BSC #3_LO RES_9780545886178_INTERIOR_EPDF (1)

ANN M. MARTIN

THE

BA BY-SIT T E R S
CLUB

MARY ANNE SAVES THE DAY

A GRAPHIC NOVEL BY

RAINA TELGEMEIER

WITH COLOR BY BRADEN LAMB
An lmprint of

Text copyright © 2007, 2015 by Ann M. Martin
Art copyright © 2007, 2015 by Raina Telgemeier

All rights reserved. Published by Graphix, an imprint of
Scholastic Inc., Publishers since 1920. SCHOLASTIC, GRAPHIX,
THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB, and associated logos are trademarks

and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.

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regarding permission, write to Scholastic Inc., Attention: Permissions
Department, 557 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

This book is a work of fction. Names, characters, places, and
incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used
fctitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business

establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015935841

ISBN 978-0-545-88617-8 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-545-88621-5 (paperback)

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 15 16 17 18 19

Printed in Singapore 46
First color edition printing, November 2015

Lettering by John Green
Edited by David Levithan, Sheila Keenan, and Cassandra Pelham

Book design by Phil Falco
Creative Director: David Saylor

This book is for Beth McKeever Perkins, my old baby-sitting buddy.
With Love (and years of memories)
A. M. M.

Thanks to David Saylor, Cassandra Pelham, Ellie Berger,
Marion Vitus, Alisa Harris, Alison Wilgus, Zack Giallongo, Steve Flack,
Phil Falco, Braden Lamb, and John Green. And of course, thanks to my

husband, Dave Roman, for always encouraging me to do my best.
R. T.

KRISTY THOMAS CLAUDIA KISHI

PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT

MARY ANNE SPIER STACEY MCGILL

SECRETARY TREASURER

CHAPTER 1

Mary Anne??
Is that you?!

Mary Anne??

1

Mary Anne,
c’mon!

hey, Kristy. It’s almost 5:30!
we don’t want to be

late for today’s
meeting, do we?

this is Kristy Thomas.
we’ve grown up together.

she’s my best friend in
the whole world.

2

my mother died when I was little, leaving
just dad and me, and Kristy and her mom and
brothers have always been like my family.

hi, Mimi! hello, Claudia is upstairs.
girls! please come in.

how is the scarf for your but I’ll need you
father coming? to help me with
the fringe.
It’s almost
done! of course.
anytime,

Mary Anne.

3

hey, Claud!
we’re here!

hi!

Just a
sec.

that’s Claudia Kishi. Kristy and I
have known Claudia forever, too.
every monday, wednesday, and friday

we all meet here, in her room.

ring ding? any calls
yet?

4

One. Kristy’s mom. hey, everyone!!
she needs someone
hi, Stacey!
to watch David
Michael on
thursday.

hello-oo!

Finally, that’s Stacey McGill.
she just moved to Stoneybrook

from New York City.

and that makes all four of us:
the Baby-Sitters Club!

what’s going
on?

Just checking the
appointment book . Kristy’s

little brother needs a
sitter for thursday
after school.

Stacey’s so glamorous. Claudia, you’re the
I’d love to be like her only one free then.
do you want the job?
someday. she EVEn
manages Her DiabeteS

with style.

let’s
see . . .

5

sure. Watson needs someone to
sit for Karen and Andrew.

saturday, 2 till 4.

hello,
baby-sitters

club. oh, hi,
Watson! sure,

hold on.

I’ve got a and Mimi’s supposed to
doctor’s take me shopping on
appointment. saturday.

I’m free saturday, well, Watson is your mom’s
too, but you can -
have the job.
fiance, Kristy. . . I know you
like seeing Karen and Andrew.

thanks!

baby-sitters club.
mrs. newton, hi!

As you can see, our club is well run and
well organized . . . most of the time.

6

okay, uh-huh . . . ooh! the new baby!
Jamie and Lucy?
cool!

hee 6:00
hee! till 8:00?

great!

. . . I’ll be there! the newtons are giving a cocktail party,
see you. and they want someone to help with the kids!

