Amy A. Cowan is rediscovering the books of her childhood and writing about them on the way: The Baby-Sitters Club, Goosebumps, and Fear Street.

Latest Episodes & Essays

The Baby-Sitters Club #29: Mallory and the Mystery Diary by Ann M. Martin - In which I finally upload an episode, Mallory cures a child's reading disability, and Dawn, Kristy, and Mallory make questionable clothing choices.
Goosebumps: The Cuckoo Clock of Doom by R. L. Stine - In which felonies aren't punished, babies take public transportation with no trouble, and existential dread pervades a book for children.
The Baby-Sitters Club #28: Welcome Back, Stacey! by Ann M. Martin - In which the once-derided television has some actionable ideas, Stoneybrook proves it's a fantasy world with an abundance of reasonably-priced homes, and Stacey takes orders from an inanim

Rereading My childhood - The Essay Series

In 2015, my father passed away. My mother couldn’t pay all the bills without assistance, so my partner and I moved in with her. It was a good situation for everyone involved – my mother received help and the new arrangement alleviated our bills. At the same time, Jon’s job situation stabilized due to the new, optimistic Obama economy (we were so happy before the Orange Menace).For the first time in years, we had disposable income. I was also spending time with my mother browsing thrift stores, a hobby I forgot I enjoyed. At a Savers, I found a stack of my missed childhood – The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin. The rush of memories from those years I spent with Kristy, Claudia, Stacy, Jessi, Mallory, Dawn, Abby, and, my favorite, Mary Anne grabbed me. Along with my newfound disposable income, I couldn’t resist. I purchased the whole stack. I had done what any adult does when they have extra money – I bought back my childhood – or more accurately, I bought the childhood I wished I had.I didn’t own every The Baby-Sitters Club book, but I had a significant collection. I was a part of the fan club. I played that CD-ROM game every day. I begged for a new book each month. I kept a The Baby-Sitters Club diary. I even wrote a letter to Ann M. Martin and received a bookmark and a form letter in return. It was my prized possession.Unfortunately, there came a time when I wanted to eschew every remnant of my childhood in an attempt to mature. I gave away my collection of The Baby-Sitters Club memorabilia to a friend. I donated my Goosebumps books and I started reading Fear Street.Now, fifteen odd years later, I scour used bookstores and thrift stores looking for The Baby-Sitters Club, Goosebumps, and Fear Street books.Now, why do I want to review something I once loved? Why do I want to tear apart the series and authors who made up my childhood and shaped who I am today?Simple. Exercise and nostalgia.I want to exercise my writing skills. I want to create a portfolio with work I can be proud of and the only way to do that is to write.And as for nostalgia – it’s something I don’t revere. Nostalgia is looking back with a skewed sense. It ignores the problems and we end up pining for a time that will never return and wasn’t that great in the first place. I’ve read a few of the early The Baby-Sitters Club books and, frankly, some of them are sub-par. It’s important for me to see that. I believe people need to be reminded that the past wasn’t always perfect.But there is also a lot of good to be lauded and re-appreciated. The babysitters are surprisingly mature for their ages. In The Baby-Sitters Club #6: Kristy’s Big Day, the BSC start a summer day camp that is surprisingly efficient and organized. They also solve problems in thoughtful ways.I look forward to rediscovering the crying, laughter, fear, unexpected wisdom as well as the problems in the books that shaped my childhood – The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin, and Fear Street and Goosebumps by R. L. Stine. I’m excited to share my childhood with everyone.

The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin

Latest Episodes & Essays

The Baby-Sitters Club #29: Mallory and the Mystery Diary by Ann M. Martin - In which I finally upload an episode, Mallory cures a child's reading disability, and Dawn, Kristy, and Mallory make questionable clothing choices.
The Baby-Sitters Club #28: Welcome Back, Stacey! by Ann M. Martin - In which the once-derided television has some actionable ideas, Stoneybrook proves it's a fantasy world with an abundance of reasonably-priced homes, and Stacey takes orders from an inanim
The Baby-Sitters Club #25: Mary Anne and the Search for Tigger by Ann M. Martin - Mary Anne and Logan do things associated with looking for a missing pet while two children, one of whom is the culprit, do nothing useful.

