Review by Frank Plowright

Stacey McGill was once treasurer for the Baby-Sitters Club, but her father’s job eventually became full time in New York, and a tearful farewell ended Good-Bye Stacey, Good-Bye as she left Stoneybrook behind. Were it not for the title, it would be quite the surprise to see this volume opening with Stacey explaining why she loves New York.

Ann M. Martin conceives a clever way to reunite Stacey with her friends via a fundraiser for a community theatre. She’s having to turn down requests to babysit as too many parents are asking, but, what if she shipped in her Stoneybrook friends?

As was the case for Mary Anne’s Bad Luck Mystery, we have another new artist in Ellen T. Crenshaw whose illustration conforms more readily with the established style. She’s good with visual characterisation, and the sample art of the girls arriving in New York tidily establishes their personalities via clothing and luggage. Crenshaw also puts a lot of work into crowd scenes, and several other cheery spreads or montages follow showing the girls and their charges enjoying themselves. Crenshaw’s also enjoying herself, and pictures of the girls drooling in their sleep are funny.

The plot plays well with the idea of New York being an intimidating place for thirteen year old suburban girls and Stacey’s embarrassment at their naivety, while the idea of apartment living with no outside facilities is aired. The grumpy looking girl on the right of the cover is Laine, Stacey’s best friend in New York, and from the start she and Claudia, Stacey’s best friend in Stoneybrook, don’t get along, and it’s not long before discontent spreads. Dawn’s anxieties are overplayed, but the remaining issues evolve naturally, and it’s interesting to see how the books have also evolved. The once common habit of putting name labels on groups of young children is now apparently frowned on for fear of strangers learning their names.

Things are never too stressful for too long in the world of the Baby-Sitters Club, so there are apologies for being grouchy or insensitive and all problems are settled by the end. Fans of the series will be delighted at seeing Stacey again as well. Next up is Claudia and the Bad Joke.