Claudia and Mean Janine (The Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novel #4)

My daughter is in 3rd grade and has struggled with reading. She has never shown much interest it. I'm an avid reader and I hated that she wouldn't read. She fell in love with a graphic novel so I went to the store to find more. I found my childhood favorites the Baby Sitters Club and she has now read all 4. She read this one in just 1 day. SHe loves them and now begs for more books. Please continue remaking the old novels.

Mimi is sick and Claudia feels blame on herself. She doesn't know if her sister likes her. Will they ever get along?does she know what she's talking about? Will Mimi get better? Will her sister forgive her ? You have to read this book! They had soooooooo much trouble! Grown ups will love it to. You should definitely check it out!!!,!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why are these particular Kindle books unable to be returned for a refund, even minutes after order, while other books are easy to return for a refund? Very frustrating. I would have posted this under the store.com/feedback, but that doesn't work for these books either.

ComicWorm Speaks!

Claudia and Mean Janine: Full-Color Edition (The Baby-Sitters Club Graphix #4)

by Ann M. Martin and Raina Telgemeier

****
Acquired: Barnes and Noble Booksellers
Series: The Babysitters Club (The Babysitters Club Graphix)
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: GRAPHIX; Revised, Full Color Edition edition (January 26, 2016)
Language: English

****

The Story: Claudia and her sister, Janine, may as well be from two different planets. Claudia, who pays more attention to her artwork and The Baby-sitters Club than her homework, feels like she can't compete with her perfect sister. Janine studies nonstop, gets straight As, and even takes college-level courses! But when something unexpected happens to the most beloved person in their family, will the sisters be able to put aside their differences?

The Review: When ComicWorm was in middle school, the Babysitters Club books were frequent checkouts from the library.

It wasn’t entirely clear why he liked them so much when he was neither a girl nor a babysitter. Most likely…it was just the characters. Seeing these disparate and distinct personalities bounce off one another and the people they meet and watching each character live and grow. Part of the reason YA is so popular now. This was YA before it was cool!

There’s just one problem: The original books are bad.

That is one of great tragedies of any Bookworm or ComicWorm for that matter: The books/comics you loved and read over and over again as child are picked up again as an adult and you realize that they were poorly written, aged shabbily, or written only for specific age group. The Babysitters Club is a little of all three.

Even the covers have not done well. ComicWorm is not a fashionista by any means (He gets new t-shirts at the Salvation Army) but even he cringes when he sees the garish Eighties fashions and hairstyles on the covers of the original books.

Despite the series popularity back in the day, there has not been a reprint in decades.

This graphic novel has proven to be the series’ salvation, because while it may not have seemed like it at first…this series is perfect for a graphic novel as the original books were the perfect lengths for such an adaptation.

The art style is superb. It is bright and colorful but not flashy and it does not shy away from dark scenes when the story calls for it. When Claudia is waiting on the porch, the ambient mood is captured perfectly. There is also a more subtle approach to the art as well that is asseverated through color. In happier scenes, such as the kid camp, the scene is energetic with pronounced colors. In more serious scenes, the colors are softer and more subdued. It is said that the devil is in the details and the artist demonstrates their skill with adding such subtleties to a story for eighth graders.

Having read many comic books, this one stands out to ComicWorm.

This may sound strange but in comics ‘movement’ is very important. It is a known fact that in animation (of which comics are the precursor) emotions and expressions tend to be more exaggerated in order convey emotion from characters that are not as detailed as ordinary humans.

The best way to accomplish this is to exaggerate movement i.e. shrugging, yelling, and making emotion more outward. The artist of this book captures this extremely well. This is not a ‘serious’ graphic novel in that the art style is not like a superhero story where lip wrinkles are drawn. The characters are drawn like animated characters. Ironically, this makes the story seem more ‘lifelike’ because otherwise it would come off as stilted and unnatural.

When Claudia is angry, she looks angry. When Mimi looks angry, the reader believes that she is angry. The emotions are palatable, and this is a very emotional story that a lot of readers can relate to. Anyone who has a sibling can relate to this book, along with anyone who has experienced sudden illness or death in a family. Claudia is visibly struggling with the changes going on her life and her frustration is tangible. She loves creative ventures but she struggles with schoolwork and everyone seems to see only that, not her talents. That is very relatable to anyone creative in a world where creative skills are pushed aside in favor of math and sciences. Claudia is growing up. She is changing, her world is changing and she comes into conflict with Janine who is also struggling with her role in the family.

