If you're a fan of The Baby-Sitters Club, here's some more good news to add to the recent Netflix and Audible announcements: The Baby-Sitters Little Sister series is getting a graphic novel adaptation from Katy Farina. The first book, Karen's Witch, doesn't come out until December, but you can pre-order it today from your favorite bookseller. Here's what we know about the Baby-Sitters Little Sister graphic novels so far.
Ann M. Martin's first Baby-Sitters Club (BSC) books appeared on store shelves in 1986, but her spin-off books for younger readers, the Baby-Sitters Little Sister series, did not show up until 1988. Centering on BSC President Kristy Thomas's seven-year-old stepsister, Karen Brewer, the Baby-Sitters Little Sister series tackled issues of divorce, remarriage, blended families, and being a second-grader in the 1990s. All told, there were nearly 130 Baby-Sitters Little Sister books published before Martin's series ended in 2000.
Now, the Baby-Sitters Little Sister graphic novels will bring Karen Brewer's adventures to a whole new audience. They will be adapted by Katy Farina, who has previously worked on the comics series The Amazing World of Gumball, Invader Zim, and Steven Universe.
According to Publishers Weekly, Farina has signed on for a four-book deal, and only four Baby-Sitters Little Sister graphic novels have been announced at the time of this writing. The first book in the original Baby-Sitters Little Sister series, Karen's Witch, will get a graphic novel reboot in Dec. 2019, with other, as-yet-untitled works set to follow in July 2020, Jan. 2021, and July 2021. Cassandra Pelham Fulton, the executive editor of BSC graphic novel publisher Scholastic Graphix, told Publishers Weekly that the release schedule meant "We’ll have something for the BSC/BSLS reader every season."
The Baby-Sitters Little Sister series isn't the only BSC revival going on right now. Netflix has already announced that GLOW writer and co-producer Rachel Shukert will bring a 10-episode Baby-Sitters Club show to the streaming platform, although there's no word yet on when the television adaptation will premiere. Additionally, Audible is bringing 131 BSC audiobooks to listeners in August, with Elle Fanning set to narrate the first five releases.
As someone who grew up with the Baby-Sitters Little Sister series — and who liked them more than the BSC main series, blasphemous as that may be — I am so excited for the opportunity to share Karen Brewer's adventures with my nieces and nephews. Whether you're looking forward to re-reading Karen's Witch and the other Baby-Sitters Little Sister adventures in graphic novel format, or you're just happy to see BSC back on the map for an all-new audience of teen readers, consider this your chance to celebrate that good old '90s nostalgia.
The Karen's Witch graphic novel lands in a store near you on Dec. 26, and is available for pre-order today from your favorite bookseller.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated the illustrator of the Little Sisters graphic novels. The series will be adapted by Katy Farina.
