Sit Me Baby One More Time Ep 03 - The Truth About Stacey (The Baby-Sitters Club #3)

Summary

Overdue Podcast: Sit Me Baby One More Time Ep 03–"The Truth About Stacey" (The Baby-Sitters Club #3)

Date: September 27, 2025
Hosts: Andrew & Craig
Main Theme:
This episode explores Ann M. Martin’s The Truth About Stacey, the third installment of The Baby-Sitters Club series. Andrew and Craig provide a character-driven discussion that delves into the book’s dual focus: the business rivalry between the original club and a new babysitting agency, and Stacey’s experience managing diabetes and parental overprotection. The hosts analyze how the book balances real issues with the familiar BSC blend of middle-school drama and hijinks, all while reflecting on Martin’s thoughtful approach to childhood challenges and representation.

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Episode Structure & Key Discussion Points

1. Setting up the Book and Series Context

• Introductions & Banter (03:49–04:11)
  • The hosts joke about parenting being like "full-time babysitting", segueing into the premise of the Babysitters Club.
  • Re-caps the release timeline of the first three books and notes rapid-fire publishing ("Boom, boom, boom, boom. Have them all out." – Craig, 04:45).
• Stacey’s Introduction (05:36–06:33)
  • The book centers on Stacey, previously introduced but now taking the spotlight.
  • The key plot points:
    • Stacey has diabetes, discussed in prior books, but the ‘truth’ is about her parents’ handling of her illness.

2. The "Truth" About Stacey’s Diabetes

• Book Blurb & Parental Overwhelm (06:33–06:55)
  • Stacey’s parents, unwilling to accept her diagnosis, drag her "to practically every doctor in America."
  • Her social world is disrupted, with friends lost over medical secrecy.
• The Role of the Diary Format (07:17–07:31)
  • The narrative use of the diary shifts from character hopping (seen in Books 1 & 2) to a near "war journal" chronicling the club’s rivalry.

“They do completely change the function of the diary in this book in that it becomes ... dispatches from the front.” — Craig (07:18)

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3. The Club Faces Competition: The Babysitters Agency

• The Rival Agency (09:03–12:23)
  • The Babysitter’s Agency, run by older eighth-graders, is established, offering sitters who can stay later and work longer.
• Reconnaissance Scene—Christie’s Prank Call (12:00–12:48)
  • Christie pretends to be a parent needing a sitter for “Winston Churchill,” leading to comedic confusion.
  • Notable quote:

    “I’m going on a date with Winston Churchill.” — Craig (12:26)

• Escalating Stakes (12:53–13:49)
  • The holidays mean parents are increasingly desperate for babysitters, raising the competitive heat.

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4. The Size and Social Dynamics of Stony Brook

• Small Town, Big Babysitting Market? (13:49–14:01)
  • The hosts humorously dissect how Stony Brook simultaneously feels small and, based on babysitting demand, inexplicably large.
  • Notable moment:

    “How big is this town?” — Craig (13:49)

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5. Deep Dive: Stacey’s Family, Illness, and Friendship Loss

• Stacey’s Life in NYC and Medical Trauma (14:01–16:45)

  • Recounts the backstory:
    • Stacey’s best friend, Lane, cuts ties due to misunderstandings and social stigma tied to Stacey’s undiagnosed diabetes and absenteeism.
  • The hosts appreciate Martin’s insight into adolescent dynamics:
    • Notable analysis:

      “Attention from adults is a real currency as a kid." — Craig (20:50)

  • The move to Stony Brook is fueled by parental hope for better medical answers and a social reset.

• Parent Overinvolvement: 'Holistic' Doctor Plot (17:01–19:36)

  • The comedic confusion of “holistic” vs. “holy” doctors gives levity before a serious critique of endless, unhelpful medical interventions:

    “They're just gonna keep going from doctor to doctor ... until somebody gives us a more, like, permanent fix.” — Andrew (17:43)

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6. The Babysitting Business War

• Product Innovation (Kid Kits) and Dorky Marketing (21:22–24:22)
  • The club rolls out “Kid Kits” to win business through the kids themselves.
  • The hosts laugh about the girls wearing sandwich boards in school (“dweebs” – Craig, 24:12) and the attendant embarrassment.
• Loss of Clients and Betrayal by Double Agents (24:35–29:42)
  • Club members begin losing business; the agency’s sitters—Janet and Leslie—sabotage jobs as moles.
  • Notable quote:

    “These were double agents from the babysitters agency … to bring down their sterling reputation.” — Andrew (29:28)

  • The word “traitors” recurs throughout, adding melodrama ("That's a very, like, big word to label someone.” — Craig, 29:42).

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7. The Collapse of the Agency and Community Response

• Consequences of Poor Quality (31:58–34:00)

  • Neglectful sitters lead to serious safety issues (e.g., Jamie found unsupervised in the snow).
  • Parents are mobilized, leading to the hiring of the Babysitters Club again:

    "The invisible hand of the market wins again." — Andrew (33:39)

• A Note on Local Organizing (34:00–34:05)

  • The hosts humorously liken the club’s local reputation to grassroots organizing.

• Triumph of Relationship-based Service (34:17–34:36)

  • Key scene: Club girls challenge rivals on their knowledge of kids’ allergies and preferences, underscoring the value of genuine care.

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8. Resolving Stacey’s Family Tension & Friendship

• Double Doctor Appt: The Bad Specialist and the Good One (34:39–36:20)

  • Stacey’s parents are persuaded (by Stacey, with new doctor info from Dr. Johansen) to consult a reputable diabetes specialist, providing validation for Stacey’s autonomy.
  • Favorite quote (from the “good” doctor):

    "The only doctor you could have who’s better would be me." — Doctor (36:06)

• Reconnecting with Lane (36:20–38:46)

  • Stacey and Lane mend their friendship through open conversation and a shared musical outing.
  • Lane is promised honorary club membership for future visits.

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9. Thematic Resonance & Literary Analysis

• Parallels between Quack Doctors and Unfit Babysitters (38:48–39:20)
  • Both plotlines revolve around the idea of people providing a service without the client’s true interests at heart.

"I like the overlapping theme of the quack doctor and the quack babysitters ... I think that was more resonance there than in the other ones." — Craig (38:52)

• Author’s Note and the Portrayal of Diabetes (39:36–42:31)
  • Martin’s afterword focuses on representation and responsible depiction ("...cop[ing] with her disability in a positive way").
  • The hosts emphasize how refreshingly realistic Stacey's experience is, contrasting it with shallow or inaccurate media depictions.

