Review by Frank Plowright

Mallory Pike joined the Baby-Sitters Club some while back as a junior member, since when she’s been largely making up the numbers, which is also the case at home as she has seven younger siblings. One might think that experience would give her a head start in babysitting twins Carloyn and Marilyn, but even though they’re only seven, they’re cheeky, devious and manipulative, and love tormenting babysitters. As soon as their mother leaves they discard the identity bracelets that distinguish them.

Ann M. Martin is always good at grounding her stories in reality, which extends beyond the conversations and neighbourhood. Mallory and the Trouble With Twins begins well, establishing how with so many children the Pike family don’t have money to throw around, so shoes have to be practical, multi-purpose and long-lasting. Fashionable isn’t a priority.

Arley Nopra’s second series adaptation matches the artistic standards in most respects. She gives the children personalities and establishes locations well, only falling down when crowds are needed. Stoneybrook’s Washington Mall would close down with the footfall Nopra shows.

An adaptable and resourceful nature is key to all Baby-Sitters Club activities, and faced with a recurring problem, Mallory devises an appropriate solution. Unusually for a Baby-Sitters Club book there’s only really the single story thread, supplemented by a few minor problems, and it seems as if Mallory’s solved her problem very early by bringing the twins onside. Instead Martin moves forward to deal with another problem, that of the twins wanting to assert their individual identities in the face of their mother’s determination to treat them as bookends.

It leads into Mallory managing to communicate with her parents about matters concerning her. Nopra adopts Martin’s original story smoothly, maintaining the nuanced way Martin manages to give advice without it seeming like preaching to children, which can sometimes be the case in all-ages fiction. Leading by example works here, and this is another enjoyable read. Next up is Jessi Ramsey, Pet Sitter.