Return of the Babysitter's Club

When I was a child, my favorite books to read were the Ramona books written by Beverly Cleary and The Babysitter's Club.  I read every book in the series.  I OWNED almost every book in the series.  I felt like I knew the characters and that they were my friends.  I loved getting the Scholastic book order forms so I could see which Babysitter's Club books were in it.  Well, imagine my surprise and JOY when I saw a prequel to the Babysitter's Club series today at the library! It is The Babysitter's Club: The Summer Before by Ann M. Martin. I stopped right in my tracks, made sure I wasn't seeing things and grabbed it to look closer.  I immediately checked it out. It was published in 2010 so I don't know WHY this is the first I have seen it! I can't wait to begin reading it.

Another similar experience I had was in college when I discovered there was a new Ramona book. I read all of the Ramona books as a child and often while I was growing up I wished there were more Ramona books to read. I learned about Ramona's World by Beverly Clearly while I was taking a children's literature class in college.  I went right to the library and checked it out and was so excited to read it!

Sometimes, even grown-ups love to revisit their favorite childhood stories. Similarly, I can't wait to read the Harry Potter books to my children when they get older so I can share the magic of those books with them.