ComicWorm is unsure on whose part this belongs too, but starting the story with ‘it was a dark and stormy night’ is both clever and risky. Perhaps not as risky because it has a picture, but it is a clever literary joke.

Some readers may find it odd that the club still uses a landline and passes out flyers in the age of mobiles and social media but it actually helps the story and characters feel more ‘tactile’ otherwise and it adds a sense of timelessness to an otherwise modern update to a series that has aged rather poorly.

If there are some flaws, they are few and far between. The biggest one could be that maybe there are a few too many sub plots and a few too many characters. Some of them ComicWorm just found himself saying ‘meh.’ Not bad but they didn’t feel important, then again that could be seen as an example of the slice of life genre this series represents.

Final Verdict: While it is doubtful the artist will adapt all 131 novels of the Babysitters Club and then the specials, ComicWorm sincerely hopes that we see more of these books adapted to graphic format and introduce a new generation of readers to this legendary series.

Five Katanas out of Five (cause they’re Japanese baby!)

thecultureworm.blogspot.com

Purchased a couple of Raina Telgemeier's BSC books after my 7 year old daughter became OBSESSED with them after reading my copy of SMILE. She was reading them so quickly, I ordered a few to have in the library for when she finishes! LOVE the re-boot of this childhood favorite series of mine! Telgemeier's art style is expressive and accessible. I loved Smile, Sisters, Drama and Ghost as well. Nice to have some quality Graphic Novels I feel good about sharing with my kids who are just getting into the genre!

This book series is so addicting. I couldn't look away. It was so interesting and shocking. I like how the author makes it appropriate at certain times. I really hope there is more books in this graphic novel series. I would definitely recommend this book.

Written by 10 year old.

My daughters love this author and they have read the other books in the series in the past and have always left them excited about the next book in the series. This book was one that they have been excited about for some time, and as we read this together, We loved that she has taken on the baby-sitters club mantra and in his book you get fun characters and some lessons that were good ones too. Another great thing was the illustrations throughout the book too. This was a great addition to Raina Telgemeier's books and my daughters are now even more excited on what will come next!

*I received this for review - all opinions are my own*

I think that this book is awesome and clever

This book is about how + why you should love your siblings.

I think this story has a very important message behind it
because it is cery important to love your families, friends and neighbours.

This story also shows you that if you show unity and work together you may succeed .

I think this book is great for anyone to read because Ann has worked had so that everybody would enjoy this very clever and speicial book.

Claudia Kishi has always felt inferior when compared to her older sister, Janine. Janine's a genius. She gets straight A's and excels in anything having to do with school and learning. Claudia has spelling problems and is lucky to get C's in her classes. She'd much rather paint than do homework, and she secretly snacks on junk food. Claudia and her best friends Stacey, Kristy, Mary Anne, and Dawn are proud members of The Baby-Sitters Club. When Claudia's baby-sitting, Janine is studying. While Janine reads textbooks, Claudia reads Nancy Drew mysteries. One thing the girls have in common is their love for their family. Though Claudia worries that her parents might be more proud of Janine than of her, she knows that her grandmother Mimi loves her unconditionally. When one of their relatives gets really sick, the Kishi sisters have to put aside their differences to help.

The original BSC book series was a staple of my childhood. Though I read "big books" and lots of classics, like Janine, I really loved the BSC series. The characters were good eggs and the lessons learned were good ones. Now, the BSC Graphix have breathed new life into the books, attracting reluctant readers and comic book fans. Illustrator/adapter Raina Telgemeier's artwork is really cute, and she's stuck solidly to the original plotlines. I love what she's done with these, and I wish there were more! With over 100 books in the original series, she certainly has plenty to work from, and I really hope that Scholastic hires her to do more BSC Graphix.

This book "Babysitters Club: Claudia and the Mean Janine" I would ALWAYS have the same problem that Raina and Amara had and now, Caludia and Janine, Jamie and Lucy!!! So this book really helpdd me and ALL the other books that Raina made. Dental Drama, Fighting with brothers and sisters, and even friend and boy problem!!! I would have to say 1 thing....... WHAT THE HECK IS A ,"Christining"!!!!! I al want to say that this was the best BabySitters Club book I have read. (i have read ALL of them!).

