Claudia and Mean Janine

Reviewed by: Patti Francis - Pownal Elementary School, Pownal, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: August 9, 2016

Review

Claudia and Mean Janine is the fourth book in The Baby-Sitters Club (Graphic Novels) based on the series The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin. As with the other books in the series, Claudia and Mean Janine focuses on one of the members of the baby-sitters club. Claudia, the club’s artistic and dreamy vice president, is tired of being compared with her brainy older sister, Janine. Why can’t her parents appreciate her for who she is, and why can’t Janine stop making her feel so dumb. To make tensions worse, Claudia’s grandmother, Mimi, the rock that everyone in the family relies upon, has a stroke. Now Claudia and her sister must put their fighting aside and each use their own talents to help Mimi to get better. Interspersed with Claudia’s story are the meetings and events of the baby-sitters club. It is summer vacation, so the club decides to hold a playgroup for the neighborhood children. This makes for a silly, wet and wacky summer for the baby-sitters club.

Alternating between half and full page spreads as well as the use of traditional panels, Telgemeier’s brightly colored and deceptively simple drawings capture the characters moods and feeling perfectly. Telgemeier concludes the book with a chapter about how she adapted Ann M. Martin’s series to create graphic novels. Fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Smile and Sisters will love this series. Recommended for 4th - 6th graders.

Overall Book Score: very good