Then vs. Now

[Karen Brewer]

When I was younger Stacey was my favorite character. Now my favorites are Kristy, Mary Anne and Dawn.

[aln1982]

^ It's funny that I'm kind of the opposite. ;D Except Stacey's not my favorite right now but she is at the top but used to be at the bottom. Only one that has been consistent is Claudia towards the bottom but I like her a lot more than I used to. The only one I really dislike a lot more is Dawn.

[msstock87]

I think I went through periods where I liked every sitter for a certain reason or another. I think I tended to like Kristy a lot though. My favorites now are Kristy, Stacey and Dawn I think though.

[dawnomite]

When I first started reading it was Claudia, then later Jessi because I was obsessed with dance from the ages of 10 to 20. Now I like Dawn the best overall (like I would want to be friends with her in real life) but I think Stacey is the most interesting to read about.

[fluffycakes]

I haven't changed my opinions too much over the years. I like Kristy a lot more now, mainly because she is, for the most part, someone I would like to be. Well, not the overbearing bossy sportsnut type, but I do admire her leadership abilites and her dedication. I feel and sound so old saying that, but it's true.

I like Abby more now as well. I hated her initally because she replaced Dawn and I totally resented her for that. I still don't love her, but I do like her a lot more. I like Shannon too and think she should've have at least one book when Dawn was in Cali for those six months.

I guess Mary Anne is the only one I started liking less. I find her extreme sensitivity and her constant mood swings a little bit annoying and usually inconsistent (surprise surprise). But she does have great comedic value. ;D

[babysittersfan100]

I used to like Stacey.
But now I like Claudia.

[booboobrewer]

fluffycakes said:

I like Shannon too and think she should've have at least one book when Dawn was in Cali for those six months.

Me too.

[starrynight]

Claudia was always my favorite, but now I think I like Stacey best. I also never used to like Mallory all that much, even though a couple of her books are definitely on my favorites list, but I like her a lot more now, because I see some of myself in her. Same with Mary Anne.

[Rie]

The first time I've read my first The Baby Sitters Club book,which is "Stacey's Mistake",My fave. BSC member was Claudia and Stacey..But now,I feel that Claudia is TOO boy-crazy,and I also feel that Stacey's becoming a snob (Just my opinions). Now,my fave. BSC member is Mary-Anne,because she's really nice,understanding,a good listener,very organized,very romantic,very gentle etc. etc...But the thing I mostly like about her is she's very simple,and she loves her father very much.

[Deleted]

For a while I would cite Dawn as my favourite because California Diaries is infinite love and her books were like... close enough, or somethin'. I also recall enjoying Mary Anne's books a lot, and I could relate to her because I used to cry a lot in elementary school over, like, nothing.

Nowadays, I actually enjoy Stacey [despite her semi-whinyness] and Claudia's the most. Still enjoy Dawn hoping for CD references. Never was big on Kristy, Mal, or Jessi.

[aln1982]

I’ve noticed that my impression of the sitters has been influenced based on what books I’ve read. As a kid, I had only read the early Dawn books, which I still like. As I read more Dawn books that I don’t like towards the end of the series, I started liking Dawn a lot less. Same thing with Kristy. The opposite, though, is true for Claudia and Stacey. Also, I never thought I liked Jessi because I had never even really read her books. Now that I have, I really like her.

[anzuhana]

I liked Logan and Dawn. Now, not so much.

[shannon86]

My favorite character has never changed! My favorite is Mary Anne and she will remain my favorite forever. Claudia and Stacey come in second.

[sparklymouse]

I didn't used to really have a favorite because I didn't think of them as much as individuals. They were THE CLUB, minus Jessi who in my mind was always the black sheep of the group. (Hehe. Sorry, I couldn't help myself.) Now that I can see them on their own I'm all about Claudia and Kristy. I like Mallory's books but I'm not in love with her when she's a background character in someone else's story.

[zoar3]

I'm going to do something scary and quote Jessi! My only "vivid memory" of reading the BSC as a kid was SS#1. Being a huge Disneyland fan growing up, I had always (still do) wanted to go to Disneyworld. I thought it was awesome that such close friends got to go there as a group. I agree with Sparklymouse, by saying that I, too, probably saw the girls as more of a group than as seperate people.

I re-discovered the Series 3 or 4 years ago now. My favorite character without question is Kristy. My least favorite character? It's still a toss up between Abby and Dawn. I "dislike" both of them for different reasons, yet depending on the book (or lol my mood) could argue either way as one being "worse" than the other.

My views on Mary Anne are what have drastically changed since finding these boards and certainly having now read through the Series many times. In some ways, my dislike toward Ms. Spier runs deeper than that of my feelings toward Abby or Dawn. Like a lot of you, I read the BSC with the longing "if only" I had had that type of 7th/8th grade year(s). I was an only child and would have loved having a friend next door that I thought of as my sister. That said, the way MA replaced Kristy with Dawn angered me a great deal. Since reading the STB, MA's actions and drastic transormation of character, seem much worse than ever.

I'd say

Kristy, Mal, Claudia, Stacey,Mary Anne, Dawn, and Abby. Or something like that! Shannon, I don't feel we knew enough about. Logan, sigh. Where was he in junior high? Heck where is a man who rents carriages and is such the ideal boyfriend as Logan often seemed?

I purposely left "Jessi" out. She's just "blah" anyway you look at it. I wish Mal had been given a chance to become part of the BSC without her--at least for one year!