"It’s just nice to see a good example of some representation from before that became a huge driving culture war flashpoint thing." — Andrew (42:04)

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10. Wrapping Up and Next Book Teaser

• Looking Forward: “Marianne Saves the Day” (39:20–47:30)

  • The hosts look ahead to the next book and muse on Marianne’s wallflower characterization and family backstory.
  • They also reflect on recurring secondary characters and BSC’s evolving structure.

• Fun Fact: Series Continuity Error Noted (45:00)

  • Inconsistency: the club claims no money is taken from sitters, yet $1 weekly dues exist. The hosts joke this might be union-busting by Kristy.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On BSC Diary Format:

  "They do completely change the function of the diary in this book in that it becomes... dispatches from the front." — Craig (07:18)

• On Child Attention Dynamics:

  “Attention from adults is a real currency as a kid. Especially when you're in like, middle school...” — Craig (20:50)

• On New Competition:

  “I’m going on a date with Winston Churchill.” — Craig, spoofing Christy’s prank call (12:26)

• On the Agency Sabotage:

  “These were double agents from the babysitters agency who infiltrated the group to bring down their their sterling reputation.” — Andrew (29:28)

• On Market Justice:

  "The invisible hand of the market wins again." — Andrew (33:39)

• On the Value of Genuine Babysitting:

  “Do you know what Jamie’s favorite food is? Do you know why Charlotte loves to play Scrabble?... And all the girls are like, well, no, but like, whatever, nerds.” — Craig (34:17)

• On Diabetes Representation:

  "This is just like, no, the kid knows what they're doing and they actually just want better understanding from the people around them." — Craig (41:52) "It's just nice to see a good example of some representation from before that became like a huge driving, like, culture war flashpoint thing." — Andrew (42:04)

• On Club Finances:

  “That's some union busting is what that is.” — Craig (45:19)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Banter & Parenting Jokes: 02:45–04:01
• Book Introduction & Blurb: 04:11–07:17
• Stacey/Diabetes Backstory: 14:01–17:43, 39:36–42:31
• Rival Babysitters Agency: 09:03–13:49, 21:07–29:42
• ‘Traitor’ Sitters & Fallout: 27:23–29:42
• Charlotte/Dr. Johansen Plot: 25:37–31:44
• Agency’s Downfall: 31:58–34:36
• Family Resolution/Doctor Visit: 34:39–36:20
• Stacey & Lane Reconcile: 36:20–38:46
• Thematic Parallels & Author’s Note: 38:48–42:31
• Next Episode Preview & Reflection: 39:20–47:30
• Continuity Error (Fun Fact): 45:00

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Tone & Language

Consistent with the Overdue podcast’s playful, smart, and gently self-deprecating approach, Andrew and Craig blend sincere literary analysis with zippy, often tongue-in-cheek banter. Their references to both the melodrama of middle school and the practicalities of parenting ground the conversation in real-world empathy, while their affection for Ann M. Martin’s work shines through.

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Summary Takeaways

• The Truth About Stacey stands out for its nuanced, realistic depiction of diabetes and family dynamics, injecting real-world stakes and sensitivity into a beloved children’s series.
• The book also spotlights issues related to trust, friendship, business ethics, and the perils of flashy but insubstantial competition.
• Martin’s balanced representation, the relationship between kids and adults, and the business shenanigans prompt engaging discussion and reflection, promising more character depth—especially for Marianne—in the next episode.

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“Who's going to help me face those traitors tomorrow?” — Craig & Andrew, ending catchphrase (49:38)

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For more episodes and reading guides, visit overdue podcast.com

Transcript

[Andrew]

Craig, I know you love audiobooks.

[Craig]

I do love audiobooks.

[Andrew]

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[Craig]

Please tell me more.

[Andrew]

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[Craig]

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[Andrew]

This is a Headgum podcast.

[Craig]

While Andrew and Craig believe the joy of discovery is crucial to enjoying any well told tale, they will not shy.

[Andrew]

Away from spoiling specific story beats when necessary.

[Craig]

Plus, these are books you should have read by now. Hit me baby wait Sit me baby one more time if I said any more of the other one, I wouldn't be allowed. Welcome to Sit Me Baby One More Time, a babysitters club podcast from the books and the boys at Overdue. A podcast about the books and the voice you've been meaning to read. My name is Craig.

[Andrew]

My name is Andrew. Of course.

[Craig]

If only I had a babysitter literally right now because 10 minutes before this record, my son opened all the drawers on his dresser for the fifth time in 20 minutes. He's haunting me. He's doing a haunting.

[Andrew]

You just need to let him sleep in there. It's like when they, when they smoke a cigarette and then you make them smoke the whole pack. You gotta just let him sleep in the dresser. You do this, then he Won't. Then he won't want to know what's in there.

[Craig]

No, you're totally right.

[Andrew]

I'm not. This is parody. I'm not actually advising that Craig make his baby smoke cigarettes and live in the dresser.

[Craig]

Well, the second part.

[Andrew]

This is just jokes. This is. These are just jokes.

[Craig]

These are just jokes. This is our joke book podcast.

[Andrew]

Henry's been getting his money's worth out bedtime lately. I'll tell. Tell you what, like I, I do the, the first phase of bedtime where it's like, you know, getting him upstairs and getting him undressed and potty break and bath time and then brush teeth and jammies and I hand him off to Susanna for books and songs and he's been stretching books and songs.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Andrew]

Simon's for like 50 minutes these days.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Andrew]

She whiz kid.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Andrew]

Go to bed.

[Craig]

I know.

[Andrew]

Go to bed, kids.

[Craig]

Go to bed, kids. Welcome to our babysitting podcast where we talk about how our kids need to go to sleep.

[Andrew]

Being a parent is just like being a full time babysitter and you can't do anything else.

[Craig]

Hey, tell me where the lie is. Tell me the truth about this and the truth about Stacy. Which is the book that we are talking about today.

[Andrew]

It's the Babysitters Club Number 3.

[Craig]

Babysitters Club Number 3 by Annifer M. Martin. Annifer.

[Andrew]

Yeah, that's her full name.

[Craig]

Okay.

[Andrew]

Full name is actually Ann Matthews Martin. That was another funny. That was another parody.

[Craig]

Sure. Great. It came out for the first time in. When did it come out? 1986. December. There was a reprint 95 and a reprint in 2020.

[Andrew]

What's the clip? These are coming out at, at this point. Is this like the second one in a year? Third one in a year.

[Craig]

Claudia and the phantom phone calls came out in October of 86, I think. I think this was the thing where they had like written three or four and they were just like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. Have them all out. So we'll see what.

[Andrew]

I know that I know the G bumps were coming out like several a year.

[Craig]

Yes, I think that will also be the case. But I do think that they got a few in the can for this. For this series. Can I have.

[Andrew]

You think that's what the people at Scholastic said? They're like, yeah, we got some Anne in the can. This is vintage Ann.

