The event is sponsored by the Friends of the Smith College Libraries and is free, wheel-chair accessible, and open to the public. A book signing will follow.

Panel

Ann M. Martin '77, author of The Baby-sitter's Club series, A Corner of the Universe, Belle Teal and A Dog’s Life, will be joined by Scholastic editor and author David Levithan, critically-acclaimed Young Adult author Virginia Euwer Wolff '59 and young novelist Emma Straub. The moderator is “book maven” Bethanne Patrick '85.

The event coincides with Ann Martin donating her literary papers to the Smith College Libraries. Martin is best known as the principal author of The Baby-sitters Club, the children’s book series that became one of the most successful series in publishing history with more than 176 million books in print. Approximately 250 books were published over a 15-year period beginning in 1986. Celebrated for her character-driven plots and self-confident protagonists, the series spawned a TV series as well as a feature film, and prompted girls around the world to start their own baby-sitters clubs. The Baby-sitters Club was named one of the “Books of the Century” by the New York Times Book Review in 1998. Martin's other acclaimed novels include A Dog’s Life, Belle Teal, The Doll People (written with Laura Godwin), and the Newbery Honor Book, A Corner of the Universe.

Fans of The Baby-sitters Club today ranges in age from mid-30’s to fourth graders. Their devotion can be seen in the blogisphere with numerous blogspots on the series.  At least two bloggers have vowed to read the entire series again in 2013.

Links

Beauty and the Armegeddon - (Blog) The Baby-sitters Club 2013 Reading Challenge

BSC Headquarters (Blog)

The Baby-sitters Club - Revisited (Blog)

The Baby-sitters Club (Blog)

Stoneybrookite (Blog)

Contact

Mary Irwin
Friends of the Smith College Libraries
mirwin@smith.edu