I’m so excited! I’ll probably get
to give lucy a bottle, and . . .

Kristy!! you’re supposed I’d like to sit for lucy,
too, you know.
to offer the job around. you
know that. It’s your rule. me, too.

oh, yeah . . .

sorry. me, too.

7

and we’re all some people sure
free that night. are job-hogs.

boy. I said I
was sorry.

besides . . . look what do you
who’s talking. mean??

It has been she has a point . . .
a problem. you’ve done it a lot
yourself, Claudia.

I don’t believe this --
you break one of our
rules, and everyone

jumps on me!!

8

I didn’t do anything. what did you say?
I’m innocent!
nothing . . .
this just that you’re
time.
as guilty as
anybody else.

hey! If you’re so because if it is, I don’t need you guys.
desperate for friends don’t forget where I’m from --
here in stoneybrook,
ugh, we know,
don’t argue with the New York City. It’s
ones you’ve got. all you ever talk

Is that a about, Stacey.
threat?

what I was going to say, -- or bossy -- or shy little
before you so rudely know-it-alls -- babies.
huh?
interrupted, is that I’m
tough. I don’t need

anybody. not stuck-up
job-hogs --

9

I am not. . . sniff. . . little . . . snivel . . . oh, stop it,
I’m not a shy. . . Mary Anne.
you’re such a

crybaby.

no!! you stop it, Kristy! and you, and you! I think you, Stacey,
maybe I am shy, and maybe I am quiet, are acting like a
conceited snob!
but you guys cannot step all over me!!
hmph!

and you, Claudia, and you, . . . and I don’t
have been a Kristy Thomas, care if I never
are the biggest, see you again!!
stuck-up job-hog!
bossiest
know-it-all in

the world. . .

10

11



CHAPTER 2

I’ve never had a fight like and, like usual,
that before . . . especially with my the house was empty.

friends. I walked home alone.

dad?
. . . hello?

hello, Mary Anne. I’m heating up the
I’m home . . . Is dinner leftover pot roast.

started? that’s fine.
let’s just toss
hi, dad. a salad, too. that
yes. will make a nice

dinner .

13

. . . and please watch over alma is my mother. dad
our dear Alma. Amen. blesses her at every
Amen. meal, as far as I know.

Mary Anne, please don’t well, how
talk with your mouth full. was your day,
Mary Anne?
sorry.
fine.

I got a 99
on my spelling
test. It was--

that’s wonderful.
I’m very proud of you.
your studying paid off.

did you . . .
have a meeting
of your club this

afternoon?

I got the what went on?
highest score anything special?
in the class.
. . . no.
yes.

there was no way I
was going to tell him

about our fight.

14

well . . . my case went . . . that’s great, soon, I was able to
very well today. I feel dad. escape our awkward
conversation for the
certain we’re going solace of my bedroom.
to win.

but I just couldn’t I wish I hadn’t
concentrate on said all those things
my homework .
to my friends . . .

but they
said mean things

about me, too.

I guess Claudia didn’t then again, I’d have to
say anything mean to me tell dad what was going on,
since this isn’t homework-
specifically . . . maybe
I could call her. related . . .

never
mind.

15

no wonder Stacey thinks
I’m a baby. Just look
at my room! It hasn’t
changed since I was
two years old.

If I could take down Kristy!
humpty dumpty and mother

goose, maybe I’d . . . huh?

maybe I can signal please
her with our code. maybe look out
your window,
I can apologize! Kristy . . .

16

I’m sorry. Kristy? I’m
sorry. really.

that was when I realized
just how angry Kristy
really was.

17



CHAPTER 3

19

a bad
dream . . . It

was just a
bad dream.

Kristy!

hey! Kristy! are you talking to no, you’re the only
me? or some other job-hog I see at
the moment.
job-hog?

20

then get a
mirror .

. . . so we carry
the 7 . . .
sigh.

21

now this is a
letter I can
actually send.

