Dawn

Books narrated: 25

#5 Dawn and the Impossible Three (no ghostwriter)
#9 The Ghost at Dawn’s House (no ghostwriter) my favorite Dawn book
#15 Little Miss Stoneybrook…and Dawn (no ghostwriter)
#23 Dawn on the Coast (ghostwriter: Jan Carr)
#31 Dawn’s Wicked Stepsister (no ghostwriter)
#37 Dawn and the Older Boy (gw: Mary Lou Kennedy)
#44 Dawn and the Big Sleepover (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#50 Dawn’s Big Date (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#57 Dawn Saves the Planet (gw: Jahnna Beecham/Malcolm Hillgartner)
#64 Dawn’s Family Feud (gw: Jahnna Beecham/Malcolm Hillgartner)
#67 Dawn’s Big Move (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#72 Dawn and the We ♥ Kids Club (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#77 Dawn and Whitney, Friends Forever (gw: Nola Thacker)
#84 Dawn and the School Spirit War (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#88 Farewell, Dawn (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#98 Dawn and Too Many Sitters (gw: Peter Lerangis)

M#2 Beware, Dawn! (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#7 Dawn and the Disappearing Dogs (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#12 Dawn and the Surfer Ghost (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#18 Dawn and the Halloween Mystery (gw: Ellen Miles) my favorite Dawn mystery
M#26 Dawn Schafer, Undercover Baby-sitter (gw: Ellen Miles)

Dawn’s Book (gw: Jeanne Betancourt)

Dawn, Diary 1 (no ghostwriter)
Dawn, Diary 2 (gw: Jeanne Betancourt)
Dawn, Diary 3 (no ghostwriter) my favorite Dawn CD

Portrayed by Melissa Chasse in the TV show and Larisa Oleynik in the movie. The TV episodes "Dawn and the Dream Boy" and "Dawn Saves the Trees" are centered around her.

Dawn’s Crushes-5 (third place)
Travis, Lewis Bruno, Parker Harris, Price Irving, Richie Magnesi

Dawn joins the BSC in #4 Mary Anne Saves the Day. The event is celebrated with a pizza toast. She becomes an honorary member when she moves back to California permanently in #88 Farewell, Dawn.

Dawn hates dim rooms and has lots of lamps each with 100 watt bulbs. That seems odd for environmentally-conscious Dawn. It sounds like her room has only one little porthole for a window.

At first, Dawn simply avoids red meat. By #28 Welcome Back, Stacey! Dawn is fully vegetarian. But she eats chicken on the plane in Super Special 5 California Girls. The first time Dawn ever chewed gum was in #50 Dawn’s Big Date. It was sugarless, of course.

Dawn is neat, as in tidy, when introduced in #4 Mary Anne Saves the Day. In #5 Dawn and the Impossible Three, Dawn seems more distressed by messy things like spilled food than disorganized things like her house. That will fit better with the continuity, but not perfectly. #29 Mallory and the Mystery Diary describes Dawn as “the world’s neatest person.” But in #31 Dawn’s Wicked Stepsister, Dawn thinks it’s completely bizarre and nearly OCD to have separators in the utensil drawers to keep the forks, spoons, and knives separate from each other. By mystery #5 Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic she’s officially described as messy.

Dawn doesn't like little kids to play with toy guns, but doesn't mind other toy weaponry like swords. (Although in Dawn's Portrait Collection book, an elementary-school-aged Sunny disagrees with all violent play, including swords)

Dawn wears about the same size clothing as Claudia. In Dawn’s Wicked Stepsister, Dawn and Mary Anne trade clothes back and forth. But by Here Come the Bridesmaids! they wear clothes of completely different sizes. Dawn is taller than both Mary Anne and Mallory, which means she’s also taller than Kristy. She has blue eyes.

Dawn was born eight days after her due date. A while after that, Dawn was entered in a “Beautiful Baby” contest by her mom…and won.

Dolphins are Dawn’s favorite animals. She also seems to like unicorns. She bought a little unicorn charm for a bracelet in Baby-sitters on Board and has unicorn stationery in Dawn’s Big Date.

Dawn likes to sleep in late. On a related note, she likes to analyze dreams.

Dawn hates the cold.

Dawn knows what tequila tastes like.

Dawn has taken sailing lessons in California, before her parents’ divorce.

Dawn’s Family

Dawn is introduced in #4 Mary Anne Saves the Day, having recently moved from California with her mom, Sharon, and younger brother Jeff following her parents’ divorce. Jeff moves back to California shortly after, feeling too homesick and out of sorts in Connecticut. Her mom dated Mary Anne’s dad in high school, and upon meeting, their romance rekindles. They marry, making Dawn and Mary Anne stepsisters. Dawn eventually feels the same draw to California and moves back. Her father, Jack, remarries too, to a woman named Carol. The wedding takes place during an extended visit that Dawn has before permanently moving back. Carol later gives birth to a baby girl, Gracie.

Sharon marries Mary Anne’s dad when the two have been on about thirty dates (thirty since reuniting after high school). It’s unclear whether Dawn’s mother took Richard’s last name after they married. Her maiden name was Porter...same name as the neighbor that Karen Brewer thinks is a witch!

Dawn’s mom had never owned a vacuum cleaner until she married Richard.

Sharon is works as a real estate agent or for a small accounting business depending on the book, and later wants to get a degree in architecture. She volunteers with Meals on Wheels.

