Say hello to your friends (Baby-Sitters Club)
Say hello to the people who care
Nothing’s better than friends (Baby-Sitters Club)
‘Cause you know that your friends are always there

At long last, my ode to The Baby-Sitters Club is out in the world. This piece had quite the journey from pitch to publication! In March, it was accepted and then rejected by The Washington Post, so I retooled it a bit and then it found a home on Family Minded!! I’m so glad I didn’t give up on this one and it was such an honor to write about a series that was such a huge part of my childhood. So, fellow writers, NEVER GIVE UP on those stories you believe in!

Here’s an excerpt of the piece, in which I thoroughly analyze the world that Kristy and her friends live in and their rightful, prominent place in pop culture history…

No one in the group is the same, and there was a character for every personality type: There’s Kristy, whose bossy leadership skills helped The Baby-Sitters Club become the go-to sitting service in fictional Stoneybrook, Connecticut. There’s artistic Claudia and fashion-loving Stacey. Mary Anne is shy and reserved, while cool, California-bred Dawn is outgoing. And while Mallory prefers to spend the day reading, Jessi loves practicing her ballet routines.

Growing up, the series was such a defining part of my childhood, and it was the first series I remember that got my whole family involved, even before we started the first chapter. I’d bond with my father as he’d spend time with me at the library, helping me reach the BSC books and listening as I carefully debated the merits of each one to decide which one to check out.

I’d also bond with my mom every night, as I’d huddle under the covers and listen in wonder as she read each book aloud, usually asking her if we could read “just one more chapter” night after night.

You can read the full piece here and I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to email me anytime at mellow1422@aol.com and let’s chat! And of course, feel free to share my essay on Facebook, Twitter or even your local refrigerator. If you share on Twitter, be sure to tag me @melissablake so we can connect! I can’t wait to hear from you! Love you all… xoxo