«Club Babysitters» by Ann M. Martin: How Four Girls from the Suburbs Changed Children's LiteratureIn a world where characters of children's books were often either princesses, or orphans, or detectives, Kristi, Mary Ann, Claudia, and Stacey appeared. They were not looking for treasures and did not save kingdoms. They just wanted to earn pocket money, taking care of their neighbors' children. But it was this simplicity, this proximity to real life that made \"Club Babysitters\" one of the most successful book series in history. For fourteen years, from 1986 to 2000, 213 books were published, sold in a print run of over 190 million copies worldwide. The series was translated into dozens of languages, adapted for screen, turned into graphic novels, and even into musicals. But most importantly, it became a cultural phenomenon that defined the reading experience of an entire generation of girls (and not only) around the world.Birth of an Idea: From Coincidence to HitThe history of \"Club Babysitters\" began in the mid-1980s at Scholastic publishing house. Editor Gene Feavel noticed that books on the topic of babysitting were experiencing an unexpected demand. She contacted Ann M. Martin, who was then working as an editor of children's literature, and suggested creating a series about a group of girls-nannies. Initially, the project was envisioned as a modest series of four books. No one expected that this idea would become a long-running bestseller. Martin, who had already published her first novel \"Bummer Summer\" by that time, took on the job with enthusiasm. She created the fictional city of Stonybrook in Connecticut, thought up four main characters and their club. The first books were published in 1986. They did not become instant hits, but gradually, step by step, won the hearts of readers [reference:6]. By the eleventh book, the print run reached 100,000 copies, and then the publisher ordered another hundred. Thus, the rise of \"Club Babysitters\" to the status of ... Read more