Sharon has short, curly blonde hair. She drives a Subaru Outback (she wanted an all-wheel drive car for the Connecticut snow, and Subarus come with AWD standard). She doesn't drink coffee per Dawn’s Wicked Stepsister. Sharon loves the movie It’s a Wonderful Life.

Sharon sees a kinesiologist.

Dawn describes Mary Anne as the world's best stepsister, but Richard only as a "pretty nice" stepfather. Funny.

The Schafer house in California is consistently described as a one-story U-shaped building, with a sort of courtyard in the middle. Dawn’s father’s house has a bright yellow door. The school she and Jeff attend there is called Vista.

Dawn's parents divorced in the fall, but her mom waited until after Christmas to move across the country. I've seen lots of criticism for such an upheaval, and I agree that it's a lot to put two kids through. At least she waited until the holidays were over, and moved the kids at what is usually the start of a new school semester.

Dawn’s dad might have been having an affair. In The Baby-sitters Remember Dawn recalls him staying out late and having inconsistent stories about where he was. The divorce was granted for “irreconcilable differences.” Dawn says her parents divorced because her mom is "disorganized and [her] dad just couldn't live with that." They were married for about fifteen years, like Stacey’s parents.

Dawn’s dad starts dating Carol in Dawn’s Wicked Stepsister. She’s a painter and drives a red sports car. Carol must not have much family or not be close with them or they were unable to travel, as no siblings or parents or anyone is mentioned attending her wedding.

Holy crap, Carol's OB ordered bedrest so strict she can't even get up to use the bathroom. I've heard of bedrest where the woman can only get up to bathe once every ten days. But Carol...she should almost be hospitalized for the remainder of the pregnancy if it's that bad. Between the bedrest and a long maternity leave, Carol had about a year off from work. She breast-fed Gracie, once in front of Ducky, which made him feel incredibly awkward.

Jeff loves making bad puns. He’s also a Grateful Dead fan.

Jeff didn't really get to know Richard before he married Sharon. It’s not even totally clear if they’d ever shared more than a few words before the wedding.

Dawn's brother play ice hockey with the Pike triplets.

Jeff has a weakness for chocolate cake.

Dawn's maternal grandfather is a banker.

Mary Anne

Books narrated: 31

#4 Mary Anne Saves the Day (no ghostwriter)
#10 Logan Likes Mary Anne! (no ghostwriter)
#17 Mary Anne’s Bad Luck Mystery (no ghostwriter) my favorite Mary Anne book
#25 Mary Anne and the Search for Tigger (no ghostwriter)
#30 Mary Anne and the Great Romance  (no ghostwriter)
#34 Mary Anne and Too Many Boys (ghostwriter: Mary Lou Kennedy)
#41 Mary Anne vs. Logan (no ghostwriter)
#46 Mary Anne Misses Logan (no ghostwriter)
#52 Mary Anne +2 Many Babies (no ghostwriter)
#60 Mary Anne’s Makeover (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#66 Maid Mary Anne (gw: Nola Thacker)
#73 Mary Anne and Miss Priss (gw: Jahnna Beecham/Malcolm Hillgartner)
#79 Mary Anne Breaks the Rules (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#86 Mary Anne and Camp BSC (gw: Nola Thacker)
#93 Mary Anne and the Memory Garden (gw: Jahnna Beecham/Malcolm Hillgartner)
#102 Mary Anne and the Little Princess (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#109 Mary Anne to the Rescue (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#114 The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#121 Mary Anne and the Playground Fight (gw: Diane Molleson)
#125 Mary Anne in the Middle (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#131 The Fire at Mary Anne’s House (gw: Ellen Miles)

M#5 Mary Anne and the Secret in the Attic (gw: Ellen Miles) my favorite Mary Anne mystery
M#13 Mary Anne and the Library Mystery (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#20 Mary Anne and the Zoo Mystery (gw: Jahnna Beecham/Malcolm Hillgartner)
M#24 Mary Anne and the Silent Witness (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#31 Mary Anne and the Music Box Mystery (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#34 Mary Anne and the Haunted Bookstore (gw: Vicki Berger Erwin)

Mary Anne’s Book (gw: Jeanne Betancourt)

FF#3 Mary Anne’s Big Breakup (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
FF#8 Mary Anne’s Revenge (gw: Nola Thacker) my favorite Mary Anne FF
FF#11 Welcome Home, Mary Anne (gw: Ellen Miles)

Portrayed by Megan Lahey in the TV show and Rachel Leigh Cook in the movie. The TV episode "Mary Anne and the Brunettes" is centered around her.

Mary Anne’s Crushes-2 (tied for sixth with Kristy)
Alex, Logan Bruno (she dates Logan from #10 Logan Likes Mary Anne! to FF#3 Mary Anne’s Big Breakup with a break spanning #41 Mary Anne vs. Logan to #46 Mary Anne Misses Logan)

Mary Anne loves New York.

Mary Anne takes French class at SMS.

Mary Anne bites her nails.

In #31 Dawn’s Wicked Stepsister, Dawn and Mary Anne trade clothes back and forth. But by SS#10 Here Come the Bridesmaids! they wear clothes of completely different sizes. Until a growth spurt mentioned in #19 Claudia and the Bad Joke, Mary Anne is the second shortest student in her grade.

