The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy’s Great Idea (1986) is the first novel in the long-running Baby-Sitters Club series written by Ann M. Martin. Kristy’s Great Idea is a middle grade novel that details the formation of the famous Baby-Sitters Club. The club acts as a catalyst for Self-Growth Through Responsibility and Agency while helping Kristy and her friends explore The Importance of Friendship and Teamwork. Along the way, Kristy also copes with Navigating Family Changes. Kristy’s Great Idea led to a series of more than 250 books and spinoff series, some of which were written by Martin, while others were ghostwritten. The series was adapted into a film in 1995 and a Netflix series in 2020 and continues to be adapted into a graphic novel series as well. Other works by Martin include A Corner of the Universe (2002), A Dog’s Life: The Autobiography of a Stray (2005), and Rain Reign (2014).

This guide refers to the 2018 reprinted version of the original 1986 Apple Paperbacks edition of the novel.

Plot Summary

The first book in the Baby-Sitters Club series is narrated by Kristy Thomas and sees the formation of the club and how this club helps each of its members grow. Kristy lives with her mother and three brothers, two of whom (Charlie and Sam) are older than Kristy. Kristy has the idea for the club when she sees her mother frustrated and panicked, unable to find a sitter for her younger brother, David Michael. Kristy is scolded for lacking decorum in school, and much of the story focuses on her finding out what it means to act this way. Kristy is outgoing, while her best friend, Mary Anne, is more reserved. They live across from their other friend Claudia, who is a passionate artist and rebellious fashionista. Kristy’s parents are divorced, and she struggles to adapt to the changes that come with her mother’s new boyfriend, Watson. Mary Anne’s mother died when she was a baby, and her father is extremely strict.

The night that Kristy gets her idea, she starts creating a plan for the club, knowing that she, Mary Anne, and hopefully Claudia will join. Kristy decides that the club will hold regular meetings, and during this time, parents can call to reach several babysitters at once. They will need to advertise and determine how the business will be funded. The next day after school, Kristy and Mary Anne meet up with the kids they are babysitting and discuss the club. Kristy thinks about Claudia, who seems years ahead of her and Mary Anne in terms of priorities and fashion choices, but when she invites her, Claudia eagerly accepts. Claudia also suggests her new friend, Stacey, as a fourth member of the club. Stacey moved to Stoneybrook (their town) from New York City but hasn't told anyone why.

The girls meet up at Claudia’s house the next day to discuss the details of the club and get introduced to Stacey. Kristy notices Stacey’s pristine appearance and strong fashion sense, which explains why Claudia likes her. Stacey talks about her life in New York, but when they ask why she left, she only says that her dad got a new job. Kristy and Mary Anne agree that Stacey can join the club after hearing about her babysitting experience. When Claudia passes candy around, Stacey declines, saying that she’s on a diet. Kristy tells her that she’s thin enough.

On Friday at school, the girls decide that Claudia should draw up their flyers, and she creates the famous block-letter logo seen on the novels’ covers. On the weekend, the girls create an ad for the newspaper and elect their roles for the club. Kristy becomes president, Claudia is vice president, Stacey is treasurer, and Mary Anne is secretary. Stacey forgets something at home and has to leave for a minute, and when she returns empty handed, Kristy is suspicious that she’s hiding something.

At home, Kristy resists Watson’s attempts to win her favor. He brings home her favorite Chinese food, but she eats a sandwich instead. Things boil over after dinner when Kristy tells Watson that he’s a terrible father who doesn’t know his children. Feeling guilty later on, Kristy writes an apology note, but only to her mother. When the newspaper ad appears, it’s a pivotal moment for the club. During their first official meeting, they get a call from Kristy’s mother, who needs a babysitter for David Michael, and Kristy suggests that Stacey take it. A few prank calls from Kristy’s brother come in, as well as a call from a woman who needs a dog-sitter (unbeknownst to the girls). When Kristy’s mother calls back again for Watson’s children, Kristy insists that someone else take the job. She is dying to know what Karen and Andrew (Watson’s kids) are like but can’t admit it to herself or anyone else.

Everyone heads to their first babysitting job, each in for their own surprise. Kristy’s job turns out to be a dog-sitting position for two rowdy St. Bernards. While she manages to survive the afternoon, she decides that she has to be firm about no pet-sitting moving forward. Claudia encounters twice as many children as she was told, and they all seem to be as rowdy as the St. Bernards. She manages to calm them down by reading stories. Stacey has an easy afternoon playing games with David Michael and Sam, who seems to have a crush on Stacey. Mary Anne spends the afternoon with Karen and Andrew. Andrew is quiet, but Karen constantly talks, and she believes that her next-door neighbor is a witch. They also have a cat named Boo-Boo who attacks anyone he doesn’t know. When Boo-Boo ends up in the neighbor’s garden, the woman comes outside to chase him away, and Karen is sure that she cursed him.

Kristy decides that all babysitting experiences should be logged so that the club can learn and improve on past errors. After that, the girls ask questions about pets and number of children when people call. They decide to hold a pizza party using some of their earnings, but Stacey says that she’s going to New York City for the weekend. Later that evening, Kristy’s mom and Watson announce their plans to get engaged. Kristy’s mother hasn’t said yes but clearly plans to, and Kristy panics at the thought. Kristy can’t understand why her mom would risk marrying someone again.

The pizza party is planned for Saturday, but Mary Anne’s father refuses to let her spend money on pizza, Claudia’s parents want her to study, and Stacey will be out of town. When Mary Anne calls Kristy to tell her that she saw Stacey in the car with her parents, Kristy knows that something is off. Watson calls in need of an emergency babysitter, and Kristy is the only one available. It gives her a chance to get to know Karen and Andrew, and she finds that she actually enjoys their company. She can even relate to five-year-old Karen because they can discuss their future lives and the possibility of a blended family, as well as their frustrations in losing their original families’ shapes. When Watson comes home, he plays board games with the kids, and Kristy realizes that this life wouldn’t be so bad after all. She even looks forward to babysitting Karen again and one day becoming her stepsister.

At the next club meeting, Mary Anne proudly announces that she negotiated half her earnings with her father, and Claudia is happy to report that she finished her homework early. Stacey lies again, and Kristy’s patience ends; she accuses Stacey of being dishonest and upsets everyone in the process. Claudia defends Stacey, and Mary Anne tries to defend Kristy.

When Kristy’s mother announces that the engagement is official, Kristy isn’t sure how to feel. At school the next day, Kristy asks Claudia if they are still going to hold meetings, and Claudia says yes. Kristy goes with her family to Watson’s for dinner that night and gets a full picture of what blended family life would be like. She writes Watson a note thanking him for the dinner and telling him that she’s okay with him becoming part of the family.

At the next meeting, Claudia apologizes for losing her temper, and Kristy realizes that she needs to stop pushing Stacey about her personal life. The pizza party is held after all and turns out to be a great success. Kristy reflects on the success of the club she started and how it has helped both her and her friends grow as people. When her friends come over that night, they enjoy pizza and popcorn, and Stacey finally reveals her secret. She tells the others that she has diabetes and has to go into the city for appointments. She and her family moved to Stoneybrook because Stacey was getting bullied in school. Kristy assures her that she doesn’t need to hide it or feel ashamed, and Stacey is glad to have found such understanding friends. Kristy is glad to have resolved her family conflict and looks forward to the future of the Baby-Sitters Club.