed to go to bed, but they convince Lulu there"s time for just one game of hide-and-seek first . . . and then another, and another . . . until they discover the ultimate hiding place. Lulu is frantic; where can those monkeys be? Vibrant, expressive illustrations in Eileen Christelow"s signature style accompany a catchy rhymed text that"s great for reading aloud. The refrain invites children to join in; as Lulu counts to 10, 24, and finally 104, young listeners will count along with her. And what little monkey can resist the idea of mischief at bedtime? ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Awsome!
I loved this book! It was so realistic, and I have nothing bad to say about it. It is about this girl named Mary Anne who gets in a fight with the BSC and has trouble making up with them. Then she meets a new friend Dawn. Then a girl Jenny she was baby sitting for gets so sick that something drastic had to happen envolving Mary Anne and Dawn. If you want to know more, (which is what I'm trying to make you) read this book! I would reccomend this to all girls!

A good book
I read this over ten yrs ago and recently re-read it and still enjoy it. Although it is hard to get into initially and the beginning sort of dragged on (my friend Amber loaned it to me when we were in 5th grade and I don't think I got past chapter 1. I had never read BSC books until then so I didn't find the intro. boring, however. I think that the BSC is too judgemental towards each other. They think Mary Anne is immature but she was the one who wanted reconciliation after their dumb fight, and Kristy was the most difficult. Talk about immature! Also it was unprofessional the way they refuse to at least meet for the club and not function. Mary anne was the mature one in that respect.

Way to Go Mary Anne!
She proves she's the strongest babysitter in the club in this book and many others. Although she's shy, she has a good head on her shoulders and has a lot of strength. This is a wonderful book that teaches about responsibility, but it's also fun to read. And the arguments that the babysitters have with each other are so funny and lame!

The first Babysittes Club book I read
I'm 28 years old, and I recently moved. While cleaning out my house to pack for the move, I ran across a box of Babysitters Club books that I read when I was younger. I had forgotten about those since I hadn't read them in many years. I was 13 when my dad bought Mary Anne Saves the Day for me at the local grocery store. He said I could get a book and that one caught my eye. I read it when I got home, and I was hooked. Since then, I bought books 1-3, and then each book after that every month when it came out. I was 18 when I stopped reading them. I felt I had outgrown them. When I recently found those books, I reread them all, starting with Mary Anne Saves the Day. It brought back a lot of memories, and I am now collecting them all again for my own daughter, if I ever have one.

Mary Anne Saves the Day is about a shy 12 year old girl who lives with her single father, who is very strict when it comes to raising her. She belongs to a great group of friends who run a business called The Babysitters Club. During one of her jobs, a little girl grows ill while in her care, and Mary Anne must use quick thinking to get the child to the hospital.

These are wonderful books for children. It's a shame Ann M. Martin is no longer writing them, but they will be always cherished

poor jenny
Mary Anne is babysitting little Jenny,the pampered Prezzioso kid,when Jenny shows signs of being very ill!
Also,every single member of the BSC are mad at eachother.Their unpleasant fighting made me cringe. ... Read more

Book Description

Anything and everything you ever wanted to know about baby-sitting is included in this easy-to-read and info-packed beginners' guide.

Eager baby-sitters discover new ideas and tips from how to get started in a profitable baby-sitting business, to how to face the challenging situations between you and your KTWs (or Kids to Watch).

With The Ultimate Babysitter's Handbook, baby-sitting has never been so much fun--or so profitable! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Keep the age in mind
This is a well written babysitters guide. My problem with it is that it is written for 9-12 year olds and many states require that babysitters be 13 years old and have a babysitting class. If you aren't sure about your state's requirements (or didn't realize they existed), call your local department of Family and Children's Services and ask them the home-alone and babysitting age requirements.

I love it!!!! LOve it!
I liked it! It helped me, and was packed full of info! You should really get it!