Mary Anne still dresses up her stuffed animals, according to Claudia’s narration in #2 Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls. However, in The Summer Before Mary Anne is only interested in making some clothes for a set of dolls that belonged to her mother, so Claudia might have mistaken.

Mary Anne learned to knit from Mimi. She later teaches Claudia to knit.

Mary Anne and Logan say “I love you” to each other in Snowbound! Seems pretty serious for a middle school relationship, but I didn't date until high school. (I was allowed to as far as I know; I was just never asked out until I was almost 17. Made up for lost time by meeting a guy the first day of college and marrying him before starting senior year of college.)

Mary Anne wears reading glasses. Mary Anne got contact lenses to replace her reading glasses in #5 Dawn and the Impossible Three (her dad gets contacts in the same book). Now, I'm nearsighted enough that it's easier for me to read books without corrective lenses, so I could be wrong, but it seems like that would be more of hassle than glasses if she only needs them for reading.

Mrs. Thomas has been like a mother to Mary Anne. They never seemed that overly close, though, especially when compared with Mary Anne’s relationship with Mimi. Maybe Mrs. Thomas was always the one Mary Anne felt she could ask about girl things or whatever but it's never shown.

Mary Anne wants to be a teacher when she grows up.

Mary Anne think Robin Williams is the funniest actor.

Mary Anne loves getting the mail. So do I!

Mary Anne occasionally attends church, presumably with Richard and maybe Sharon and Dawn, at a Presbyterian church. In #4 Mary Anne Saves the Day she and Richard say grace before eating, but #86 Mary Anne and Camp BSC shows that they no longer do so, which indicates they may have become less religious over time.

Mary Anne has brown eyes and brown hair. According to The Summer Before, Mary Anne had bangs to go along with her braids. 

She and Kristy have a similar face shape.

Depending on the book, Mary Anne either has no desire to ever pierce her ears (most common), resents not being allowed to, or as in the case of The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier, has pierced ears.

After her father’s remarriage, Mary Anne was overwhelmed with a lot of things and saw a therapist several times. She never mentions it until the chain letter book in which she reveals a secret to Claudia. Claudia keeps Mary Anne’s secret very well, respecting her privacy as a good friend should. By Claudia and the Perfect Boy it seems Mary Anne is comfortable with telling the other BSC members. I really like that Mary Anne didn't have one big thing that set this off, because that seems more believable and, I think, gives a good message that sometimes you might feel off for no good reason and if you can't shake it, it's okay to get help despite not having a "good reason" for feeling down.

The Prezziosos, Pikes, Braddocks, and McGills apparently live close enough to Mary Anne to wake up from the fire and come over in the middle of the night to offer help and comfort. The Prezziosos, by the way, are really nice people. They lend Sharon their cell phone for a day to call insurance agents, family, and so on and they bring the family food and clothes while they’re outside in shock watching their house burn. In Stacey and the Missing Ring, the Prezziosos defend the BSC’s reputation when a new client accuses Stacey of stealing a diamond ring. For all the flack the BSC gives them, the Prezziosos, while a bit odd, are very sweet and loyal.

By the time of the Friends Forever series, Mary Anne and Dawn have grown apart. Mary Anne doesn’t think of Dawn as a best friend anymore.

Mary Anne’s Family

Mary Anne is an only child who lives her father, Richard. Her mother is deceased. Mary Anne also has a kitten named Tigger, adopted from a shelter in #10 Logan Likes Mary Anne! Her father rekindles a relationship with a high school sweetheart, who just happens to be Dawn Schafer’s mother Sharon, and they marry in #30 Mary Anne and the Great Romance. Mary Anne and her father move to the Schafer’s house in #31 Dawn’s Wicked Stepsister. Their house burns down in #131 The Fire at Mary Anne’s House and they renovate the barn, moving back to the property in FF#11 Welcome Home, Mary Anne.

It seems that Mary Anne’s mother was already ill when Mary Anne was born, or shortly became ill shortly after. Mary Anne was formula-fed, which I would assume had something to do with her mother’s health (but in the formula-centric BSC land, who knows). She was only 25 when she died. Mary Anne was six months old.

Mary Anne's mother was named Abigail in the older versions of the Mary Anne Saves the Day, but the newer ones are updated to have her named Alma. She also went to high school in Maryland...but Mary Anne's grandparents live in Iowa and clearly have for some time. The new cover version also says she grew up in MD.

Mary Anne’s mom played for her college basketball team.

Mary Anne’s mom is mentioned in the present tense in both Logan’s Story and Stacey’s Choice. In both instances it could mean Sharon, but Mary Anne doesn’t call Sharon her mom so it really reads like Alma is back from the dead.

Mary Anne’s mom was an excellent baker. Her maiden name was Baker, coincidentally.

Mary Anne's dad tries so hard to raise her well. Too bad he goes overboard, but you can tell he really has her best interests in mind. One understandable example: Mary Anne's room hasn't changed since she was three. I bet that has a lot to do with her dad putting up the stuff her mom had gotten for Mary Anne and not wanting to take them down.

Richard still uses the same watch he did as a child.

According #68 Dawn’s Big Move, Richard can imitate Goofy. He also rings the doorbell to his own house to get in. Twice. Hasn't Sharon given him a key yet? He doesn't seem the type to lose his key. In fact, I bet he’d be like my dad and keep a spare to both the house and his car in his wallet.

Mary Anne’s father won’t let her talk on the phone on school nights, from how Kristy describes it.

Richard likes jazz.

