Part of The Baby-Sitters Club, book 49
First published 1991
Claudia Kishi faces her toughest babysitting assignment yet when she gets stuck watching Rosie Wilder. The eight-year-old can do everything perfectly. She sings like a professional, dances beautifully, and plays multiple instruments with ease. Her IQ scores break the charts. But Rosie's talents come with a terrible personality. She acts so obnoxious that nobody wants to spend time with her, including Claudia's own genius sister Janine. The other members of the Baby-sitters Club think Rosie needs someone to knock her down a peg. They want to teach the bratty kid some humility. Claudia starts to see things differently though. Behind all of Rosie's showing off and rude behavior, she spots something else. The girl doesn't need a lesson in manners. She needs what every kid needs but rarely admits wanting. Rosie needs a real friend who can see past her impossible perfectionism to the lonely child underneath.
Genres: fiction, family-life, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unlikely-friendship
Setting: Elm Street
157 pages · Paperback · Apple