Helpfull!
VERY,VERY,VERY Helpfull! On my first babysitting job I used this book, and the second time I got a raise! Get this book and you will not regret it. Full of information

Totally awesome and really helpful.
This book was extremely useful to me. I am a new babysitter,and this taught me a lot of things I never knew. Of course, some of the things in this book were kind of common sense, but there were a lot of things I didn't know, and that was very helpful. It has fun things like games to play and fun recipes to make. It helps to try decide how much to charge, too, and ways of advertising. I highly recommend this book to beginning babysitters. :-)

A very helpful guide to a budding babysitter
I am becoming a babysitter, and this guide answered all of my many questions. It has everythin from finding clients safely to cooking an easy meal that kids love. The first aid guide has info on almost every accident that could happen. It has about 100 letters and advice from real babysitters. I strongly reccomend this easy to read book to any to-become babysitter, it was a great hel to me :) ... Read more

Amazon.com

When, for some strange reason, Clarice Bean's parents can't findanyone to babysit for a few days, they must resort to Uncle Ted, afirefighter ("so he wears special pants") who occasionally lassoes lamps and"can get you in a firefighter's carry before you can say 'Uncle Ted put medown!'" All goes well for a day or two, as Clarice Bean's daylight-despisingolder brother, phone-chatting big sister, accident-prone younger brother, andwandering Grandad, manage to say things like "please and thank you and sorry...and let people share their stuff without grumbling." But then her little brotherMinal Cricket lets Albert (the school guinea pig on spring break) out of hishutch, and the fragile family balancing act topples. In no time, Minal is on hisway to the emergency room, after an accidental bop on the head with a soccerball, Grandad has wandered into the neighbor's house to watch the horse races,and the entire fire department shows up in time for Clarice Bean's mom'sreturn.

It's no wonder Clarice Bean and her cool uncle get along "like a house on fire(ha ha)." Quirky and feisty, these two have a way with calamity that readerswon't soon forget. Nor will they forget Lauren Child's unusual and tremendouslyappealing cut-paper and photographic collages. Her text wends its way around theillustrations, spiraling if need be, and growing or shrinking as appropriate.Fans of Lauren Child's ClariceBean, That's Me will do backflips of joy to see a new title about thisprecocious girl and her very nutty family. (Ages 6 to 10) --EmilieCoulter ... Read more

Reviews (3)

comedic chaotic city life!
What a busy book! Lauren Child has created a tongue-twisting, mind-boggling story about the adventures of two city kids whose Mom must hurry off in help of her own brother, a policeman, who has slipped on a doughnut & hurt his legs.

Who can Mom get to babysit her two darlings? Not her older children. Not anyone in her family, nor any neighbors until, her daughter asks about Uncle Ted. What a good idea!

Safe in the care of a Fireman, Mom rushes to her other brother's side, & the fun begins!

I realize Lauren Child thinks she has written "only" a children's book - however, once you've read GUESS WHO'S BABYSITTING? I bet there'll be other bigger thoughts simmering away!

A great family read!

Rip Roarin' Fun!
When Clarice Bean's Uncle Ernie slips on a doughnut and breaks both his legs, her mother has to rush to New York and help him out. Unfortunately her dad has to go away on important business and the only person they can find to babysit Clarice, her phone talking older sister, Marcie, her sun hating big brother Kurt, her accident prone little brother Minal and wandering Grandad is Uncle Ted. Clarice is thrilled. Uncle Ted is the best. He's a firefighter who loves westerns, can lasso lamps or kids and has been known to break a few things in the past. Mother leaves very strict instructions. She wants her house in one piece when she gets back and all goes very well for the first two days. But then Minal let's the school guinea pig, Albert, that they're taking care of over spring break, out of his cage and all heck breaks loose..... Lauren Child's sequel to Clarice Bean, That's Me will have both old fans and new readers jumping for joy and laughing out loud at the antics of this "typical" family. Narrated by Clarice, this charming and hilarious story really captures the essence of the grade school mind as she tells everyone about the terrible chain of events that was set off when Albert got away. Ms Child's delightful prose is almost outdone by her creative cartoon and collage artwork and even the text is artistic, changing fonts and size and wrapping itself in and around the illustrations. Perfect for youngsters in grades 1-4, Clarice Bean, Guess Who's Babysitting is a rip roarin' good time the whole family will enjoy.

FULL-ON FUN
.

More fun in the Bean household! Mom has to go to New York, and Dad has to go away on IMPORTANT BUSINESS. So who looks after Clarice, Marcie, Minal, Kurt and Grandad while Mom and Dad are away? As a last resort Mom calls in Uncle Ted. After only two days of normality chaos takes over.

Albert the Guinea Pig gets lost, Minal has an accident and Grandad wanders off.

Lauren Child's book is a long way removed from the pastel coloured world of traditional kid's books. The illustrations are full on, with clever use of photomontage with text and type-fonts that go every which way.