Richard knows how to braid, which indicates to me how hard he worked to raise Mary Anne alone. My first real understanding that boys and girls are different came when I asked my dad to braid my hair and he didn't know how.

Mary Anne’s dad marries Dawn’s mom after going on about thirty dates (thirty since reuniting after high school). Mary Anne’s dad dated other people before reconnecting with Sharon.

The Schafer-Spier house didn't have an adequate number of smoke detectors until Richard insisted.

Mary Anne's paternal grandfather was a mailman.

Stacey

Books narrated: 32 (the most of any character!)

#3 The Truth about Stacey (no ghostwriter)
#8 Boy-Crazy Stacey (no ghostwriter)
#13 Goodbye, Stacey, Goodbye (no ghostwriter)
#18 Stacey’s Mistake (no ghostwriter) my favorite Stacey book
#28 Welcome Back, Stacey! (no ghostwriter)
#35 Stacey and the Mystery of Stoneybrook (gw: Ellen Miles)
#43 Stacey’s Emergency (no ghostwriter)
#51 Stacey’s Ex-Best Friend (no ghostwriter)
#58 Stacey’s Choice (no ghostwriter)
#65 Stacey’s Big Crush (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#70 Stacey and the Cheerleaders (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#76 Stacey’s Lie (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#83 Stacey vs. the BSC  (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#87 Stacey and the Bad Girls (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#94 Stacey McGill, Super Sitter (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#99 Stacey’s Broken Heart (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#105 Stacey the Math Whiz (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#111 Stacey’s Secret Friend (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#119 Stacey’s Ex-Boyfriend (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#124 Stacey McGill…Matchmaker? (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#130 Stacey’s Movie (gw: Suzanne Weyn)

M#1 Stacey and the Missing Ring (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#10 Stacey and the Mystery Money (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#14 Stacey and the Mystery at the Mall (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#18 Stacey and the Mystery of the Empty House (gw: Ellen Miles) my favorite Stacey mystery
M#22 Stacey and the Haunted Masquerade (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#29 Stacey and the Fashion Victim (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#33 Stacey and the Stolen Hearts (gw: Ellen Miles)

Stacey’s Book (gw: Jeanne Betancourt)

FF#2 Stacey vs. Claudia (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
FF# 6 Stacey and the Boyfriend Trap (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
FF#10 Stacey’s Problem (gw: Suzanne Weyn) my favorite Stacey FF

Portrayed by Jessica Prunell in the TV show and Bre Blair in the movie. The TV episodes "Stacey's Big Break" and "Stacey Takes a Stand" are centered around her, and she shares the spotlight with Kristy in the Christmas special.

Stacey’s Crushes-13 (second place)
Toby, Kelsey Bauman, Pete Black, RJ Blaser,  Robert Brewster, Ethan Carroll, Wesley Ellenburg, Ross Brown, Pierre D'Amboise, Scott Foley, Terry Hoyt AKA David Hawhtorne, Jeremy Rudolph, Sam Thomas

Stacey’s birthday is in April. The day isn’t given (I think it can be found in some extras), but the time is specified in her Portrait Collection book as 1:50am. One of my nephews was born at 1:50 pm! When Stacey turned four, she had a fancy birthday dinner during which the whole restaurant sang happy birthday to her. Pavarotti was in the crowd, too. UPDATED: Commenter Donica remembers a bookmark that states her birthday is April 3.

Stacey has blue eyes and blonde hair. Stacey has one hole pierced in each ear. She loves to wear black, as it looks sophisticated and sets off her blonde hair. She starts out getting her hair permed often. According to #18 Stacey’s Mistake and Super Special 2 Baby-sitters’ Summer Vacation, Stacey stops getting perms and gets body waves instead. As of mystery #33 Stacey and the Stolen Hearts, Stacey no longer does that either and gets it cut short, above her shoulders.

As a young child, Stacey had vivid nightmares.

Stacey has a savings account.

Stacey drinks coffee in Baby-sitters’ Christmas Chiller, but Stacey and the Boyfriend Trap, which was published later, says she and Ethan, who’s fifteen, are too young to drink coffee.

Stacey’s dad has promised her earrings from Tiffany’s when she graduates high school.

Stacey loves going to zoos. So do I! I bought myself a zoo membership for my birthday last year, and I take my daughters a couple times a month. She loves the Marx brothers and the smell of lilacs, two more things she and I have in common. Stacey’s favorite movie is Mary Poppins. Nope, my favorite is The Shawshank Redemption. Mary Poppins is okay, but nowhere near the top for me. Stacey adored Cinderella as a young child. My favorite Disney movie as a kid was Dumbo.

Stacey hates ironing and can’t stand vomit. I’m right there with you, Stacey.

It’s mentioned in Stacey’s Problem that she has a cell phone. Given that she commutes on the train to visit her dad, that makes sense.

In Snowbound! Stacey claims to have never fallen in love, which means that LUV doesn’t count.

Stacey has a great memory for numbers; she says they “imprint” on her brain, so she can memorize a phone number almost instantly and the number will stay with her for a long time.

Stacey has taken French since kindergarten. She continues taking French at SMS.

Due to her diabetes, Stacey can't eat the processed cheese that's on pizza, according to Mary Anne Saves the Day. Doesn't stop her from eating pizza other times.