[Craig]

They got some Anne in the can. I hope someone said that. So we've talked about Ann Martin in our episode zero. We've talked about what Christie's big idea and We've talked about Claudia and her phantom phone calls, and now it is time to meet our third member of the Babysitters Club out of four.

[Andrew]

Stacy.

[Craig]

Stacy. So I have two blurbs here for you, Andrew. One is the back of the book blurb.

[Andrew]

Okay.

[Craig]

The truth about Stacy is that she has diabetes. Okay, well, that, that's. That's spoiler alert, I suppose.

[Andrew]

Well, I mean, there was also spoiled in the two books previous to this where this issue is discussed already, which was why I was a little bit confused about the truth about Stacy, because I was kind of expecting a new truth to be revealed. The.

[Craig]

The blurb has more on that front.

[Andrew]

Okay, good.

[Craig]

Nobody knows except her friends in the Babysitters club and her parents, which we'll get into. But even they don't know the real truth about Stacy. Stacy's problem is her parents. They won't admit she has the disease and they drag her to practically every doctor in America. Seeing so many doctors made Stacy lose one friend and she won't let it happen again. Especially now when the Babysitters club needs her more than ever. So that's kind of the setup of the book.

[Andrew]

High drama at the Baby Sitters Club. Actually, this time there is a lot of high drama. The first two books are just kind of getting the idea of the Babysitters club set up. The second book is also doing some like, mystery stuff, but it's still following the template where you're meeting all these kids who are being sat and you're reading all the diary entries that the. The Babysitters club members are writing about their, you know, their travails. Babysitting. This one has babysitting in it still, but it does not. It's already kind of breaking that format that's already been established in the first two books a little bit. Like, I don't. You read some stuff in the diary, but it's never like a. This diary is taking me out of my body and putting me into another babysitter for a while.

[Craig]

Correct.

[Andrew]

The way it did in the first two books.

[Craig]

They do completely change the function of the diary in this book in that it becomes a. Like a record keeping of the war that they are in. It's dispatches from the front.

[Andrew]

It's a war journal. Yeah.

[Craig]

Regarding.

[Andrew]

What are they fighting over, Craig? Well, or did you have another blurb?

[Craig]

Well, I'll save the other blurb because it's from Ann Martin about Stacy and her diabetes. And I think.

[Andrew]

Oh yeah, Is it the. The note at the end?

[Craig]

We can talk about that.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Craig]

So now that we're in here in this series, Zone of Truth About Stacy. Yes, I do like that. In the very beginning of the book, before any of the issues are laid out on the table, they do have to remind you of the basic premise of the series. Just in case. This is your first book. And they're. The four babysitters are having a meeting, and they're talking about what to do when the. When Mrs. Newton has her baby. She already has one baby. Jamie, who's like three. She's gonna have a new baby. They have different ideas.

[Andrew]

She's been cooking this baby for the first two.

[Craig]

Yeah, she has. And Christie lays out some sort of idea. I think that's a good idea. Spoke up. Marianne Spear. I second the motion. Marianne usually agrees with Christie. After all, they're best friends. I glanced across the room at Claudia Kishi. Claudia is my best friend and vice president of our club. That's from Stacy's perspective, of course. I just like that. It's just like. Here's the quick battle lines. They're the. They're the two baby.

[Andrew]

Here's the voting blocks that exist inside of this babysitter's club.

[Craig]

Yes. But. But quickly after this little scene, Andrew, a new wrinkle is introduced. In the Babysitter's club universe. What do they discover?

[Andrew]

They discover that they have competition.

[Craig]

Competition. It's happened so fast. People are iterating on this idea.

[Andrew]

Well, so to place this in time. In the first book, we were. They were just starting seventh grade.

[Craig]

Correct.

[Andrew]

In the second book, they were Halloween. Hopping their way up to the Halloween hop. So it's, you know, it's in like mid late October. In this book, we are a few weeks out from the Snowflake dance.

[Craig]

Yep.

[Andrew]

Which I think it's called.

[Craig]

Which I believe this straddles a Thanksgiving weekend at one point.

[Andrew]

Yes. There is a Thanksgiving weekend. Another. So. Yes. Another dance that these middle schoolers, I guess, have to go to.

[Craig]

Huh. Huh.

[Andrew]

But we are. Yeah. We're moving through time at a pretty steady clip so far, given that there are like a hundred and something books.

[Craig]

Yeah, we're three books in. It's been two months.

[Andrew]

Yeah. And there are like 200 books, and those get them from the beginning of seventh grade to the end of eighth grade. So there's gonna be some time dilation that I don't think we're gonna run into. But I'm curious about.

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[Craig]

But very quickly, they discover a flyer for a new agency.

[Andrew]

I believe this babysit, the babysitter's agency.

[Craig]

I think maybe Claudia's sister runs in like, you won't believe what I found sort of thing.

[Andrew]

Janine, who we don't get a lot of in this. In this book, normally cast as the annoying, brainy older sister, but in here, just a delivery mechanism for a flyer.

[Craig]

Yep.

[Andrew]

The babysitter's agency is older kids who can, who have more sitters who can stay up later. And they are kind of horning in on the babysitter's club turf.

[Craig]

Yes. It is run by Liz Lewis and I think a couple other folks. And maybe Liz is an eighth grader. I don't remember.

[Andrew]

I think they're eighth graders. Yeah. And they have some high school sitters who are a little bit older.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Andrew]

Yeah.

[Craig]

So they, they are a larger operation. They take a cut of the earnings. And they aren't, as we learn later in the book, vetting their sitters very well, which that will come back. They. I do like the early scene where they do a little reconnaissance by Christy calling and pretending to be what candy cane or whatever she says her name is.

[Andrew]

When does she bring up Winston Churchill? Like, is that who she says?

[Craig]

Like, I have a son and you need to, like, I'm going on a date and you need to watch my son and who am I going on a date with? Oh, no, not my son. My, like my little brother. And I'm going on a date with Winston Churchill.

[Andrew]

Mm.

[Craig]

And all the, I do like the scene where all the other girls are, like, laughing because they can't, like, help her. And.

[Andrew]

But it's, you know, the, the stakes are high here. It's not just that they have competition, but this is like peak babysitting season. It's the holidays People want to go.

[Craig]

And they mention that.

[Andrew]

Yeah, yeah. People want to go to, like, cocktail parties and stuff.

[Craig]

Everybody's got parties to go to, and.

[Andrew]

They want to ditch their boring kids, and they want to go out and have fun, have parties.

