Like so many millennial women, I was a superfan of The Baby-Sitters Club series for much of my childhood. I read the books, I watched the shows, I adored the movie … but it went beyond that. I don’t think I had the ability to really recognize this feeling, but every time I lost myself in this fictional world, I found things I wasn’t finding anywhere else: representation, possibility, a new set of narratives around girlhood.
As a parent, I can confidently say: The Baby-Sitters Club has stood the test of time. This is a series that’s worth celebrating even today … and it’s one that’s worth sharing with our kids. Speaking of time, the iconic series just celebrated its 40th birthday. First the American Girl Dolls turn 40, now my favorite childhood book series!? Yes, that makes me feel old; it’s fine, let’s move on.
The appeal of The Baby-Sitters Club isn’t just in its nostalgia. This series truly has so many important lessons to teach our kids. Lessons about ambition, friendship, conflict, and responsibility. Lessons about coming of age and lessons about holding onto your friends as you do. No matter how much has changed about our world, those lessons still have their place.
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Why Millennials Loved The Baby-Sitters Club
In order to understand what makes The Baby-Sitters Club so special, we have to talk about the premise of it all. Essentially, the series is about a group of teenage girls who start what is called a club, but is actually a full-on business.
Even today, a series centered around girls doing something so entrepreneurial would feel fresh and exciting. But 40 years ago? I imagine it felt a little bit revolutionary. Instead of dabbling in boy drama and frenemy storylines, The Baby-Sitters Club series showed the girls focusing on building their small business.
They worked together. They came up with a structure, a set of policies, a roster of positions, and an approach that set them apart. It was an incredible display of what it looks like when girls harness their ambition, recognize their individual talents, put their heads together, and just … go for it.
For me, when I really stop to think about it, this was the first time I received the message that girls could have power. That care work could command value. I imagine so many of my fellow millennials felt the same way about The Baby-Sitters Club, even if we didn’t have the language for this feeling back then.
“I imagine so many of my fellow millennials felt the same way about The Baby-Sitters Club, even if we didn’t have the language for this feeling back then.”
Seeing ourselves in our favorite characters
For me in particular, one character always felt especially meaningful: Claudia Kishi, who was a daughter of Asian immigrants, just like me. Also like me, she defied every stereotype. She hated math (same), she loved art and fashion (also same), and she hid candy in her room (tried it, my parents found the stash within a day). Claudia constantly felt like she couldn’t be her parents’ perfect daughter, and so many daughters of immigrants saw themselves in her story. That wasn’t the only instance of representation, though.
So many girls with diabetes or other chronic illnesses saw themselves in Stacey McGill, a glamorous math whiz who put type 1 diabetes on the map for a whole generation. So many young Black girls saw themselves in Jessi Ramsey, who loved and excelled in ballet (a space where Black girls and women are largely underrepresented). So many assertive, ambitious girls who were told they were “too much” saw themselves in club president Kristy Thomas.
And so many shy kids—and kids of single or widowed parents—saw themselves in Mary Anne Spier.
The Baby-Sitters Club Series: An Age-by-Age Guide
This series gave so many of us our first taste of representation that felt authentic and relatable. Now, we get to pass it on to our own kids. The good news? The Baby-Sitters Club universe is expansive. There are so many ways to introduce your kids to this franchise. Here’s how I would suggest approaching it by age.
Ages 6 to 8
I’m pretty sure I was in first grade when I started reading The Baby-Sitters Club Little Sister series. These books aren’t actually about the club itself. They center around Karen Brewer, who is the younger step-sister of club president Kristy Thomas.
This spinoff series is easy to read for an elementary school student (reading it to your child could also be a great option!). My own daughter, a rising second grader, is really enjoying these books right now. She’s reading them independently, and since this series is about a seven-year-old girl, I don’t worry about the content being too mature.
One thing that’s great about this series? It introduces kids to the concept of blended families.
The original Little Sister chapter books can be hard to track down, but I’ve managed to find a few at small bookstores. They’ve recently released graphic novel versions of both the original Baby-Sitters Club books and the Little Sister spinoffs, which are more readily available on bookstore shelves or online. In my opinion, though? These lack a bit of that nostalgic magic you can only find in the original books. However, they may be easier and more visually engaging for young readers.
Adapted by bestselling cartoonist Katy Farina, this graphic novel series follows little sister Karen as she goes on her own set of adventures in Stoneybrook.