Revealed in Baby-sitters’ Summer Vacation: Stacey tests her urine as well as her blood for signs of diabetes problems. And for some reason Mary Anne knows that Stacey tests her urine. Why would that come up in conversation?

Stacey often brings her own lunch to school according to Kristy for President. Makes sense with her dietary restrictions. The only BSC member who doesn’t think the fact that Stacey injects insulin (TO SURVIVE) is gross is Claudia.

It’s mentioned during the course of the original series that Stacey reads Agatha Christie and does needlepoint. She must have forgotten the last bit at some point, because in the first Friends Forever Super Special, she decides to learn needlepoint.

Stacey can imitate Porky Pig.

Stacey’s Family

Stacey is introduced as having just moved from New York City with her parents, Ed and Maureen. Her father is later transferred back. Her parents divorce soon after, and Stacey and her mother move back to Stoneybrook. Stacey’s father becomes engaged to a woman named Samantha toward the end of the series. Stacey’s mother doesn’t date anyone seriously, but does decide to open her own clothing boutique, and has her named changed back to her maiden name, Spencer.

Kristy’s Great Idea tells us that Stacey’s parents have been married 15 years. Stacey’s dad proposed during a carriage ride in Central Park. So Stacey’s mom got pregnant about a year into the marriage. Around the time of Stacey’s diabetes diagnosis in her sixth grade year, they learned they were unable to have any more children. When Stacey’s dad later gets engaged to Samantha, she says she wants to have children with him, possibly indicating that the secondary infertility was a medical issue of Stacey’s mom’s. The secondary infertility is part of why Stacey’s parents became so overprotective of Stacey with regards to her diabetes.

The divorce seems to have stemmed from a combination of Stacey’s dad being a workaholic and her mom spending too much money, possibly out of boredom. Stacey’s mom seems to be more bitter about the divorce, while Stacey’s dad moves on faster, already engaged to Samantha before Stacey’s mom has dated anyone seriously.

Stacey’s mom enjoys jogging.

In The Fire at Mary Anne’s House, Stacey's mom makes a stack of sandwiches for Mary Anne's family and the firefighters while the house burns. That's very thoughtful of her.

Stacey’s mom drives a rear-wheel drive car. She’s not a confident driver, especially in snow (rear-wheel drive cars are the worst for snow, by the way; they handle like a shopping cart).

Stacey’s mom likes Vivaldi, and this fact is referenced more than once.

Stacey’s parents go to a church service in Stacey’s Mistake but other than that aren’t shown to have any religious leanings.

Stacey’s dad has a fax machine in his apartment.

Stacey’s dad was born and raised in New York City. He didn’t get a driver’s license until he was 20. He attended college at Wesleyan.

Samantha (Stacey's soon-to-be stepmother) wants to have kids. Assuming the infertility issues that plagued Stacey's parents after she was born aren't an issue this time around, Stacey is excited at the prospect of having a sibling or siblings.

Stacey has an Aunt Carla and Uncle Eric who have a daughter named Cheryl, and an Aunt Beverly and Uncle Lou who have children named Jonathan and Kirsten. Stacey prefers the latter family. Both families live in New York City.

Claudia

Books narrated: 31

#2 Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls (no ghostwriter) my favorite Claudia book
#7 Claudia and Mean Janine (no ghostwriter)
#12 Claudia and the New Girl (no ghostwriter)
#19 Claudia and the Bad Joke (no ghostwriter)
#26 Claudia and the Sad Goodbye (no ghostwriter)
#33 Claudia and the Great Search (no ghostwriter)
#40 Claudia and the Middle School Mystery (ghostwriter: Ellen Miles)
#49 Claudia and the Genius of Elm Street (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#56 Keep Out, Claudia! (no ghostwriter)
#62 Claudia’s Freind Friend (gw: Nola Thacker)
#71 Claudia and the Perfect Boy (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#78 Claudia and Crazy Peaches (gw: Jahnna Beecham/Malcolm Hillgartner)
#85 Claudia Kishi, Live from WSTO! (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#91 Claudia and the First Thanksgiving (gw: Nola Thacker)
#97 Claudia and the World’s Cutest Baby (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#101 Claudia Kishi, Middle School Dropout (gw: Ellen Miles)
#106 Claudia, Queen of the Seventh Grade (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#113 Claudia Makes up Her Mind (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#117 Claudia and the Terrible Truth (gw: Ellen Miles)
#123 Claudia’s Big Party (gw: Vicki Berger Erwin)
#128 Claudia and the Little Liar (gw: Suzanne Weyn)

M#6 The Mystery at Claudia’s House (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#11 Claudia and the Mystery at the Museum (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#16 Claudia and the Clue in the Photograph (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#21 Claudia and the Recipe for Danger (gw: Ellen Miles) my favorite Claudia mystery
M#27 Claudia and the Lighthouse Ghost (gw: Peter Lerangis)
M#32 Claudia and the Mystery in the Painting (gw: Vicki Berger Erwin)

Claudia’s Book (gw: Nola Thacker)

FF#4 Claudia’s Friendship Feud (gw: Laura Dower)
FF#7 Claudia Gets Her Guy (gw: Ellen Miles)
FF#12 Claudia and the Disaster Date (gw: Nola Thacker) my favorite Claudia FF

Portrayed by Jeni F. Winslow in the TV show and Tricia Joe in the movie. The TV episodes "Claudia and the Missing Jewels" and "Claudia and the Secret Passage" are centered around her.