[Craig]

This book does. Okay, so this is laid out as one problem. And the second problem is Stacy's family, which we'll talk about. It reminds you that Stacy is here from New York City. New York City, which is a very big town relative to Stony Brook, which makes Apple, which makes. They try to make Stony Brook feel pretty small. Right. And yet in later scenes of this book, where the babysitters agency is, like, recruiting kids at school. And the way Stacy talks about it, it's like they're signing up hundreds of kids into their new, like, workforce, which implies that there are, like, tens of hundreds of family, thousands of families, like, who all need babysitting help. How big is this town?

[Andrew]

A town can be. We know it has a big mall in it.

[Craig]

It does have a big mall. You're right.

[Andrew]

But, I mean, a town can be pretty big and still be small compared to New York.

[Craig]

Well, that's. That's true.

[Andrew]

It's the main thing.

[Craig]

What is the deal with Stacy's family, Andrew?

[Andrew]

So Stacy's family. Let's talk about Stacy's life in New York City. We get a glimpse. We get. We get more of a glimpse into it than we have gotten in books. By virtue of being in Stacy's head.

[Craig]

Yep.

[Andrew]

We know that she had a best friend in New York named Lane.

[Craig]

Yep.

[Andrew]

Who stopped being her best friend because in, like, the year or so running up to her diagnosis, she was just like. She's getting tired all the time. She was, like, eating and drinking a lot, but not like, her body was just not, like, handling that stuff well. And the big incident that happened is that they were at a. Stacy and Lane were at a sleepover. They were sleeping in the same bed. And Stacy wets the bed because she is not. She had not been treating her. She had not been diagnosed and not been treated. And then from there, she is going to all kinds of doctors and missing a lot of school, getting kind of special treatment from the teachers because of all the school that she's missing. She's getting extensions on assignments and stuff. And Lane is not really talking to her anymore. Has sort of ward, like, warned of the rest of Stacy's friends away from her. And so Stacy is feeling very isolated.

[Craig]

Yes.

[Andrew]

And what's the exact impetus for the move to Stony Brook? It's not like we need to move to the. The countryside to get bread or air thing.

[Craig]

Right.

[Andrew]

No doctor thing combined with, like, a social thing.

[Craig]

I think it's a little bit of the social thing and that there are some doctors in the Connecticut area that they want to try out. I do. There's, like, two things in there that I want to pull out. One is that now Stacy never told anyone.

[Andrew]

No.

[Craig]

About what he's been.

[Andrew]

Yeah. And then we saw this in the first book, where it's only, like, right at the very end that Stacy even reveals to the rest of the babysitters club.

[Craig]

Yes.

[Andrew]

That she has diabetes.

[Craig]

And. And Stacy's even, like, yeah, it is kind of weird. I never told my best friend, but my parents are, like, best friends with her parents, and they never told them.

[Andrew]

Yeah.

[Craig]

So there's this, like, well, I guess I'm not allowed to tell anyone about my disease.

[Andrew]

And there's also a bit where Stacy's parents are, like, trying to have another kid for a while and don't.

[Craig]

Yes. They have a, like, she's menagerie child.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Stacy is feeling a lot of, like, pressure to be, like, as the only kid of these. Of these two people who now only have one child to focus all of their attention and energy. So they are taking year taking her to a lot of doctors, including one in New York, one in Stony Brook. And Stacy is just feeling like, you know, she's feeling like she's managing okay. She goes to all these doctors. They run all these tests all the time. She just is feeling very, like, fussed over.

[Craig]

Yep.

[Andrew]

And, like, she doesn't have a lot of control over things that are happening. And she's also worried. You know, we. We moved from New York once. I lost all my friends once. Now I've got these great friends here in the babysitters club in Stony Brook. I'm. I'm worried we're going to move again, and I'm going to lose everything. Everything again.

[Craig]

So. And that is specific to the fact that they want to now take her to see, like, a homeopathic holistic doctor.

[Andrew]

A holistic doctor. Now, they don't say homeopathic, even though I think they would have.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Andrew]

A couple of decades later. Because I remember the holistic thing specifically because Stacy thinks that they're a faith healer because of the word holy.

[Craig]

You're right. You're right, you're right. And at one point, she's like, their justification is not great. It's just because they. They want to, like, cure it. They are so, like, they are so petrified of losing her that they want to do anything they can to, like, remove diabetes from her body, which is. Yeah, there's how it works.

[Andrew]

Yeah. And they're not. I don't know that they say that much, like, right. In so many words. But they definitely are. Like, we're just gonna keep going from doctor to doctor and getting more and more opinions until somebody gives us, like, the. More, like, permanent fix, whatever this is. Yeah.

[Craig]

She says, like, you were going to a doctor because Uncle Eric saw him on tv. Like, real awful. Did this doctor go on Oprah in the late 90s kind of stuff.

[Andrew]

You know, what state is this guy running for senator?

[Craig]

Oh, geez. And so she's very upset about that. And that becomes, like, the other plot of the book, because, as you said, she doesn't want to be taken away. As she learns more about what the treatments are. They're going to take her there for a very long weekend, and then it's possible, as she learns, that she's going to have, like, a whole new life regimen that could really impact just the life that she's building in this new town.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Because they. They talk about the. Stacy is sitting for. For a kid who has got, like, a doctor for.

[Craig]

Oh, yeah, that's Charlotte and Dr. Johansen.

[Andrew]

Yeah, yeah. Johansen, Johansson. However you want to say it. I'm gonna assume Johansen, because this is pretty. But she brings up this doctor who they're gonna go see in New York, and Dr. Johansen's like, yeah, I mean, I've heard of him. He's. He's not gonna hurt you or do anything bad. What I suspect he might do is recommend a bunch of extra treatments and things that you might not really need. And it's very much a. Like, it is not a. Like an herbal supplements are gonna cure your diabetes kind of doctor. It's just like, what if we keep running tests and sending you to specialists.

[Craig]

Yep.

[Andrew]

And milking you and your insurance company for money forever and ever and ever.

[Craig]

Yep. Yeah. And again, as we've said, she feels like she has this under control. Like, she does Stacy. Like, she likes the doctor. She has. She has her routines. She's worked it out with her close friends. Like, this stuff is now going too far. I do want to jump back and just say, like, I do appreciate the window into Lane. I think we really get this explanation later in the book when they finally reconnect. But when Lane is like, you were getting all this attention, and I didn't know. Like, it made. I didn't like it. And there was no explanation. I think that is like, a very insightful thing from Martin on how kids can be kind of confused or upset by something that isn't actually supposed to be upsetting to them. Because, like, attention from adults is a real currency as a kid. Especially when you're in like, middle school and you're like changing and figuring out who you are and then like, this person is getting extra attention and you do not understand why doesn't obviously excuse her, like bailing on her friend. And it's coupled with her friend not telling her what's going on. But I just thought it was an interesting, like, insight from Martin into how a kid thinks. It made total sense to me.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Craig]

So that's. This is like, we check in on this story a couple of times, as you said, like, it evolves with the babysitting thing. But I was honestly way more invested in the battle the babysitting companies, because.

