Ann M Martin

Claudia's room has been ransacked, and her sister Janine is acting strange. It's up to the Baby-sitters to solve the mystery.

Visiting a huge seaside mansion in Maine while caring for six young charges, Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, and Dawn are disturbed at the location's decidedly spooky nature and further alarmed by strange noises and a ghostly figure. Ann M. Martin is the creator of The Baby-sitters Club, which has more than 190 million books in print, making it one of the most popular series in the history of publishing. Her novels include A Corner of the Universe...

"Mary Anne has never been a leader of the BSC. So when a fight breaks out among the club's four members, Mary Anne feels a little lost, unable to depend on Kristy, Stacey, or Claudia anymore. Sitting by herself in the cafeteria is bad enough; when Mary Anne has to baby-sit a sick child without any help from the club, she knows someone has to take action. It's time for Mary Anne to step in and save the day!" -- Page [4] cover.

For New Year's Eve, Karen thinks everyone should make a promise. Hannie is going to stop biting her nails. Kristy promises not to talk to her boyfriend on the phone so much. And Karen makes the most promises of all -- nine! But pretty soon, everyone starts breaking their promises. And her brothers and sisters are calling Karen a spy! Poor Karen. Why is everyone being bad except her?

Feeling isolated as the only African American in her sixth grade class, Jessi gains a sense of belonging by participating in the Baby-sitters Club, learning sign language in order to communicate with a deaf child, and dancing in a ballet.

Dawn's a little jealous when there's a formal ceremony to welcome Jessi and Mallory into the Baby-sitters Club. Don't people know that Dawn's a special baby-sitter too? Then it's Dawn's turn to shine. Mrs. Pike wants Dawn to help prepare Margo and Claire for the Little Miss Stoneybrook contest. So what if Margo's only talent is peeling a banana with her feet? Dawn's going to help her charges win that contest any way she can. The only trouble is...Kristy,...

"Stacey's invited her friends from the Baby-sitters Club down to New York City for a long weekend. But what a mistake! The Baby-sitters are way out of place in the big city. Mary Anne sounds like a walking guide book; Dawn's afraid of everything; Kristy can't keep her mouth shut; and Claudia's jealous of Stacey's friends. Does this mean Stacey can't be the Baby-sitters' friend anymore? Will the Baby-sitters Club fall apart?" -- Page [4] cover.

Mary Anne is desperate to find her missing kitten, Tigger, so the Baby-Sitters help her with her search, but in the meantime the children for whom Mary Anne babysits develop inexplicable allergies.

Since her parents' divorce, Dawn lives in Connecticut with her mother while her brother and father are in California, but after a week's vacation in sunny, healthy southern California, Dawn isn't sure she wants to return to the East Coast.

As a new member of the Baby-sitters Club, Dawn tries to win the acceptance of the club's president by tackling a tough babysitting job.