I’ll give
this to

her in the
cafeteria.

okay . . . Stacey’s sitting IN her . . . there she is. all alone with
usual Spot. . . but where’s Claudia? trevor sandbourne. I guess
Claud and Stacey haven’t
made up yet either.

22

and Kristy’s at our
usual table, with the

shillaber twins. . . .

. . . I should’ve known she
wouldn’t save me a seat.

. . . excuse me . . .
could I sit
here?

23

sure. you must be new? oh. um, no.
new, too. It’s just. . . my

friends are
all . . . absent

today.

oh. this is my second day here. nobody ever wants the
new kid to sit at their table. I thought I’d found
the perfect solution . . . another new kid!

24

well, I don’t mind if my name’s dawn. dawn? that’s such
you sit here. even if dawn schafer. a pretty name. I’m

I’m not new. Mary Anne spier.

hi, so did you just move here? Just moved here
Mary Anne or did you switch schools from california,

Spier . or something? last week .

our house is still a mess --
packing cartons everywhere.

yesterday, it took me 20
minutes to find my brother

for dinner .

25

. . . you want to know who the alexander
weirdest kid in school is? kurtzman. turn

yeah! . . . around, he’s
sitting right
behind you. . . .

It felt weird to be talking with I wasn’t sure that I had ever
somebody besides Kristy, Claudia, made a new friend all on my own.

Stacey, or the shillabers. hey, do you want to come
over to my house after

school tomorrow?

oh! well,
um . . . sure!

maybe we can watch a want to eat lunch again
movie or something. . . . tomorrow? . . . or will your

okay! friends be back?

uh . . .

26

what if we had all It doesn’t really see you later.
made up by tomorrow? matter, anyway. . . . see you.

. . . I don’t
know.

?

oh, yeah . . .
I forgot to
give Claudia
her letter.

27



CHAPTER 4 we have a
baby-sitters
the next morning . . . club meeting this
afternoon!!

I’m going to apologize
to Kristy right now!

we can’t
stay mad at
each other much
longer! I just

know it!!

hi, Mary hi, david michael. yup. she’s just --
Anne!! Is Kristy still
I am
here? not
here!

29

yes, you are.
you’re right --

david
michael,
come here
for a sec.

your friends are yup.
absent again?!

later . . .

30

hi, Mary
Anne!

It’s a farmhouse. my mother isn’t very organized yet.
It was built in 1795. actually, ever. mom! I’m home!

wow.

31

In the kitchen, mom, what are
honey. you doing??

careful
not to trip on

anything.

oh, honey. I keep getting sidetracked. mom, this is my friend hi, Mary Anne.
I unpacked this album, and found an Mary Anne. we eat It’s nice to
envelope full of pictures marked lunch together.
“for photo album” . . . meet you! I do
apologize for

the mess.

I was
just putting

them in.

dawn’s room is the one civilized spot
in the house . . . . she had her room
unpacked and organized the day
after we moved in.

what can
I say? I’m

neat.

32

oh, wow, I like
your room. but the
colonists must have

been TinY!

maybe!

hey! here’s your dvd well, it’s just until the rest of
player! It’s in your room! the house is in order. then it goes

boy, are you lucky. downstairs to the living room.

wow, and you
have so many

movies!

yeah -- my mom’s a movie nut. she In fact, it was the last thing
orders everything she can. . . . mom bought before . . .

you probably don’t before
have the parent trap, what?

do you?

sure
we do!

33

before the divorce. that’s why we mom’s parents live here. my mother
moved here -- because mom and grew up in stoneybrook .
dad got divorced.
wow! so did my dad.
but why I wonder if they
here?! knew each other.

yeah. wouldn’t
hey. . . that be
funny?

I guess it’s awful when your parents split up,
but lots of kids have divorced parents.
Kristy Thomas, my bes --

er, my next-door
neighbor -- has been

a “divorced kid”
for years.

where did your mother grow up? oh. yeah.

oh. In Iowa.
but my mom died a

long time ago.

It’s never easy when this
comes up in conversation.

but it always does.

34

I don’t remember my she had cancer. I can only imagine how it was for
mother because I was my father . . . to be all alone, and with a new baby.
only a baby when she died.

