Baby-Sitters Club Super Special Books In Order

Publication Order of The Baby-Sitters Club Super Special Books

Baby-Sitters club super special is a series of children’s novels written by Ann M. Martin. Even though the books feature characters that range between 11-13 years of age, some readers have suggested that it might be more accurate to categorize these books as young adult.

+The Story

The baby-sitters club books were big hits amongst young readers when they were first published in the 80s and 90s, and it came as no surprise when Scholastic decided to take a chance on the Baby-Sitters club super specials.

There was a time when Ann M. Martin was writing and publishing a new babysitters’ book every month. And while she showed an uncanny ability to maintain the quality of her stories, it was only natural that the series would begin to wear thin.

After all, once you have written nearly a hundred books about little girls dealing with domestic turmoil even while running their own business, you were bound to run out of ideas.

The baby-sitters club super special series was written to add new life to what might have become a dying franchise. There had been numerous spinoffs written at the time.

But the super specials were something new. The books were much longer than their baby-sitter’s club counterparts. And that was a big deal. For all the fun that could be had reading the babysitters club series, those books were a little frustrating because they were so short.

It has been argued that the length of the books was intentional because it made readers yearn for more. And they definitely did yearn, so much so that when the baby-sitters club super special series began publication, readers pounced on it with fervor.

The idea of reading an extended version of the babysitting adventures audiences were acclimated to was exhilarating. An even more drastic difference was the structure of the books.

The original babysitter books were each written to follow the exploits of a particular character. As such, each book was written from the first person perspective of the character around which that story revolved.

Ann M. Martin threw that structure out the window with the super specials which not only brought several members of the baby-sitters club together but also featured numerous narrators.

80s and 90s kids can attest to the fact that the change was life-altering. The idea of following the exploits of more than one member of the baby-sitters club was revolutionary.

More than that, the complexity of the plots grew, primarily because each book in the baby-sitters club super special series followed multiple stories at a time. There was always a larger central plot around which the stories of the various characters revolved.

Martin’s stories never got too complicated. It was never difficult to keep up with the characters and their adventures. But the change in structure elevated the super specials above their typical baby-sitters club counterparts.

And it helped their popularity that there were so few of them. One cannot blame Martin or Scholastic for that outcome. The company was struggling to keep numerous baby-sitters spinoffs going at the same time.

The super specials were never meant to be anything more than a rare occurrence, a break from the hullabaloo of the various baby-sitters stories. Their rarity definitely made the super specials that much more special.

Young readers at the time can attest to treasuring every chapter of a baby-sitters club super special series book because they knew they didn’t have too many to enjoy.

+The Author

Ann Mathews Martin is the bestselling American author behind the baby-sitters club phenomenon. Born in 1955 to a cartoonist and a teacher, Ann knew she wanted to write novels from a young age.

And it didn’t even take her that long to realize that she had a preference for children’s books. Along with her passion for books, Ann loved children. She became a teacher because she couldn’t get enough of them.

She even gave up her summer holidays to teach disabled kids in her community. While writing always occupied her mind, Ann didn’t know she would become a published author.

Even when she went into the publishing business, the author primarily worked as an editor. It isn’t until Ann sat down to write her own stories that she remembered how much she loved the activity.

Ann stumbled upon the baby-sitters phenomenon. She was approached by Scholastic who wanted her to write four babysitting stories. The babysitting sub-genre was picking up steam at the time and Scholastic wanted to tap into that trend.

So they told Ann M. Martin to come up with a few ideas. The author used her childhood memories to generate characters. Then she injected them into four different stories that she didn’t have much hope for.

Not only was she surprised to learn how fast the books were selling but she was even more shocked to realize just how many more books she was expected to write.

The author eventually made a fortune from the series and its many spinoffs.

+Baby-Sitters On Board

Babysitting has its perks. Claudia, Kristy, Stacy and Mary Anne are going to Disney World. And that is only after they fly to Florida and tour the Bahamas. It is the trip of a lifetime and the girls are ecstatic.

Along the way, the kids encounter many an adventure.

The first book in the baby-sitters club super special series excited a lot of people when it came out. For one thing, the book was so much thicker than its predecessors. And it also told stories from the perspective of different characters which meant that much more drama.

The story here begins when Mr. Pike wins an all-expenses-paid trip. For all the excitement that the trip creates, Mr. Pike cannot forget that he has such a large family. He decides to bring a couple of babysitters along for the ride.

+Baby-Sitters Summer Vacation

The baby-sitters club is going to camp Mohawk. Kristy and her friends are looking forward to their training as counselors. And they already know the campers because they are the kids Kristy and her club have been sitting.

Babysitting in the woods doesn’t sound much like fun but Kristy is looking forward to the challenge. There are so many things she cannot wait to learn such as the art of using mascara.