#1: Kristy's Great Idea

The Baby-Sitters Club #1: Kristy's Great Idea

#2: Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls

The Baby-Sitters Club #2: Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls

#3: The Truth About Stacey

The Baby-Sitters Club #3: The Truth About Stacey by Ann M. Martin

#4: Mary Anne Saves the Day

The Baby-Sitters Club #4: Mary Anne Saves the Day by Ann M. Martin

#5: Dawn and the Impossible Three

The Baby-Sitters Club #5: Dawn and the Impossible Three by Ann M. Martin

#6: Kristy's Big Day

The Baby-Sitters Club #6: Kristy's Big Day by Ann M. Martin

#7: Claudia and Mean Janine

The Baby-Sitters Club #7: Claudia and Mean Janine

#8: Boy-Crazy Stacey

The Baby-Sitters Club #8: Boy-Crazy Stacey by Ann M. Martin

#9: The Ghost at Dawn's House

The Baby-Sitters Club #9: The Ghost at Dawn's House by Ann M. Martin

#10: Logan Likes Mary Anne!

The Baby-Sitters Club #10: Logan Likes Mary Anne! by Ann M. Martin

#11: Kristy and the Snobs

The Baby-Sitters Club #11: Kristy and the Snob by Ann M. Martin

#12: Claudia and the New Girl

The Baby-Sitters Club #12: Claudia and the New Girl by Ann M. Martin

#13: Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye

The Baby-Sitters Club #13: Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye

#14: Hello, Mallory

The Baby-Sitters Club #14: Hello, Mallory by Ann M. Martin

#15: Little Miss Stoneybrook . . . and Dawn

The Baby-Sitters Club #15: Little Miss Stoneybrook . . . and Dawn by Ann M. Martin

#16: Jessi's Secret Language

jessi ramsey uses sign language with her new babysitting charge - matt braddock

#17: Mary Anne's Bad-Luck Mystery

mary anne consoles jamie newton, who fell and skinned his knee in a scene that is barely in the book

#18: Stacey's Mistake

Stacey is disappointed in a little girl's desire to stare at dinosaur butts

#19: Claudia and the Bad Joke

claudia is in a hospital bed and two children are there to finish the job . . . or something

#20: Kristy and the Walking Disaster

The Baby-Sitters Club #20: Kristy and the Walking Disaster by Ann M. Martin - kristy is standing next to her krushers and she's very proud

#21: Mallory and the Trouble With Twins

The Baby-Sitters Club #21: Mallory and the Trouble with Twins by Ann M. Martin

#22: Jessi Ramsey, Pet-Sitter

The Baby-Sitters Club #22: Jessi Ramsey, Pet-Sitter by Ann M. Martin

#23: Dawn on the Coast

The Baby-Sitters Club #23: Dawn on the Coast by Ann M. Martin

#24: Kristy and the Mother's Day Surprise

The Baby-Sitters Club #24: Kristy and the Mother's Day Surprise by Ann M. Martin

#25: Mary Anne and the Search for Tigger

The Baby-Sitters Club #25: Mary Anne and the Search for Tigger by Ann M. Martin

#26: Claudia and the Sad Goob-bye

The Baby-Sitters Club #26: Claudia and the Sad Good-bye for Tigger by Ann M. Martin

#27: Jessi and the Superbrat

The Baby-Sitters Club #27: Jessi and the Superbrat by Ann M. Martin

27+26+26+26+26
1-27; 28-53; 52-79; 80-105; 106-131

#28: Welcome Back, Stacey!

The Baby-Sitters Club #28: Welcome Back, Stacey! by Ann M. Martin - In which the once-derided television has some actionable ideas, Stoneybrook proves it's a fantasy world with an abundance of reasonably-priced homes, and Stacey takes orders from an inanim

#29: Mallory and the Mystery Diary

The Baby-Sitters Club #29: Mallory and the Mystery Diary by Ann M. Martin - In which I finally upload an episode, Mallory cures a child's reading disability, and Dawn, Kristy, and Mallory make questionable clothing choices.

#30: Mary Anne and the Great Romance

The Baby-Sitters Club #30: Mary Anne and the Great Romance by Ann M. Martin

Super Specials

3+3+3+3+3

#1: Baby-sitters on Board!