[Andrew]

So first Christie goes full, like, we got to improve our product. And first, you know, she, she makes a bunch of recommendations, including, like, lowering prices and bringing in other babysitters. They don't go for everything at first.

[Craig]

They don't want to do housework.

[Andrew]

No, they don't want to do housework. And they don't want to make even less money than they currently do for babysitting.

[Craig]

Correct. They do want to.

[Andrew]

They do implement. They do implement the kid kit initiative, which is a little like box full of toys and coloring and stuff that you bring to your. Because the, you know, they're gonna. This is very. The kid who ran for president of them. They're gonna, they're gonna convince the kids that they're the best babysitters. And then the kids will convince their parents that they really want the babysitters club girl.

[Craig]

They're gonna come by honestly.

[Andrew]

Agency girls. Yeah. And it does. You know, there are some low moments in this, in this plot. You mention the. The babysitters agency signing up a bunch of other kids at school. The babysitters club is getting fewer calls in a couple of weeks after the agency has started. The mom who's having the new baby, they hear her like three year old. The babysitters club girls hear the three year old Jamie, like, saying that his mom was calling the agency and like trying to get another sitter who wasn't one of the babysitters club girls to come and sit the baby.

[Craig]

So, yeah, so she feels very bad about that she has this baby in this book, like, off screen, they throw a fun Little party for Jamie to like a big brother party club. That's pretty cool.

[Andrew]

Big brother party. Not like that.

[Craig]

Not like that party. No, there's.

[Andrew]

That's a different party.

[Craig]

And like this lady just had this baby and good for her. She's like, I got plants. I need someone to come over and sit this kid. I gotta run a book salon. I gotta go to somebody's house. You know, she's already thinking about how she can not be next to this baby. Good for her.

[Andrew]

Did you clock the moment where the babysitters club girls come to her house right after she has this baby? And Stacy's like, man, she's so fat.

[Craig]

Yeah. Did she, like, so weird. Wow. Okay.

[Andrew]

That is. I mean, that is, you know that your body does not snap right back.

[Craig]

No, it's true. No, it's just not.

[Andrew]

Seemed like a funny little note to like make sure that you hit as a Martin.

[Craig]

I don't know. So. Yeah, so they're losing business because the older kids that the agency is hiring, they can stay out later. They can work more hours. They can. Or they are theoretically more responsible because they are older.

[Andrew]

Because they're older. And that's. That ends up being the reason why she wanted the older girls to sit for the little babies. Because theoretically, you know, sitting for a little tiny baby is different from sitting from a three month old is different from sitting for like a one year old.

[Craig]

It's true. That's very true. And they, they counter the recruitment at the school with their own. Like they all wear sandwich boards.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Some very dorky stuff.

[Craig]

I think, I think I made a note that said dweebs in my book.

[Andrew]

They are a little dweeby. And Claudia and Stacy are appropriately ashamed.

[Craig]

Kind of mortified.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Of this, of this initiative.

[Craig]

Well, who's that guy? Isn't Stacy hanging out with this guy Pete because she has the hots for Christie's brother, But she also likes this other boy, I think his name is Pete.

[Andrew]

Because she doesn't know if Sam's interested in her. This is not a thing that we spend. We don't spend a lot of this book on boys compared to the last book. The Halloween hop thing was, was a core part of the book.

[Craig]

When Stacy is trying to like, distract herself from all of her problems, she does just sit in her room and think about boys for like a brief page. And there's a line that says, all boys are pretty interesting, but I like in particular. And I just think if anybody wants to leave that on itunes for overdue pod, that would be pretty cool.

[Andrew]

Mm.

[Craig]

I think that's a pretty good review of our show. Just put it out there.

[Andrew]

Yeah.

[Craig]

All boys are interesting.

[Andrew]

Go back in time, open up itunes.

[Craig]

But I like two in particular, which is.

[Andrew]

Which is still an app in the time that you.

[Craig]

Whatever. Apple pod. Well, There was a 2020 reprint of this book, so it's probably valid. Right? But then. So, yeah, Pete is nice to her about the sandwich board. That's what made me think about that.

[Andrew]

And she's very. She. She is. She. She is glad that he still likes her.

[Craig]

Yes.

[Andrew]

She's wearing the dorky sandwich board.

[Craig]

Yes. And then as you said there, we do not get a. And then the one girl went here and sat. And the one girl went here and sat. We only get Stacy babysitting jobs. Really? She has a couple. I think she goes with Jamie once or twice. And she's also sitting for Dr. Johansson's kid. Charlotte. Charlotte. Or I guess maybe Charlotte, depending on if we're using my pronunciation.

[Andrew]

Yes, sure. Charlotte. Charlotte Johansson.

[Craig]

Yeah. And she's. I like this little. This little subplot. It's another, like, interesting look into how Martin thinks about kids. It's this little girl who is. I don't remember if she's like, six, seven. She doesn't have a lot of friends, which, like, Stacy identifies with.

[Andrew]

She's in second grade, I think. So, yeah. Six. Six or seven would be about.

[Craig]

And all the. All the kids, when they, like, see her at the park, just yell that she's a teacher's pet and make fun of her. And Stacy's, like, really nice to her. They're. They're pretty good friends. And there's this scene, and this is part of the, like, the breakdown. This is very Kid who Ran for President, where, like, the younger kids are now getting really upset about the quality of babysitting that is happening because, like, Jamie was like, somebody burned my mom's couch.

[Andrew]

Well, yeah. So Anna Martin is. So the lowest moment for the babysitters club in this is they try to hire a couple of older girls so that they too can offer the later hours for the babysitters club without them themselves being able to stay out later. And so they have a couple of girls who have apparently defected from the babysitters agency.

[Craig]

Correct.

[Andrew]

It's Janet and Leslie.

[Craig]

Janet and Leslie.

[Andrew]

And you can tell that Janet and Leslie are supposed to be horrible from the get go because Janet chews a big wad of gum that she cracks very loudly.

[Craig]

Yep.

[Andrew]

And then Leslie. Leslie looked bored. She brushed her shaggy hair out of her face. I noticed that she was wearing makeup. A lot of it. So, you know, these are bad girls because one of them's chewing a bunch of gum and one of them is wearing too much makeup. This is just, like, the worst thing that you could. These are.

[Craig]

And they're like, yeah, whatever. I've sat. I've sat on kids before. It's fine. Like, that's their response to every question.

[Andrew]

And so they book job. You know, they don't vet them very well because Christy is like, man, we just gotta compete. We gotta stay afloat. We gotta. We gotta keep this club going. And Stacy is very much like, on, like, Stacy and Christy are the.