Claudia’s Crushes-14 (first place)
Guy, Terry, Austin Bentley, Timothy Carmody, Arthur Feingold, Alan Gray, Frankie Harris, Mark Jaffe, Woody Jefferson, Josh Rocker, Jeremy Rudolph, Trevor Sandbourne, Georgio Trono, Will Yamakawa

Claudia started hiding candy in her room as early as second grade. She drinks coffee, and her favorite potato chip flavor is sour cream and onion. She also has a particular fondness for tacos. She doesn't like the “butter” that movie theaters have for popcorn.

Claudia babysits to fund her wild clothes, which her parents won’t pay for. They must save a lot of money, because very few items of her clothing aren't wild. The Summer Before indicates that Claudia’s wild clothing obsession started around the time she was old enough to baby-sit, possibly only because she could finally buy what she wanted. Claudia shops a lot at thrift stores and flea markets, which explains how she can stretch her meager earnings into so many outfits. Claudia wears about the same size clothing as Dawn. She wears a size seven shoe. Janine wears the same shoe size per The Mystery at Claudia’s House.

Claudia’s school troubles started early: she still couldn't read in the first grade. Claudia’s family checks her homework following a letter the school set about her falling grades as established in Kristy’s Great Idea. Janine finds the homework so boring she will sometimes give Claudia the answers. Despite her struggles in school, Claudia’s IQ is above average.

Claudia is often very insecure. A particularly sad example is from Claudia and the Genius of Elm Street, in which we learn that she fears the rest of the BSC mocks her spelling behind her back. She also has a habit of blaming herself for other people’s medical problems if she and the other person had a recent fight (see: Mimi’s stroke, Peaches’s miscarriage).

Hilarious quote from Mary Anne + 2 Many Babies: "[Claudia]'s very exotic-looking. No brown hair and brown eyes for her. She's Japanese-American." Because, as we all know, people of Japanese-only descent have magenta eyes, and none are brunettes.

Claudia hates spiders.

Claudia learned to knit from Mary Anne, who learned from Mimi.

After breaking her leg in Claudia and the Bad Joke, Claudia can tell when bad weather is coming due to her leg aching.

Claudia likes to sleep in late.

During summer vacations, Claudia has taken sailing lessons (not just in Baby-sitters' Island Adventure).

In Claudia and the Middle School Mystery, Claudia thinks measuring baking ingredients is a waste of time. No wonder her baking experiments in Claudia and the Recipe for Disaster are awful.

Claudia is pretty sure she has type O blood. No mention of Rh factor. I'm O+. A good way to find out your blood type is to donate blood.

Claudia likes Bach. Claudia likes the art of Salvador Dali. He’s one of my favorites, too.

Claudia makes her own greeting cards.

Claudia has different lucky colors on different days.

While working on her personals column for the SMS newspaper, Claudia sees an ad from a boy who looks to be a good match for her. It turns out to be Alan Gray, and Claudia quickly changes her mind. But they do get together in the Friends Forever series and make a decent couple.

Claudia takes tissues with her to baby-sitting jobs, in case the kids she’s watching start crying.

Claudia gets sick to her stomach if she tries to read or write in a moving vehicle.

Claudia has a computer in room by the end of the series.

Only Claudia and Mallory stay in the same house for the duration of the series.

Claudia’s Family

Claudia lives with her parents, John and Rioko (maiden name Yamamoto), and older sister, Janine. Her maternal grandmother, Mimi, lives with them until she passes away in Claudia and the Sad Goodbye.

The Kishis give out raisins and dried fruit for Halloween. Consequently, they don’t get many trick-or-treaters.

In Boy-Crazy Stacey Claudia’s family takes a summer trip to a mountain resort in New Hampshire. In Everything Changes, they forget about this and take their first family summer vacation trip, also in New England (Maine).

Claudia's father is a partner at an investment firm and her mother is head librarian. Their favorite restaurant is Chez Maurice. Kristy’s Great Idea tells us that Claudia’s parents have been married for 20 years. So Claudia’s mom became pregnant after about four years (with Janine). When my husband and I celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary, we will have at least two daughters, who will be almost Janine’s and Claudia’s ages—the older will turn 16 three months later, and the younger will have turned 13 three months earlier.

Claudia’s dad’s birthday seems to be around March. He buys her lottery tickets from time to time.

Mrs. Kishi’s bank PIN is Claudia’s birthday. Oddly, the ATM she uses stocks bills other than twenties, because she usually gets $50.

Mrs. Kishi’s favorite color is blue. Mimi’s was purple.

Mimi was still in Japan during World War II, but was probably pretty young, teenager or in her twenties. Mimi came to the US when she was 32. Claudia’s maternal grandfather died before she was born, but after Janine was born. Mimi's last name was Yamamoto, according to a postcard Claudia addressed to her in a Super Special. Her first name started with an L, which, from what I understand, wouldn't really happen with a Japanese name. If I recall, L is an uncommon letter.

Initially, only Mimi knew that Claudia hide Nancy Drew books, according to Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls.

Janine takes classes at the local university and has an IQ of 196. According to the Guinness Book of World Records the highest IQ belongs to Marilyn vos Savant, who was awarded the title in 1985 for her 190 IQ. Guinness discontinued the category in 1990.

Claudia’s pretty sure that Janine talks in larger-than-necessary words to screw with people.