Ages 9 to 11
The modern graphic novel versions of The Baby-Sitters Club are favorites among elementary-aged kids—and in high demand at the school library. Connecting young kids with such an expansive series is an amazing way to cultivate a true love of reading in kids.
Additionally, Netflix released a kids show based on The Baby-Sitters Club books in 2020, and spoiler alert: It’s excellent. The Netflix adaptation feels modern, yet still totally faithful to the original books.
I watched The Baby-Sitters Club series with my daughter when she was 6 and she loved it. But truth be told, she may have been a little too young to fully grasp what was going on. I can’t wait to do a rewatch with her in a few years when she has the maturity and exposure to better understand it.
This show tackles a lot of important issues. The girls babysit a transgender child, there’s a “first period” plotline, and there are discussions of grief and death.
There was also a TV show based on the franchise back in the ‘90s, and you can probably hunt episodes down on YouTube. Personally, though? I’d recommend the newer version over the original. It just feels more relevant. Watch the Netflix series here!
Adapted by Raina Telgemeier and Gale Galligan, this graphic novel box set of the first books in the bestselling series is perfect for younger readers.
Ages 11-13
Once your child is headed to middle school, I’d say they’re ready for the series that started it all. The Baby-Sitters Club chapter books are truly the heart of this whole franchise.
These stories follow these beloved characters through ups and downs. They explore their different personalities, the friction they face in their friendships, their personal lives and all the things they deal with, and of course, their adventures in babysitting. What really shines in this series is that the girls featured here are so different and so thoroughly fleshed out. They aren’t tropes or symbols; they’re full characters with different pressures, struggles, insecurities, and strengths. As a teenager, reading about other girls who felt so real meant everything to me.
If you introduce your tween to The Baby-Sitters Club books, you may be in for a long stretch of fandom. There are so many novels (over 100!), various special edition books, and even a recently-released fan edition. The series is also a consistent “Teacher’s Pick” on Amazon
The only drawback for me? The Baby-Sitters Club chapter books can be hard to find and you’ll likely have an easier time tracking down the graphic novel versions that appear at major bookstores. But again … I just feel like the magic gets lost a little bit in the graphic format.
Featuring books 1-6, this retro set contains the first The Baby-Sitters Club stories fitted in their original covers. This way, you can share all the nostalgia with your kiddos.
Grab any number of The Baby-Sitters Club chapter books for your middle reader to get immersed in the world of these young entrepreneurs and friends.
Age 13+
I remember watching the movie inspired by this franchise when it was released in theaters all the way back in 1995. In hindsight? At 7 years old, I was probably way too young.
I watched the movie over and over as a kid, but it definitely feels more mature than the book series.
It would be a great one for parents to watch alongside their teen children, but I’d probably suggest holding off until your kids are a bit more mature, despite the movie’s PG rating. It does feature some themes that may not be appropriate for young kids. For example, one character starts dating an older boy, which is very much something I don’t want glamorized for my own kids, at least until they’re old enough for a conversation about why age gap relationships among teens are problematic.
Overall, this feels like the movie you watch after you’ve read the books, not so much a way to introduce young kids to the series for the first time.
In this adaptation of the bestselling book series, seven friends start a day camp babysitting business. Unsurprisingly, it results in some serious summer chaos (and memories).
Available on DVD and streaming
Introducing My Kids to The Baby-Sitters Club Feels Full Circle
As a mom in the middle years of parenting, introducing my kids to the things I once loved is one of my favorite aspects of this stage of motherhood. And while some of my childhood faves feel a bit cringe in 2026 (the Sweet Valley series, for example? I was obsessed as a teenager, but in retrospect, I clock some of the obvious upholding of narrow beauty standards when I look back).
But The Baby-Sitters Club doesn’t just feel like pure nostalgia to me. It feels like something that takes on an even deeper meaning now that I can see things more clearly through the lens of time, age, and experience.
We need more stories of girlhood like these. And I’m so excited to walk my own child through every stage of this world.
Zara Hanawalt, Contributing Writer
Zara is a twin mom and freelance journalist with over a decade of experience covering parenting, women’s health, and culture. In addition to The Everymom, she’s written for outlets like Vogue, Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Parents, Shape, Motherly, The New York Times for Kids, What to Expect, and many others. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, travel, watching TV, and trying new restaurants.
Images in feature graphics credited to Kailey Schwerman | Netflix, Liane Hentscher | Netflix, Kailey Schwerman | Netflix, Kailey Schwerman | Netflix, Amazon, and products linked within article.