[Craig]

Are the yes.

[Andrew]

Two who want this the most in this book because Stacy does not want to lose this group of friends that she's just gotten. And then Christy is like, as we've discussed, like, a little megalomaniac about the babysitter.

[Craig]

It's her big idea. And I.

[Andrew]

Which is her invention.

[Craig]

I do like that in the hiring process of these two girls, like, she is the one who is, like, pushing it and it. It plays into the. Christy has a big mouth and kind of, like, runs ahead of herself on things without really thinking them through. She's always good about recognizing when she's made a mistake after something blows up, but she usually kind of runs ahead of. Of actually the consequences.

[Andrew]

She's good at recognizing mistakes in retrospect and not so good at planning to avoiding them in the first place.

[Craig]

And what do these girls do, Andrew?

[Andrew]

They don't show up to the jobs. Parents are very mad. They call the babysitters club and they need to talk to Christy. And she. You can tell she's trying to be very serious and grown up because she answers the phone. Kristen Thomas speaking.

[Craig]

Yep. Yep.

[Andrew]

And they get. They get chewed out pretty good by these parents. And then they go to school and they confront Janet and Leslie and they find out they've been had. These were. These were double agents from the babysitters agency.

[Craig]

Bananas.

[Andrew]

Who infiltrated the group to bring down their. Their sterling reputation.

[Craig]

Community. I don't think I knew. That's exactly. I didn't think that they were going to do a good job. I thought that it was still going to blow up, but I did.

[Andrew]

Oh, I saw this coming from Miles.

[Craig]

The word of the book is traders. Do you. They use the word traders like, three or four times in this book, and Stacy's the one who uses the most. And I was like, that's a very, like, big word for the like, to label someone. But, yeah, traders against the country of babysitting, I guess.

[Andrew]

So, you know, they do call the families and explain what had happened, like that it was subterfuge, and the family seemed vaguely mollified, but, like, probably also, like, they're not gonna call the babysitters club again. No, no. But then, yeah, what ends up happening is that the kids, like you said, start complaining about the quality of care they're receiving. The babysitter's agency kids are always calling their boyfriends on the phone and watching TV and burning cigarette holes in the furniture.

[Craig]

The one. The one that breaks, that goes back to the Charlotte plotline. The Charlotte plot line is also useful because Dr. Johansson is the one who then recommends another doctor for Stacy to go see in New York. So, like, that's kind of moving that along. But Charlotte, who is very invested in Stacy because she doesn't have any friends her own age, she has one experience where the. One of the bad babysitters, like, doesn't want to play with her or anything and is just like, yeah, no babysitter wants to play with you. I'm just here to get paid. And. And Charlotte's like, well, not my friend Stacy. And the girl's like, she's not your friend. Like, she's just trying to get paid, too. And Stacy and Charlotte have to really talk it out. And ultimately, I like that. Like, Stacy kind of doesn't solve all of Charlotte's problems herself, but in talking with Dr. Johansson and stuff like that, it does. Just. We find out that Charlotte is just, like, too smart for her class, and it means that all she does is spend time with the teacher, and it ostracizes her. And so they move her up a grade or they're going to.

[Andrew]

And at the end of the book, she's gonna get moved up a grade. Grade where she'll be more challenged.

[Craig]

And. And then the. The big thing that happens, which. First, the girls are like, well, we can't just go tattle on these bad babysitters. That would look bad.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Tower grapes.

[Craig]

But then they find Jamie out on the street, very specifically in the patch of grass between the sidewalk and the road. Like, if you were going to put a kid out in the front yard, you don't go past the sidewalk, but there's that little chunk of grass.

[Andrew]

Nuh. Well, it's not. It's not even grass because it's. It's snowed. Right.

[Craig]

Like, oh, you're right. And he's not wearing a hat, and.

[Andrew]

He doesn't Have a hat and mittens. Yeah. And that's so. Yeah. This baby. This bad babysitter from the babysitters agency just told him to play outside. Didn't dress him right. Didn't check to see whether he was playing in the street.

[Craig]

Nope.

[Andrew]

So they set Jamie straight and then decide, okay, this is actually endangering.

[Craig]

Yep.

[Andrew]

Children, we need to, like, let's all go talk to our parents and see what they think and then go from there.

[Craig]

And they're like, I like, was it Stacy, who is like, hypothetically.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Right. Stacy says this as though she's trying to bury a body and not, like, attract a lot of attention.

[Craig]

I think Christy is like, I talked to my mom, and she says, yes, we should or something.

[Andrew]

Yes. I told my. I actually told my mom the whole thing, and she said, yes, we should. We should be narcs in this. In this case.

[Craig]

And so they all go talk to Mrs. Newton together, and they're like, hey, this bad babysitter let Jamie outside. It was very bad and scary. And the whole thing comes tumbling down.

[Andrew]

Yeah. All the. All the parents in the neighborhood start calling each other and talking. All the kids, it turns out, have been complaining about this bad babysitting they've been getting. And, yeah, the babysitter's agency is defeated by its own lack of quality control. The invisible hand of the market wins again.

[Craig]

Yep. But it's fine. Those girls are flim flam artists. They set up, like, a beauty consultation business within a day.

[Andrew]

Yes.

[Craig]

You know, they're fine, pretty.

[Andrew]

I mean, you know, good hustle, I guess, but they're.

[Craig]

They're all hustle, Andrew. They're no product. They're only hustle, hustle.

[Andrew]

No product.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Andrew]

But, yeah, the babysitters club win by. By offering better babysitting.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Andrew]

And through their deep ties to the community. See, this is what local organizing is all about.

[Craig]

That is true.

[Andrew]

Personal connection.

[Craig]

That is true.

[Andrew]

They're building a movement.

[Craig]

I. Do you remember there's that scene where they're, like, standing in front of the girls and they're like, do you even know what Jamie's favorite food is? Do you know why Charlotte loves to play Scrabble?

[Andrew]

It's like, you know what food you can't feed this kid because they're allergic to it? And all the girl girls are like.

[Craig]

Well, no, but like, whatever, nerds. And then, you know, then their business falls apart. So, yeah, the Stacy stuff wraps up in ways that you pretty much would expect, I think.

[Andrew]

Yeah, they go to the. The bad doctor and they go to.

[Craig]

Dr. Ned or whatever his name is.

[Andrew]

Yeah. And they. Dr. Nick, I don't know what his actual name is. Dr. Nick is the guy from the.

[Craig]

That's what I meant. I just did it wrong.

[Andrew]

Yeah. I mean, Ned also is a name from a character from the Oakley Dokeley, you know, pretty, pretty close. But they go for what is supposed to be like a three day marathon session with this doctor. They do the first day. He has Stacy do a million tests. She never even sees him.