Most children will get a kick out of the very stylish layout and quirky humour. You can really believe that young Clarice wrote this book. All young readers will certainly enjoy her latest story. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Excellent, but DON'T read it at night!
My best friend Sarah and I were browsing around at our school book fair, when we came across a really exciting-looking book, The Babysitter 3. We quickly grabbed a copy each and read the synopsis on the back. We both thought it sounded extreamly exciting. I had £10 with me and I'd already bought Point Horror Collection 10 for £6.99 and seeing as though it was on the half price table, I quickly paid with the rest of my money. That evening, at home, I started to read it. It was so scary and exciting; I carried on reading late at night. When I finally did finish reading, I had to keep my lamp on for the rest of the night as I was too scared to switch it off! The book was about a girl called Jenny who had had a scary time babysitting for Mr Hagen. Jenny goes to stay with Debra, her cousin. But when Debra is out babysitting, she gets the same, weird phone calls that Jenny got. The story's ending is poor, a bit rushed and a bit lame, too. Still, I definately give it full marks!

A Super Stine Book!
This was an absolutely marvelous R.L. Stine book! I couldn't put this book down for one second! The ending is a bit lame, but shocking nonetheless. I DO NOT recommend this book if you haven't read the first one though, you may find it a bit confusing. The main plot of the first book is that Jenny gets all these strange phone calls from a man named Mr. Hagen who wants to murder her. So in this 3rd book, when Jenny goes to visit her cousin Debra, Debra gets the same phone calls. But if Mr. Hagen is dead, who could it be?

The Babysitter 3
Jenny can't stop thinking about Mr. Hagens and that he tried to kill her. Even though he fell off a cliff and died she still sees he everywhere. The docter says she getting better, but with all the nightmares and visions she doesn't think so. She finally quit being a babysitter, but nothing changes. After a while her parents send her to her cousin Debra. At first, things get a little better, but then alot worse. Because, Debra got a new job, babysitting. When Jenny found out, she totally freaked. When Debra decides to bring Jenny along, Jenny's mind explouds with horrible thoughts. Mr. Hagens finally takes over her. It's a whole new ball game for Debra when the baby is kidnapped, and she recieves a frightening phonecall. I thought this book was great. There were creepy and scary events plus a mystery too

Crazy
This book is so much different than the other two books. This time Jenny goes to visit her cousin Debra. Everything is fine until Debra starts baby-sitting and gets the same phone calls that Jenny used to get. When Jenny hears about it, she cannot believe it. She wants to die. Towards the end you notice why this book is so much different than the others. You also realize that Jenny is . . . crazy.

The third time is always a charm!
Jenny just wants to forget the man who murdered all the baby-sitters. The man who almost murdered her. He's dead now. And Jenny's gone to visit her cousin Debra. But Debra has a baby-sitting job. And now she's getting those phone calls, too. Just like the ones Jenny used to get: Hi, Babes ... I'm back ... company's coming ...

Just the like the first and second books, you will enjoy this as well. Beautifully written, great suspense, and utterly creepy. There were at times where I would look up and peer around the room to see if anyone was lurking in the shadows, even during the daytime. Also, the ending will DEFINITELY surprise you.

Even though I'm 23 years old, I love R.L. Stine books. There are even some that scare me to the bone (honestly). Hey, I know you're laughing at me! There are adults out there who do read R.L. Stine. Honest to god!!! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

More fun from Henry and Midge
Anyone who has ever babysat before will be all-too-familiar with the trials Henry and Midge have to suffer through in this third book of the Henry Reed series. Keith Robertson does it once again with wacky babysitting scenarios everyone can identify with. You'll be cheering by the end of the book -- I guarantee it.

Great Fun!
This book, like the other books in the Henry Reed series, is very enjoyable. Kids of all ages will enjoy Henry's adventures in babysitting. These books are timeless in their ability to provoke laughter and create a sense of fun for the reader.

Great, fast-paced fun!
I read this book years ago when I was in sixth grade. The entire Henry Reed series is wonderful, and kids should have fun laughing at Henry's adventures. ... Read more

Book Description

Mercer Mayer's very funny and popular Little Critter characteris at it again. In this lively picture book, he sees himself as the babysitter's big helper, but his help ends up turning the house upside down. By theend of the evening Little Critter and his little sister still have energy tospare, while the well-meaning sitter is utterly exhausted. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

It's written from a child's point of view, hence the
Another winner from Mr. Mayer! My son loves the Little Critter series and was quite pleased with the story. He had his first babysitter (other than the Grandparents) yesterday, so the timeliness wasn't lost on him. Neither was the sarcasm. The tone of the book is lighthearted. Critter helps the babysitter out with the meal and his little sister, with comical results. After the little sister is put to bed, the babysitter really shows her ineptitude and the fun really starts.
I read some other reviews about how the story taught "disrespect" and "disobedience". I didn't see it teaching these traits as much as simply representing the facts of how children are.
Lighten up the book is for kids.