Janine hides candy in her room like Claudia does. She makes a point of cleaning her room every Saturday morning, so she probably has a better idea of her current candy inventory than Claudia does.

Janine used to walk Claudia, Kristy, and Mary Anne to school.

Aunt Peaches and Uncle Russ are supposed to live fairly close to Claudia’s family even before they move (the move is prompted by the impending arrival of a baby; that pregnancy ends in miscarriage but they do have a little girl later, for whom Claudia is the godmother), but they don’t visit when Mimi is in a coma following her stroke. They also aren't mentioned as visiting her when she’s dying. But they make a trip to visit when Janine wins an academic award…

Mr. and Mrs. Goldman live next door to the Kishis.

Kristy

Books narrated: 31

#1 Kristy’s Great Idea (no ghostwriter)
#6 Kristy’s Big Day (no ghostwriter)
#11 Kristy and the Snobs (no ghostwriter)
#20 Kristy and the Walking Disaster (no ghostwriter)
#24 Kristy and the Mother’s Day Surprise (no ghostwriter)
#32 Kristy and the Secret of Susan (no ghostwriter)
#38 Kristy’s Mystery Admirer (no ghostwriter) my favorite Kristy book
#45 Kristy and the Baby Parade (ghostwriter: Ellen Miles)
#53 Kristy for President (gw: Nola Thacker)
#62 Kristy and the Worst Kid Ever (gw: Nola Thacker)
#74 Kristy and the Copycat (gw: Nola Thacker)
#81 Kristy and Mr. Mom (gw: Jahnna Beecham/Malcolm Hillgartner)
#89 Kristy and the Dirty Diapers (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#95 Kristy + Bart = ? (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#100 Kristy’s Worst Idea (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#107 Mind Your Own Business, Kristy! (gw: Peter Lerangis)
#112 Kristy and the Sister War (gw: Ellen Miles)
#118 Kristy Thomas, Dog Trainer (gw: Nola Thacker)
#122 Kristy in Charge (gw: Suzanne Weyn)
#129 Kristy at Bat (gw: Ellen Miles)

M#4 Kristy and the Missing Child (gw: Ellen Miles) my favorite Kristy mystery
M#9 Kristy and the Haunted Mansion (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#15 Kristy and the Vampires (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#19 Kristy and the Missing Fortune (gw: Ellen Miles)
M#25 Kristy and the Middle School Vandal (gw: Nola Thacker)
M#30 Kristy and the Mystery Train (gw: Nola Thacker)
M#36 Kristy and the Cat Burglar (gw: Ellen Miles)

Kristy’s Book (gw: Jeanne Betancourt)

FF#1 Kristy’s Big News (gw: Nola Thacker) my favorite Kristy FF
FF#5 Kristy Power! (gw: Ellen Miles)
FF#9 Kristy and the Kidnapper (gw: Ellen Miles)

Portrayed by Avriel Hillman in the TV show and Schuler Fisk in the movie. The TV episode "Kristy and the Great Campaign" is centered around her, and the Christmas special is mostly about her and Stacey. She just about overshadows Claudia in "Claudia and the Missing Jewels."

Kristy’s Crushes-2 (tied for sixth with Mary Anne)
Michel DuMoulin, Bart Taylor

Kristy’s the only person in her grade who can turn her eyelids inside out. She is also the shortest person in her grade. Kristy admits that her bossiness is a way to make sure she’s not ignored, something she thinks will happen because she’s so short. No one else in her immediate family is short.

Kristy’s good at spelling. She’s also good at sports.

Kristy and Mary Anne have a similar face shape. They both also have brown hair and brown eyes. According to #38 Kristy’s Mystery Admirer, Kristy is the only BSC member to not wear a bra. Presumably that’s not including associate members unless Logan has really massive pecs or something.

Kristy is left-handed. In a picture in her Portrait Collection book, she’s clearly wearing a glove like a right-handed person, but on the cover of Kristy at Bat she’s in a left-handed batting stance.

Kristy broke her ankle the summer before sixth grade. I broke mine in sixth grade.

Kristy loves to stay up late, and also enjoys sleeping in. She also likes anchovies, and hording her money. Kristy doesn’t like spiders, cabbage, or people chewing with their mouths open. She is afraid of lightning.

According to Mary Anne Saves the Day, Kristy has been to Florida, and it was one of the six times Mary Anne had not walked to school with her. Another was when her dad left and the other four she was sick. Even assuming a few days for Mary Anne being gone, that's a great attendance record. That trip to Florida was probably the time Charlie had a birthday there, mentioned in The Summer Before. In Baby-sitters on Board! Kristy claims to have never flown on a plane (okay, her family could have driven to Florida) but also to have never left Connecticut, and in Kristy and the Missing Child says that at the age of eight she’d never been further from home than Stamford, although Charlie's birthday party would have been before that.

The softball team the Kristy organizes is actually a baseball team that uses a softball, which is larger than a baseball. Softball has ten positions (left AND right centerfield instead of just centerfield) while Kristy’s Krushers have nine positions.

Kristy has a TV in her room.

