Part of The Baby-Sitters Club, book 12
First published 1996
Claudia Kishi has always stood out in her eighth grade class with her wild outfits and artistic flair. Then Ashley Wyeth transfers to Stoneybrook Middle School. Ashley wears vintage hippie dresses, sports six earrings in one ear, and creates art that takes Claudia's breath away. When Ashley tells Claudia she has real artistic talent, Claudia feels truly understood for the first time. Ashley encourages Claudia to focus on her art instead of wasting time with the Baby-sitters Club. She dismisses babysitting as meaningless compared to Claudia's creative calling. The other members of the Baby-sitters Club grow frustrated as Claudia skips meetings to spend time with Ashley. They think Ashley is manipulating Claudia and turning her against her oldest friends. Claudia finds herself torn between two worlds. Ashley offers artistic validation and sophisticated friendship. The Baby-sitters Club represents loyalty and shared history. As tensions rise, Claudia must decide what matters most to her.
Genres: art, friendship, contemporary, adolescence, young-adult
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, outsider
Setting: Stoneybrook Middle School
Period: 20th-century
142 pages · Paperback · Scholastic Inc.