My Daughter LOVES These Books!!!! As far as my daughter is concerned anything this illustrator touches is gold! If you or your child are a fan of these youth graphic novels then you will enjoy these. It is the classic old books but now with modern graphic novel illustrations to go with it. Im not sure if these are exact stories though from the original series as I did not read them when i was a kid. But my daughter says she loves the stories!

She was a big fan of Drama series and says she reads these book the same day she gets them. I will be sending her every book in this series for sure!

The value is way better than shopping in a bookstore so it is highly recommended to buy these books from the store! The value is excellent and books always arrive in mint new condition. I ship these as a gift to my daughter whi is 11 years old who lives in another state...

My daughters love this author and they have read the other books in the series in the past and have always left them excited about the next book in the series. This book was one that they have been excited about for some time, and as we read this together, We loved that she has taken on the baby-sitters club mantra and in his book you get fun characters and some lessons that were good ones too. Another great thing was the illustrations throughout the book too. This was a great addition to Raina Telgemeier's books and my daughters are now even more excited on what will come next!

*I received this for review - all opinions are my own*

I think that this book is awesome and clever

This book is about how + why you should love your siblings.

I think this story has a very important message behind it
because it is cery important to love your families, friends and neighbours.

This story also shows you that if you show unity and work together you may succeed .

I think this book is great for anyone to read because Ann has worked had so that everybody would enjoy this very clever and speicial book.

Claudia Kishi has always felt inferior when compared to her older sister, Janine. Janine's a genius. She gets straight A's and excels in anything having to do with school and learning. Claudia has spelling problems and is lucky to get C's in her classes. She'd much rather paint than do homework, and she secretly snacks on junk food. Claudia and her best friends Stacey, Kristy, Mary Anne, and Dawn are proud members of The Baby-Sitters Club. When Claudia's baby-sitting, Janine is studying. While Janine reads textbooks, Claudia reads Nancy Drew mysteries. One thing the girls have in common is their love for their family. Though Claudia worries that her parents might be more proud of Janine than of her, she knows that her grandmother Mimi loves her unconditionally. When one of their relatives gets really sick, the Kishi sisters have to put aside their differences to help.

The original BSC book series was a staple of my childhood. Though I read "big books" and lots of classics, like Janine, I really loved the BSC series. The characters were good eggs and the lessons learned were good ones. Now, the BSC Graphix have breathed new life into the books, attracting reluctant readers and comic book fans. Illustrator/adapter Raina Telgemeier's artwork is really cute, and she's stuck solidly to the original plotlines. I love what she's done with these, and I wish there were more! With over 100 books in the original series, she certainly has plenty to work from, and I really hope that Scholastic hires her to do more BSC Graphix.

This book "Babysitters Club: Claudia and the Mean Janine" I would ALWAYS have the same problem that Raina and Amara had and now, Caludia and Janine, Jamie and Lucy!!! So this book really helpdd me and ALL the other books that Raina made. Dental Drama, Fighting with brothers and sisters, and even friend and boy problem!!! I would have to say 1 thing....... WHAT THE HECK IS A ,"Christining"!!!!! I al want to say that this was the best BabySitters Club book I have read. (i have read ALL of them!).

My Daughter LOVES These Books!!!! As far as my daughter is concerned anything this illustrator touches is gold! If you or your child are a fan of these youth graphic novels then you will enjoy these. It is the classic old books but now with modern graphic novel illustrations to go with it. Im not sure if these are exact stories though from the original series as I did not read them when i was a kid. But my daughter says she loves the stories!

She was a big fan of Drama series and says she reads these book the same day she gets them. I will be sending her every book in this series for sure!

The value is way better than shopping in a bookstore so it is highly recommended to buy these books from the store! The value is excellent and books always arrive in mint new condition. I ship these as a gift to my daughter whi is 11 years old who lives in another state...

When school is out it means that the babysitters club will start their summer play group.But then one night Mimi has a stroke!When Claudia thinks it can't get worse it actually does. When the Newtons have Lucy's party Jamie gets really upset then Jenny Prezzioso crashes the playgroup.Find out in the new baby sitters club'Claudia and mean Jannine

All the best parts of the original book- friendship, caring about family, having a business sense, setting goals, being responsible, and using creativity are here. I love being able to share this new version with the children in my life.