Claudia and the Bad Joke

by Ann M. Martin

Part of The Baby-Sitters Club, book 19

First published 1996

Claudia thinks babysitting Betsy Sobak will be routine work. Sure, the girl loves practical jokes, but what real trouble can one child cause? The answer comes fast and painful when Betsy's mean spirited prank sends Claudia to the hospital with a broken leg. Suddenly Claudia questions everything about her work with the Baby-sitters Club. Maybe watching kids really is too risky. Maybe she should walk away from babysitting forever. But Kristy has different plans. She believes Betsy needs to learn what happens when jokes go too far. The Baby-sitters Club decides to teach the troublemaker a lesson she won't forget. What follows is an escalating prank war between the sitters and their former charge. Claudia must decide if revenge will solve her problems or if there's a better way to handle bullies who hide behind humor.

Genres: fiction, mystery, contemporary

Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, revenge

141 pages · Paperback · Apple

Content warnings: physical-abuse

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