...Review
"Just Me and My Babysitter" by Mercer Mayer was a pretty good book, but not one of the best by Mercer Mayer. It is a kid telling a story about what him, his sister and his babysitter do when his parents go out. The kid in the story thinks he is helping the babysitter out, by helping to do the dishes, making dinner, giving his sister a bath and things like that. The illustrations show that he is just making the babysitter angry because he keeps making messes and causing trouble. Kids would most likely find the book funny because the illustrations don't match when the words are saying. Some children might try to imitate what the pictures are showing, and cause trouble for their own parents or babysitter.

Disappointing from Mercer Mayer
While the children and I love the "Just Me" series, this one was particularly disappointing. The kids just don't appreciate the heavy sarcasm and disrespect, and were quite horrified that the babysitter ended up sleeping on the couch while the kids were up. The book is about disrespect, disobedience, a lack of adult control and is written in such a manner as to encourage children to copy it. I threw this book in the garbage.

Not one of the best I've seen
I generally enjoy reading this series of books to my young daughter. But when reading Just Me and My Babysitter, I was not pleased to see the disobedience and disrespect of the main character in the book. I know that it is meant to be cute, but my child is a great imitator and these are not the things I would want her to be doing. I bought the book not knowing what the content was and was very disappointed. ... Read more

Book Description

Left with a babysitter for the first time, Brother and Sister Bear are certain they won't like her. But with her bag of tricks and comforting way of tucking them in, Mrs. Grizzle wins them over. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

If Only All Kids Were this Easy!
Mama and Papa Bear have to go to an emergency town meeting, along with the rest of the Bear family. Who will watch Brother and Sister Bear? They end up finding Mrs. Grizzly who lives in the old stump at the end of the street. But isn't Mrs. Grizzly a bit of a grump?

Lucky for her, the children are happily settled down with the odds and ends she's brought in her bag. Not only does this book prepare young (under 6?) children for a new sitter experience, but maybe it also will teach kids how to behave with grown-ups.

Mrs. Grizzly has a spunky personality that kids will warm up to and parents will enjoy reading aloud. The bright, colorful pictures are fun for kids.

Take the "scare" out of sitter!
My daughter (5yrs) and I are both huge Berenstain Bears fans. Unfortunately I missed all these as a kid - but am really enjoying them with her as an adult.

In this book brother & sister are very apprehensive about being left with a babysitter. They're even more nervous when they find out the babysitter is someone they view as cranky & a little scary. Lucky for the little bears, the babysitter & the entire experience turn out for the best.

Good book for teaching children that first impressions are not always accurate - and that staying home with a babysitter can be an enjoyable experience. ... Read more

Book Description

Charles is a mouse of few words. He doesn't like to talk, and he's perfectly happy playing by himself.But his parents are not happy. "It's time he played football or joined the ballet," says Charles's father. So off Charles goes to ballet class, where he curls up and pretends to be asleep. Football proves even less successful.Will anything bring Charles out of his shell?

"A nicely told fable as helpful for their parents as for shy children in need of respect."
-The New York Times Book Review
"Wells has a time-tested talent for taking a keenly felt emotion-in this case shyness-and exploring it in a manner that is reassuring to young listeners."
Booklist ... Read more

Reviews (3)

unfortunate name-calling in this book
We are tried and true Rosemary Wells fans, and are familiar with most of her books. I borrowed this one from the library, and was disappointed to find Charles' parents expressing their frustration through language like "another mother would have spanked you" for not saying thank you or goodbye (maybe Wells could have the mother model good manners rather than threatening punishment)and the father actually calling him names for not participating in football, which Dad forced on him. What a negative approach to modeling the behavior you want your child to adopt, never mind giving parents the idea that it's OK to treat a child in this manner. Needless to say, I edited it heavily when I read it, then returned it to the library post haste! Not one for my library!

shy is not so bad
This is a wonderful little book that makes the point that being shy is not such a terrible thing. Charles shows that he can do OK, even if he is shy. An implication is that Charles' parents may have been wrong to try to make Charles over, that maybe they should have recognized his special strengths instead of focusing on his "weak" points, so the book has a message for both children and parents.