Kristy’s family

When the series starts, Kristy lives with her mother who is called Edie at first but Elizabeth later on, older brothers Charlie and Sam, younger brother David Michael, and dog Louie. Kristy’s mom marries Watson Brewer in #6 Kristy’s Big Day, gaining Kristy a stepfather and two younger step-siblings, Karen and Andrew (Watson is not the custodial parent), plus a grumpy cat named Boo Boo. Louie dies in #11 Kristy and the Snobs, and the family gets a puppy named Shannon. In #25 Kristy and the Mother’s Day Surprise, Kristy’s mom and stepdad adopt a toddler from Vietnam, Emily Michelle (totally out-of-the-blue…somehow…). Kristy’s maternal grandmother, Nannie, moves in with the family to help with the new addition. #125 Mary Anne in Middle reveals that Boo Boo is no more, and a kitten named Pumpkin has been added to the household.

Kristy and her family moved next door to Mary Anne when Kristy was an infant, shortly after Mary Anne was born.

Kristy’s mom only gets pizza when she has to ask the kids a favor. As a single mom, she tries to spend a little time with each of the four kids every night, due to her feeling guilty about having to work full time to support them after her dad “ran off to California and got married again and doesn’t send much child support money.” She's been dating Watson for four months by the time of Kristy’s Great Idea. The Summer Before states that Elizabeth starting dating Watson in May, which is indeed four months before September.

Kristy’s biological father, Patrick, left before Kristy learned to ride a bike. There’s something so very sad about that.

Patrick was married briefly after leaving his family. He gets married for a third time to a very nice woman named Zoey in Kristy’s Big News, and invites Kristy, Sam, and Charlie to come but not David Michael. It’s never really explained why. By this point in his life, he’s no longer a sports writer but head chef at a fancy restaurant Zoey owns. Zoey hopes to have children with him some day, prompting Kristy to ask her if she really knows Patrick’s history. Zoey does, but trusts that Patrick regrets what he missed by abandoning his family and has matured now. Kristy’s father has a brother named Ray, who has even less contact with Kristy and her siblings than Patrick does. 

Patrick played for a minor league baseball team.

Kristy describes Watson as telling the world’s worst jokes, but says she still loves him.

In #38 Dawn and the Older Boy, David Michael has a cigar box to hold some small toys in. Later in #107 Mind Your Own Business, Kristy! Watson is revealed to smoke an occasional cigar.

Watson is a huge baseball fan as early as Kristy and the Walking Disaster.

Watson leaves his kids with a babysitter on his weekend with them on several occasions. He’s also established as going to his office (he’s upper management at Unity Insurance) on weekends. But following his heart attack in Kristy and Mr. Mom, he cuts back on work.

According to #6 Kristy’s Big Day, Watson had Boo-Boo before he met his ex. Boo-Boo is 17, Karen is five, Andrew is three, the mom’s already engaged and Watson’s about to be, but the divorce is recent enough that she’s still on Watson’s insurance…Wonder how long the marriage lasted?

Like Kristy, Charlie is very punctual. It’s implied that this is out fear he will turn out like his father. 

Charlie plays Varsity football and Sam’s in Math Club. Later Sam also joins the track and field team.

Before they move to Watson’s house, Sam and Charlie share a room.

Sam has a job delivering groceries, despite being too young to have a driver’s license.

Apparently a record exists for the most strands of spaghetti sucked into a mouth consecutively. It's 27, set by Sam Thomas.

Sam like anchovies, like Kristy.

David Michael and Sam have dark curly hair; Sam has sparkling blue eyes.

David Michael was born two weeks early.

David Michael is a very thoughtful, sweet kid. He helps out Andrew a lot when Andrew is feeling left out, and when Mary Anne’s house burns down, he tries to console by giving her the rest of his bubble bath solution and helping Emily Michelle draw a picture and learn a song to sing for Mary Anne. It’s hinted that David Michael and Andrew sometimes gang up on Karen.

At first, Karen and Andrew spend only every other weekend with their father. By #75 Jessi’s Horrible Prank, they’ve switched to every other month. That plot is covered in a Little Sister book, as is Boo Boo's death and Pumpkin's acquisition, and a plot with their stepdad getting a six month carpentry contract in Chicago during which Karen spends time in CT but Andrew remains in IL. Karen and Andrew's mom is Sheila and their stepdad is Kendall in the older version I have of the book. In the new cover version it's changed to Lisa and Seth.

Emily Michelle has trouble learning to speak, presumably due to living in an orphanage in a non-English speaking country for most of her life. However, the examples of her difficulties speaking aren't convincing to me, as I have a toddler who is very stubborn and doesn't talk much, and the pediatrician says she's fine.

Boo-Boo catches and eats mice, but not all of the fur and tail.

Nannie is an accomplished knitter. According to Kristy’s Big Day Nannie is in her seventies. We know that Elizabeth is mid 30s...Nannie was 35 or so when she had Elizabeth? Kristy's aunts Theo and Colleen are younger. My paternal grandmother was 30 when she had her first baby; Grandpa was 24. They’d been married for a year or two.

Nannie's last name is Taylor, meaning that Kristy's mom was Elizabeth Taylor.

In #1 Kristy’s Great Idea, Kristy mentions “Grandma.” Not Nannie…would that be her dad’s mom, then? But in #6 Kristy’s Big News, she says both her paternal grandparents are deceased. Both of Kristy’s grandfathers are deceased.

Kristy’s cousin Robin has diabetes. She’s not among the wedding attendees when Kristy’s mom remarries. Maybe she’s on her dad’s side. Robin lives in western Connecticut.

Kristy has a godmother, who sends her a birthday present in The Summer Before. No mention of a godfather, though (and I don't recall Claudia's baby cousin/goddaughter Lynn having a godfather).