[Craig]

Yeah. And her parents are separate too. And everyone gets bad vibes.

[Andrew]

Everybody gets pretty bad vibes. And then like in the, you know, they're having a late lunch or something after and Stacy is like, okay, listen, don't get mad at me, but I did talk to this other lady and she recommended another doctor who's supposed to be really good. And we have an appointment in like an hour. Yeah, can we go? Can we go do that also? And her parents are very like, you know, they're surprised and taken aback, but they do take her very seriously. And it's clear that she put a lot of thought of it into it. And so they go. And this doctor, you know, he. He himself actually comes out like first thing when they get there to do the appointment. The first check in is all just like talking about what the. What the issues are and what she's worried about and what she's having, you know, problems with. And. And then they all just like, have a nice talk. And he's like, listen, I think Stacy's getting very good care from the doctors who she's got. The only doctor you could have who's better would be me.

[Craig]

That's a good line. I like that line a lot.

[Andrew]

And yeah, mainly what she wants is like, more stability and to feel like she has a little bit more control over the situation. So that's what you should work on.

[Craig]

Yep. And they go and spend time with the Cunninghams, Lane and her parents and.

[Andrew]

Is that their name?

[Craig]

I think it's Cunningham.

[Andrew]

I'll check, I'll check.

[Craig]

Yeah, that's fine. They go, my name. I know it's your name.

[Andrew]

That's not their name.

[Craig]

It's. Isn't it?

[Andrew]

No.

[Craig]

What is it?

[Andrew]

I'm looking, I'm looking. You keep talking.

[Craig]

Oh, okay. Find it. And they, I think they comings the Cummings. Oh, sorry. Okay. Sorry. I didn't.

[Andrew]

As Henry once said.

[Craig]

Oh, buddy, didn't mean to, you know, lot pull you in with that lot. Andrew.

[Andrew]

Sorry. I was like, you know, if it had been my name, I really would have remembered. That's why I really love meeting other people named Andrew at parties. It's like, oh, my God, I'm gonna remember your name. It's gonna be so great. Like an hour from now. And I can actually. I remember what your name is.

[Craig]

Yeah, that's good. I think I regularly see one Craig right now. He's a cool.

[Andrew]

Yeah, that's what I think.

[Craig]

Hey, about the one Craig, I guess. Why I see two if you count the one in the mirror. And they go, they. They have a late night talk. They kind of hash it out. Lane and Stacy do. We talked a little bit about kind of all the things that Lane experienced, what Stacy experienced. And they see a musical together called Paris Magic. I did look that up to see if it was real. Because the book tends to have a lot of like just kind of random pop culture references that are real.

[Andrew]

Yeah, it has some of that. And then it does things like it makes up that band from the last book. And this is the same Laddered House Boys or whatever that band was.

[Craig]

This is the same thing. There's not a real thing called Paris Magic, though. I think in the recent Netflix show, the play in Paris, the play that they do at. Not know that there's nothing magical about that. She's still there. Well, maybe that is magic. The play that they do at the camp in the. In the Netflix show is called Paris Magic as a little Easter egg. That's very funny, but. And then they call each other later in the book, like a few weeks later and catch up. And it's clear that they're going to be friends and maybe visit together and things are better, which is good.

[Andrew]

Yeah. They're patching things up. And doesn't Stacy say that she ever. Lane ever comes to visit Stony Brook. She's going to become an honorary member of the babysitters club.

[Craig]

She does.

[Andrew]

Yeah.

[Craig]

I do like the by Christie. I that's.

[Andrew]

Christie runs this club with an iron fist.

[Craig]

I like the overlapping, like, theme of like, the quack doctor and the quack babysitters. Just as like people who don't have the interests of the client actually at heart. I think that was kind of more resonance there in the subplots than in the other ones, I think so far, which is kind of neat. Next book is going to be about. What's her name? Crap.

[Andrew]

Marianne.

[Craig]

Mary. She's. She didn't do much in this book at all.

[Andrew]

She's. Yeah, she's been very mousy. And I feel like. I don't know if the first book of hers is going to be the one where we finally, like, figure out what her and her dad's whole deal is and he, like, loosens up a little bit. But I do think that's part of their arc.

[Craig]

Yes, there's a few references. Yeah, there's a few references in this book to, you know, yet again, like, something she doesn't know about her mom. Like, she didn't know when she was born because her dad never talks about her mom. But she has been learning to knit with Claudia's grandma. And Claudia's grandma did know her mom a little bit. And that's pretty cute. Yeah. So I'm interested to see what happens there. The. The note from the end of the book from Ann Martin. This is about having a character with diabetes. She said, I thought it would be interesting. She talks about how she wanted each girl to have, like, different challenges or whatever. Don't be interesting if one character faced physical or medical problems. I chose diabetes because it affects many kids and because I have two friends with diabetes. I also wanted to create a character who copes with her disability in a positive way. Stacy doesn't ignore her illness. She deals with it responsibly, but she tries not to let it interfere with her life. I was just really struck in this book by a depiction of diabetes that isn't like the one from movies, which is someone trapped in a room going, I need my insulin or I'm going to die. Yes, like, like, you know, Con Air. Well, Paul Blart doesn't need insulin. He's hypoglycemic.

[Andrew]

He's hypoglycemic. He needs to just eat some dribbly drops of ice cream.

[Craig]

So disgusting. I think Panic Room is also. It's some sort of glucose shot or something. But it is usually like someone is trapped in a situation and it's very dramatic that they need their treatment. It did. Every article I read about any of these instances is like, yo, they got it wrong. Like, it's always like someone is. Their sugar is crashing, so they need their insulin. Which is not how it works. It's the exact opposite. Steel Magnolias is like this. It's all wrapped up in pregnancy and long term health decisions. And it's just interesting that this is just like, no, the kid knows what they're doing and they actually just want better understanding from the people around them. Like, it's just a different way to write it, you know?

[Andrew]

Well, and I thought. I liked. Like, obviously representation is very important. We talk about that a Lot. This is an example of doing it well, I think.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Andrew]

And also an example of like how to do it and make it not feel like a box checking exercise.

[Craig]

Yes. Mm. Because it is. It's as much about her parents, like, you know, her and her parents just getting on the same page, which could also be about anything that a kid is facing in this book. It's about her diabetes. But you're right, it's not just like, oh, there's a character with diabetes in the book, which is.

[Andrew]

Yeah. It's like, it's like fully. Fully integrated into her character in a way. And it was just. I don't know, it's. It's just nice to see a good example of some representation from before that became like a huge driving, like, culture war flashpoint thing.

[Craig]

Yes, yes. Even reading, you know, as we have comments from Anne about wanting to make sure that the girls were like, pretty representative of, you know, who she thought might be reading the books and whatever. But you're right, none of those things. There's no buzzwords about, you know, anything being shoehorned in or anything like that.