I like this book better than "I Don't Know Why... I guess I'm Shy" (see my review there), because it has a more tolerant view of individual differences, doesn't encourage kids to approach adult strangers, and has really great, funny illustrations. (In fact, I'd love to have a print of Charles on his roller skates!)

A interesting look at a painfully shy mouse
Charles is not just a little shy, he is EXTREMELY shy, so shy he really doesn't seem to talk at all. As usual, Rosemary Wells is not afraid to have a hero who is quite out of the mainstream. Unlike in most of her books, Charles' parents are not very understanding of him, and seem to be at the point of being quite fed up with his shyness, which can make him seem impolite. However, people in the community seem to understand he's a special little mouse who will come out of his shell when he's ready. An unusual picture book which makes you think about how children who are not outgoing are treated. ... Read more

Book Description

It's summer...and you've agreed to baby-sit Mr. and Mrs. Harper's little girl, Katie, three days a week. You've never baby-sat before, but they have offered you $7.50 an hour--an offer you can't refuse. All your friends are jealous. Baby-sitting a two-year-old should be a snap, right? Wrong. There's something strange about Katie. When her parents are around, she's a perfect little angel. But when they leave, Katie turns into something frightening. Something scary. Is it all in your head? Or is Katie evil? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Best book If You Are A Baby-sitter
Even though it is just a summer job you can't help but want to quit. That's how I would feel if I was in the story.(Which I am)I love making my own desicions in books because I always have opinions when I read.I baby sit too and I hope that I will never have to face what the character faces in the story. Even if Katie is a perfect little angel when her parents are home, she turns EVIL when she is alone with you. This spine thrilling cahoose your own adventures is a wonderful book and I hope you enjoy it too. ... Read more

Book Description

Emily and Alice are sick of Chuckie Jones bragging about his perfect baby brother, who smiles only for him. The girls are sure they can get that baby to smile for them, too, and they know just how-they will become the best baby-sitters ever! But when they appear at Chuckie's house with their new business cards, tiara, and magic wand, Chuckie's mother has a surprise for them. They won't be baby-sitting a baby at all--they'll be in charge of Burton the bulldog!
... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (53)

Better of the Two
Of the Make Lemonade series, the first is probably my favorite. While they both offer strong points and bare-bones minimum essential points, this one is so deeply touching, you can't help but like it.

Verna Lavaughn decides she should have an after school job so that she can start saving for college. She sees a ticket on the activity board that's been there a long time. No one has responded, so she thinks she should. What awaits on the other side of that ticket is the world Lavaughn is trying to hard to escape: 17-year-old Jolly, with her two young children Jeremy and Jilly.

It's emotionally draining chapter by chapter. The heartbreaking, straight to the point verse in which it's written cuts right through you. As Jolly loses her job to "Mr. Fingers Boss" and has to find some way to support the family, Verna shows her the love nobody else ever has. She fights off cockroaches and makes up songs for the kids, scrubs the floor. She even takes Jeremy for shoes and pays for them because Jolly can't. The book is an intense look at life in America's slums and one girl's stuggle to escape it. A must-read.

Make Lemonade Amanda G Mrs.Olivette
I think that the book Make Lemonade byVirginia Euwer Wolff is an excellent book. Its a perfect example of how some people live their lives today. It had a lot of drama and it was so interesting that u could never tell what exactly was going to happen next.
The book's story was basically about Lavaughn's( a teenage girl) teen life. Her father died when she was a child so, her mother was an only parent for the majority of her life. Her mother was one of those control freak mothers who really only want the best for their child. She made sure Lavaughn was an A+ student and would be able to get a scholar ship to go to college to have a good life for the future.
Lavaughn was just entering ninth grade and needed something to do on her free time besides her homework. She found an ad on the school bulletin board for a job as a baby-sitter. She knew her mother wouldn't particularly go for. She still insisteded and convinced her mother in letting her take the job. After all she would have extra money for college. Lavaughn not only enters a job, but an environment and situation she's never been in or had to deal with before. Jolly her boss or the mother of the kids Lavaughn baby-sits for, lives on the worst side of town in a dirty broken down two bedroom apartment. She never graduated high school and the father of her kids took off. She had a factory job and never graduated high school. As the story goes on Jolly's life seems to be getting worse and when you think the most horrible things may occur, some things get turned around. While Lavaughn's grades are dropping and her mother always seems to be angry with her, throughout the book, she learns more important things. How real life is on your own and making the best decisions and taking the best opportunities. In the END..............your just going to have to read the book and find out for yourself.
I strongly recommend this book to people who like stories that teach a lesson and have a certain sense of reality to them.

