Claudia and Mean Janine (BSC Graphix #4)

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.