[Andrew]

Yeah. And she, and she also just like clearly wanted to do it partly so that all the girls were like distinct from each other.

[Craig]

Yeah. Which is also helpful.

[Andrew]

Yeah.

[Craig]

I always know that I'm forgetting about Marianne. Like, she's so distinctly. Which is just. And that's. Yeah. As you said, she's very mousy. It kind of backs her into that corner in these books. So I am excited to read about her.

[Andrew]

And the Stacy Marianne connection is the weakest, I think, because Stacy and Claire Claudia, as we talked about our voting block in the Babysitters Club.

[Craig]

Yep.

[Andrew]

Stacy and Christy are together.

[Craig]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Andrew]

Stacy and Christy are bonded in their, in their single minded desire to keep the Babysitters Club being a thing. We just don't get a lot of one on one. Stacy and Marianne.

[Craig]

Nope, nope, nope. So I'll be interested to see what relationships this next one focuses on.

[Andrew]

Yeah.

[Craig]

And what the journal. If, if we keep the journal or if we ditch the journal anytime soon, we.

[Andrew]

Yes, we will see. I'm. I am very curious to. Because we're gonna. Most of the ones that we're reading are like right in a block right at the beginning and then we're gonna skip ahead a little bit. And I'm very curious to see what has been dumped by book. Like 40 something.

[Craig]

Yeah. This one felt like.

[Andrew]

Yeah. Because Goosebumps was always very, like, it was very anthology. Like every book was Doing its own thing. And there were, like, common touch points, but, you know, like, book number. By the time you get past, like, the first couple, they're all. They all have a lot of, like, easily identifiable, common elements in them. And then this one is, okay. Same characters every time, same formula every time. What stays and what doesn't? Who knows?

[Craig]

Who knows? I can tell you that there is, from the Babysitters Club wiki, one inconsistency that felt worth mentioning. Andrew.

[Andrew]

Oh.

[Craig]

When trying to recruit new members for the club in chapter eight, Christie tells her friends to make sure that anyone who asks about the club knows they get to keep all the money they earn. But club members pay $1 each in weekly dues.

[Andrew]

They pay dues? Oh, no. I mean, I think maybe that's just, like.

[Craig]

That's some union busting is what that is.

[Andrew]

Well, I think Christie is just, like, really desperate to get older girls into the. Into the club.

[Craig]

Yeah, that's true.

[Andrew]

Just. Just to, like, keep it going, and she'll work out the other stuff later maybe.

[Craig]

Yeah. Maybe wave dues for a few months, you know? Yeah, but they don'. They're not voting members, you know.

[Andrew]

Right. Like, the bylaws are just. I mean, maybe they're also. They could be in Right to work subdivisions in Stony Brook, and they don't have to. They don't have to pay dues if they don't want to. Right to sit.

[Craig]

Right to sit. I mean, all these books are set to work, if you think about it. Right. Next up in Sit Me Baby One More Time is book number four, Marianne Saves the Day.

[Andrew]

Can't wait to find out how she.

[Craig]

Does that, which day from what.

[Andrew]

It would require her to be more active than she's been in the first three books combined, I think.

[Craig]

Yeah, I think that's interesting. You know, that's usually how those go with the. The kind of wallflower character. Like, they're gonna step out and have their moment.

[Andrew]

Like, even. I don't know. Like, the only thing I know about Marianne is that she's, like, a little quiet and mousy, and she has a thing with her dad. Like, that's.

[Craig]

That's.

[Andrew]

And I think even in the first book, that was all from Christie's perspective. I had a slightly better read on what Claudia's deal was and what Stacy's deal was.

[Craig]

Yeah, well, yes, because they're both, like, a little.

[Andrew]

They're a little older. They're a little boy crazy, They're a little stylish, and then they have their own unique Character traits on top of that.

[Craig]

Yeah. It really is about her dad being controlling and she doesn't know much about her mom.

[Andrew]

Yeah. I think it does help that for Claudia that the club is, like, in her house. So we're just spending.

[Craig]

Yep.

[Andrew]

A little time in every book with her family members, like, whether we're talking with anybody else or not. And yet, once we break the seal on Marianne's dad, because I think it's going to be the kind of thing where, like, you can't meet him and know him for more than, like, two chapters without it being clear that he's got a heart of gold. Like, they're just. Anna Martin is not. Doesn't want to blow that too early.

[Craig]

No, you're totally. That's a great way to think about it because now we can. And we've never really met Stacy's parents before this book, so, like, now they.

[Andrew]

Can be Stacey's mom.

[Craig]

We didn't know if she had it going on, you know, seems to have.

[Andrew]

Some things going for her. Yeah. But her dad is around, though, and that's in the song.

[Craig]

Well, it's very different.

[Andrew]

Stacy's death. That is clearly not around. She is not a factor.

[Craig]

Yeah. So we'll see. And I'm interested to know which of these kids come back. I definitely didn't expect Jamie to be as big of a recurring character as he is.

[Andrew]

All the. All the. Like many of the. The kids who are being sat for our recurring characters at this point. We didn't run into history. Morbid of Destiny and her.

[Craig]

No, we didn't.

[Andrew]

The cat thing.

[Craig]

No.

[Andrew]

Comes back.

[Craig]

Yeah, we'll see. All right, that's next time. Thanks, everybody for tuning in. You can send us your babysitting thoughts. Babysitter Club thoughts overdue [e-mail] Social media is overdue pod. Blue Sky, Instagram, all that jazz. Theme song is posed. That's the word I chose by Nick Lauren, just Andrew. Folks want to know more about the show. Where do they go?

[Andrew]

Overdue podcast.com Internet website. We have the books that we're reading for the normal show up there. You can follow along, read along. Just find episodes that we are doing that you're excited about. We also have all the old episodes that we've done in the past because we've been doing this forever and ever and ever.

[Craig]

Yep.

[Andrew]

Patreon.com overdue pod is how you get these episodes early. Maybe you're hearing this because you have supported the show financially and we thank you so much for that. You help keep the show going with equipment and books and childcare and other stuff.

[Craig]

Yeah.

[Andrew]

And, you know, every. Everybody's emotional support means the world, but the financial support is kind of the thing that keeps. It keeps the show literally going in like a. Yeah, like. Like a literal sense, so.

[Craig]

Real way.

[Andrew]

Thank you, everybody. Patreon.com overdue pod. There's also other stuff.

[Craig]

Go look at it. Go check it out. Andrew, what do they. What do we say at the end of every episode of Sip Me Baby? One more time?

[Andrew]

Who's going to help me face those traitors tomorrow? That was a Headgum podcast.