The Good, the Bad, and the Bossy

June 1, 2019

Gr 5-7-In the second book in the series, Malia, Dot, and Bree, also known as the Best Babysitters Ever, feel as if they have cornered the babysitting market. They have plenty of clients and are on their way to earning money. However, their lives start to get busy: Malia's older, seemingly more successful sister convinces their mother to force Malia into a thankless internship with a terrible boss. Dot will stop at nothing to win the science fair, and Bree's new cat turns out to be a raging terror. Malia is frustrated by the group's lack of commitment, which leads her to an idea: they can hire new babysitters and keep a cut of the new sitters' wages. They think this is a foolproof plan, but it soon falls flat. This light, amusing installment features relatable characters who are imperfect yet well meaning, with present, supportive parents. However, it is difficult to believe that anyone would pay "stacks of twenties" for tween babysitters, or hire all three of them at the same time to watch just a few children. VERDICT A solid purchase for readers looking for alternatives to Rachel Renée Russell's "Dork Diaries" or Jennifer and Matthew Holms's "Baby Mouse" series.-Amy Caldera, Dripping Springs Middle School, TX

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 15, 2019
In this follow-up to Best Babysitters Ever (2019), Malia, Bree, and Dot need money to go see their favorite pop star in concert. Problem is, these middle schoolers don't have time to increase their babysitting service hours to earn it. Malia is forced into an internship with her evil older sister and an even more demanding boss. Bree has just adopted a ferocious cat that she has to watch at all times to prevent it from destroying the entire house. Dot has to get ready for the big science fair. To solve their concert fundraising problem, Malia comes up with the idea to subcontract to "satellite" sitters who can babysit in their place while paying them a percentage. After training their new recruits, the girls soon realize it's more complicated than they imagined. With third-person perspective shifting chapter by chapter, the girls struggle with their responsibilities while slowly regretting their decision as they discover that the satellite sitters threaten to replace their bosses in the hearts of their charges. With lessons smoothly woven into the storytelling--Bree's cat's psychotherapist has advice that applies amazingly well to humans, for instance--the narrative neatly balances humor and wisdom. The book's cover shows Malia to be black, Dot to be white, and Bree to have light brown skin and long, dark hair. This smart, humorous tale should inspire girls to dream big, experiment, and problem-solve through challenges. (Fiction. 10-12)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.