Ann M. Martin

"Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey are best friends and founding member of The Baby-sitters Club. Whatever comes up--cranky toddlers, huge dogs, scary neighbors, prank calls--you can count on them to save the day. Baby-sitting isn't always easy, and neither is dealing with strict parents, new families, fashion emergencies, and mysterious secrets. But no matter what, the BSC have what they need most: friendship" -- Page [4] cover.

Squirrel, a stray puppy, tells her life story, from her nurturing mother and brother to making her own way in the world, facing busy highways, changing seasons, and humans both gentle and brutal.

Annabelle and Tiffany, dolls who are best friends living in the Palmer house, have an adventure when they hide in Kate Palmer's backpack, are carried to school, mistakenly go to another house, and try to stop Princess Mimi, a doll who threatens all dollkind.

Things go awry when Annabelle, a fragile, timid porcelain doll who lives in a Victorian dollhouse, tries to share some of her Christmas traditions with best friend Tiffany, a sturdy, adventurous plastic doll who lives in a modern dollhouse.

"When Kristy Thomas has the great idea to form a baby-sitters club--a chance to earn money and spend time with her friends, all while doing something they each love to do--she has no idea how much the club will change everything. Crank calls, uncontrollable toddlers, wild pets, untruthful clients...running a business is hard work! Kristy and her co-founders, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey, are sure they can handle anything. But only if they stick...

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.

In 1963, when her flamboyant mother abandons the family to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, eleven-year-old Ellie Dingman takes charge of her younger siblings, while also trying to deal with her outcast status in school and frightening acts of prejudice toward the "misfits" that live on her street.

Dawn is sure there's a ghost in her house and so are the other baby-sitters. But they're so busy with their baby-sitting jobs that they hardly have time for a ghost hunt. Will the mystery ever be solved?

Karen and her little brother Andrew are getting new pets -- goldfish! Karen names hers Crystal Light. Andrew's is called Goldfishie. Karen and Andrew love to watch their fish swim around and around. Then something happens to Crystal Light, and Karen is so sad. Nothing can make her feel better...until Karen's witchy neighbor saves the day!

Kristy's mom is getting married, and Kristy's a bridesmaid. The only trouble is, fourteen little kids are coming to the wedding, and they all need baby-sitters. Stacey, Claudia, Mary Anne, Dawn, and Kristy think they can handle fourteen kids. But that's before they spend five days changing diapers, stopping fights, solving mix-ups, righting wrongs... and getting sick and tired of baby-sitting. One thing's for sure: this is a hectic way to have a wedding....