Look beyond the title
Before I begin my review, I would first like to say a word or two to the author. Ahem. Ms. Virginia Euwer Wolff allow me to thank you for writing such a wonderful book. I've read many many young adult books in my day, but your book is one of the first to move beyond the text in the millions of ways that it did. You've penned a book that is as carefully written as it is fantastic. So, Ms. Euwer, why on earth did you give it the namby-pamby title "Make Lemonade"? I've never read a title that made me want to avoid a book more. Something called "Make Lemonade" sounds like a more sentimental version of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books. Your other books, like "True Believer", have somewhat bland titles, but at least they don't actively scare away the intelligent teens that wouldn't step foot near a book with the overly optimistic title that this one has. To sum up, great book, hate the title.

In "Make Lemonade" we have a story about self-discovery and self-recovery. LaVaughn is fourteen years old and is going to go to college someday. She knows this fact better than she knows anything else. Of course, that means she needs money, and so she answers an ad for a babysitter. The woman (if you can call her that) advertising is Jolly, a seventeen year-old single mother of a two year-old and a baby. As LaVaughn and Jolly get to know one another, the younger girl begins to see clearly the cracks and fissures in Jolly's madcap desperate life. As the two grow closer LaVaughn has to try to simultaneously help Jolly out while maintaining her own integrity and dealing with the guilt and enabling issues of being her employer's only friend.

The book is just as much about the trials of being poor in America today as it is about two girls trying to learn how to create a life of self-sustainability. LaVaughn isn't exactly from the suburbs herself, so she understands the world Jolly is coming from. Even so, she has to figure out to what extent she's holding Jolly back from taking the necessary steps to ensure a better life for herself and her kids. If Jolly's so poor, should LaVaughn give her back all the babysitting money she's earned? Is LaVaughn helping Jolly live in denial if she's merely offering help? Is it wrong that LaVaughn is taking the money of a desperate woman so that she herself can go to college and escape the viscious cycle of poverty? The book moves from practical situations and motions to philosophical ponderings about the nature of existence itself. Written entirely in free verse in a series of sixty-six poems (of a sort) we learn more about the characters and their lives through this unique medium than we could have ever hoped to with prose. Wolff is an accomplished writer, her stories capturing the honesty of the hardships that come with poverty. You won't find any miracles or sudden changes in human behavior in this book unless they come through good hard work. This book can make you simultaneously love and resent Jolly, just as LaVaughn loves and resents her herself. For a book that the author says came out of a dirty highchair, this goes on my list as possibly one of the strongest teen books to have ever been written. Better than "Speak". Better than "Dinky Hocker Shoots Smack". Better, perhaps, than even "The Chocolate War".

With the exception of its ludicrously optimistic title, this book is without flaw. A heartwrenching and exceedingly honest tale, it never bores or cheats. If you want to find an honesty that is at once heart-wrenching and ultimately triumphant, read "Make Lemonade". In our day and age, it should be assigned alongside "Nickel and Dimed" all the live long day.

Making money for college wasn't supposed to be this hard...
LaVaughn is a 9th grade student with aspirations to go to college. She decides to take on an after school job to safe money to finance her continued education. The person who hires LaVaughn is Jolly, a 17-year-old high-school dropout and mother of two who needs childcare while she works. While LaVaughn is not wealthy herself, she is not poor like Jolly. Jolly's apartment is filthy and cramped. LaVaughn is stunned at the conditions Jolly's little family lives in.

When sexual harassment at Jolly's workplace causes her to lose her job, she can no longer pay LaVaughn for her services. LaVaughn feels badly for Jolly and her two children, so she continues to baby-sit the children for free while trying to help Jolly get back on her feet.

Virginia Euwer Wolff has crafted a gripping and gritty look at the difficulties of unwed motherhood. Jolly's fears about finding food, keeping her children, and doing it all while not compromising herself sexually are hard hitting and real. LaVaughn only wants to make money for college, but she is torn between doing what is best for herself and helping a person in need.