I’m sure part of him is scared of and even though I wish he
losing me, too, so I can sort of would loosen up about my
understand why he’s so strict. hair and clothes, I know he
is only this strict because

he cares about me.

what a great movie! It was time for a I had no idea
meeting of the baby- what to expect.
yeah! hey,
I’d better sitters club.
get going.

35



hello, Mary CHAPTER 5
Anne.
hi, Mimi . . . um,
Claudia’s here,

isn’t she?

yes, of
course. Stacey

is here, also.

hello, the
baby-sitters

club.

finally. . .
we’ll have
to talk to
each other

now!

It’s a new client -- the prezziosos. they need
someone for their three-year-old, Jenny,
on sunday. 4:00 till 6:30. who’s free?

I am.

37

Mary Anne? what about she’s not here. and she knows

no. Kristy? the rules -- she made the rules.

I’m
not either .

I guess
it’s yours,

Stacey.

If she doesn’t baby-sitters
phone to tell us club. oh. hi,
she’ll be late or
she can’t make it, mrs. Thomas.
then she misses
out on jobs. Is Kristy sick
or something? . . .
Kristy, in case anybody is
interested, is over at the she’s where?
oh. okay.
shillabers’ house. and
mrs. Thomas needs a sitter so am I.
for david michael again on
so am I.
thursday. I’m free.

38

everybody pick one.
the person who gets

the star sits for
david michael.

hey! you knew which are you calling
one it was! me a cheater?

I did not! you said it,
how would I I didn’t!
know that?!

you made
the scraps

of paper!

39

6:00

here.

40

6:15 dad’s still hello? hi, Claudia. I Read your note.
not home. I’m It’s Mary thanks.
going to take
Anne.
that as a
sign.

you’re
welcome.

oh.
hi.

since Kristy skipped today’s I guess for a what should we do
meeting . . . do you think she while, anyway. about the club,
doesn’t want to be part of then? she is
president.
the club anymore?

Kristy’s the one who started yeah.
the baby-sitters club, so why
would she let us run it without well . . . we can’t keep having
meetings like today’s. If you
her? we’re the ones
she’s mad at. talk to Kristy, I’ll talk
to Stacey.

. . . all right.

41

I decided to ambush excuse me.
Kristy at school
the next day. I have to
talk to you.

yes, I do. we have to decide out of it?! no, you
what to do about the club. It’s my club! don’t.

are you out of it? yes, but you didn’t
go to the meeting

yesterday.

you missed out on a lot of good jobs. not according yeah . . .
we weren’t going to call the shillabers’ to the rules.

house every time a job came in,
to see if you wanted it.

you should
have.

42

we’d better figure out how I think Claudia and I are you and
to run things while we’re all the only ones speaking to Claudia are
each other, so yesterd -- speaking?!
mad at each other.

yes. brother. whatever they had doors slammed in
happened to their faces, that’s what!!

faithful friends? okay, okay, okay.
how about this: we
take turns answering
the phone at Claudia’s

during meeting
times?

you go one day, I’ll go the only jobs she has how does that sound?
the next . . . when a club to call everyone else
to offer around are the fair. I’ll tell
member is on duty, she Claudia.
takes on as many jobs ones she can’t take
herself.
as she can.

hi, Mary
Anne!

43

hi, dawn! I had so much me, too! I was wondering, do
fun yesterday! you want to come over on
saturday? we could make
fudge or bake cookies. . . .

sure! I’ll
see you at
lunch, okay?

y . . . you just invited her
over to your house.

uh-huh.

but you don’t usually oh, well, by
ask anyone over, except the way . . .

me. you don’t usually
even invite Claudia
or Stacey over.

dawn’s a good
friend.

44

mom extended my baby-sitting 10:00? you can stay
hours. now I can stay out as late out until 10:00?

as Stacey and Claudia: 10:00 on
weekends, 9:30 on weeknights.

so now, all the other baby
club members could stay

out later than me.

I was mad at Kristy, I knew I had to do
and mad at my father. something . . . but what?

45