The Baby-Sitters Club Super Special #1: Baby-sitters on Board! by Ann M. Martin

#2: Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation

The Baby-Sitters Club Super Special #2: Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation by Ann M. Martin

#3: Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation

the baby-sitters club participates in a snowball fight that doesn't happen in the book

Mysteries

8+7+7+7+7
1-8; 9-15; 16-22; 23-29; 30-36

Super Mysteries

1+1+1+1

Special Edition Readers' Requests

1+1+1

Portrait Collections

2+2+2

California Diaries

3+3+3+3+3

Friends Forever

3+3+3+3+2

Other Titles

Notebook

The Baby-Sitters Club Notebook by Sonia Black & Pat Brigandi

These are affiliate links and I may get a commission from any purchases you make, but you get to support a local bookshop and me at the same time. Thanks!

Goosebumps by R. L. Stine

Latest Episodes & Essays

Goosebumps: The Cuckoo Clock of Doom by R. L. Stine - In which felonies aren't punished, babies take public transportation with no trouble, and existential dread pervades a book for children.
Goosebumps: The Blob That Ate Everyone by R. L. Stine
worms are spilling out of a notebook

Monster Blood

Goosebumps: Monsterblood

The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb

Goosebumps: The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb by R. L. Stine

Stay Out of the Basement!

Goosebumps: Stay Out of the Basement! by R. L. Stine

Night of the Living Dummy

Goosebumps: Night of the Living Dummy by R. L. Stine

Legend of the Lost Legend

Goosebumps: Legend of the Lost Legend by R. L. Stine

The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight

Goosebumps: The Scarecrow Walks at Midnight by R. L. Stine

Ghost Beach

Goosebumps: Ghost Beach by R. L. Stine

Egg Monsters From Mars

Goosebumps: Egg Monsters From Mars by R. L. Stine

A Shocker on Shock Street

Goosebumps: A Shocker on Shock Street by R. L. Stine

The Haunted Mask

a cool drawing of the titular haunted mask by Tim Jacobus, complete with saliva and everything

The Blob That Ate Everyone

Goosebumps: The Blob That Ate Everyone by R. L. Stine

A Night in Terror Tower

Goosebumps: A Night in Terror Tower by R. L. Stine

Attack of the Jack-o'-Lanterns

Goosebumps: Attack of the Jack-o'-Lanterns by R. L. Stine

The Headless Ghost

a kid with a regency bowl cut has his head - it's just not on his shoulders

Go Eat Worms!

worms are spilling out of a notebook

The Cuckoo Clock of Doom

Goosebumps: The Cuckoo Clock of Doom by R. L. Stine - In which felonies aren't punished, babies take public transportation with no trouble, and existential dread pervades a book for children.

13+13+12+12+12

These are affiliate links and I may get a commission from any purchases you make, but you get to support a local bookshop and me at the same time. Thanks!

Fear Street by R. L. Stine

Latest Episodes & Essays

Fear Street Sagas #5: The Hidden Evil by R. L. Stine - a spooky lady looks at us while a child with messed up eyes stares at nothing and some horses acknowledge a fire
Fear Street: Silent Night by R. L. Stine - a teenager looks out the window and looks scared - a scene that is never in the book
a girl is asleep in an over-filtered field

Bad Dreams

Fear Street: Bad Dreams

Who Killed the Homecoming Queen?

Fear Street: Who Killed the Homecoming Queen?

The New Girl

Fear Street: The New Girl

Broken Hearts

Fear Street: Broken Hearts by R. L. Stine

Halloween Party

Fear Street: Halloween Party by R. L. Stine

The Mind Reader

The Mind Reader by R. L. Stine

Silent Night

Fear Street: Silent Night by R. L. Stine - a teenager looks out the window and looks scared - a scene that is never in the book

High Tide

Fear Street: High Tide by R. L. Stine

The Boy Next Door

Fear Street: The Boy Next Door by R. L. Stine

The Bad Girl

a girl is asleep in an over-filtered field

13+13+12+12+12

Sagas

#1: A New Fear

Fear Street Sagas #1: A New Fear by R. L. Stine

#2: House of Whispers

a woman falls out of a window while a giant lady just stands there and watches it happen

#3: Forbidden Secrets

a woman in a yellow dress holds her hand to her heart as she sits next to a broken doll and a bleeding black rose. she needs to simmer down, really

#5: The Hidden Evil

a creepy boy and a ghostly woman and some horses that are next to a fire - Fear Street Sagas #5: The Hidden Evil by R. L. Stine

4+4+4+3+3
1-4; 5-8; 9-12; 13-15; 16-18

These are affiliate links and I may get a commission from any purchases you make, but you get to support a local bookshop and me at the same time. ThankS!