Make Lemonade
I like the book a lot because its like about a 13 years olds life and it tells everything about her and how she needs a job. Her mom doesn't really want her to get a job because she doesn't like the fact that she has a lot going on in her life and that.
Finally her mom gives in and lets her take the job. She realizes that it was very difficult to take care of two kids and there names where Jolly and Jilly. the moms name was Jill. Jill was twenty years old and she just got out of school with the two kids. She decided to go back to college to get a good job so that's why she has to babysit for her It relates to me a lot and that's why I think I liked it. I would diffidently recommend it to anyone. When I looked on the reviews it was kids and older people and they all said they liked it so I think It Is a very good book for all ages over 13. It tell a lot about how she gets to know the kids more and she becomes friends with them. the book was not a surprise at the end and it just stopped that's the only thing I didn't like because you wanted to keep reading it and it just ended. I would diffidently like to read the second book to it so I can learn more about her and how she takes care of the kids. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Arthur's Baby
This book begins with Arthur's parents telling him and his siter D.W. that they are expecting a new baby in about six months. D.W. is terribly excited. She can't wait for the baby to come but Arthur isn't so sure of the whole thing.
The next day at school he talks to his friends about it, and they don't reassure him of anything. In fact they make him even more doubtful than before. Binky tells him that he should get some earplugs,or he'll never sleep because the baby will always be crying in the middle of the night.
Buster tells him that he can forget about playing afterschool because he'll have to go home and babysit everyday.
Muffy tells him that he'll have to change all the dirty diapers that the baby makes.
Francine tells him that he will probably start talking like the baby does.
For the next few months all Arthur sees are babies everywhere they are all he thinks about and not in a good way.
One day after school Arthur comes home and Arthur's mom shows him their baby photo album. He sees different pictures of him and D.W. when they were babies.
The next Saturday morning Arthur sees his mom packing a suitcase and he asks her where she is going. She tells him that she isn't going anywhere they just have to be ready if the baby decides to come.
Sunday morning Arthur goes down to the kitchen to get some breakfast, but instead of his mom standing at the stove, his Grandma Thora was there. She told Arthur and D.W. that they had a new baby sister and that after they had eaten breakfast they would go to the hospital to see her.
And so they did. They met their dad at the hospital and he took them to the nursery part of the hospital and he shows them Kate, their new baby sister.
On Tuesday Arthur's mom and dad brought Kate home. The doorbell was constantly rinnging and it was always more presents for the baby.
That night they were in Kate's nursery and Arthur's mom asked him if he would like to hold Kate, but he said "I'd rather look." D.W. said that it was for the better because Arthur didn't know beans about babies.
A few days later Arthur's mom needed help and she asked Arthur to watch Kate while she went upstairs. D.W. said that she would take care of everything. The doorbell rang and D.W. opened the door and some of Arthur's friends were there. D.W. told them that Arhtur coulnd't play, but they could come see her baby.
D.W. was very defensive and she told everyone not to get too close to her baby and to be quiet because her baby was sleeping. Then Kate woke up and D.W. said that Kate wanted her bottle. Kate drank her bottle very fast and when she was done she began to cry. D.W. told everyone that she had it under control. She kissed Kate on the head, but that didn't stop the crying, she bounced Kate up and down but Kate wailed louder,then Arthur picked up Kate and patted her on the back. Kate let out a big burp and Arthur told everyone that everything was all right now.
I thought this was a great book especially for a family that is expecting and already has one or more children. It tells kids that there is no reason to exclude yourself and not be a part of the new baby and it tells them that even if you think you can't you can help with the new baby. I recommend this to any family that is expectin and would urge them to read it to their kids and fully explain what they can do to help when the baby arrives.

a review for this book
This book is a great book. I like it because it shows that there are ways to calm children (or should I say all people)down. Everyone should read this.

A great book for expecting a third child
This was such a great book for an older sibling expecting a baby brother or sister as well as for expecting a third child in the family. It really touched on what children might be wonderring or worrying about, helping both the child and the parent to open up and discuss these fears andconcerns. My kids loved this and all the Arthur books.

Arthur has a new baby sister.
Arthur has a new baby sister named Kate. But, Arthur isn't so excited. He is scared that she will be like DW (his other sister). But, it turns out she really isn't like DW. Arthur wishes that Kate was sleeping in his room. One day Kate started to cry and when DW was getting Kate a toy, Arthur saved the day. ... Read more