Concerning & Potentially Concerning Content

The first thing we want to say is that we would be cautious long-term with anything related to this series. There was a show recently created for this title for Netflix and it is a huge Avoid for Christians of all ages. Someone who has approving rights for Babysitters Club approved that show and are now bringing a graphic novel to life. We will provide an in-depth look at the concerning content here, but this is not one we would assume doesn’t get worse, potentially much worse, as it goes along. Please keep that in mind when making a decision on this series. — One of the main characters is sneaky and dishonest concerning her parents. This is never shown in a negative light. If anything, it is slightly celebrated. She is seen wearing a lot of makeup and mentions hoping to be allowed to wear it to school. Next time we see her she has none. She says she wasn’t allowed. When her friend replies that at least she got to wear skull earrings, she smiles and tells her that she snuck them and put them on after she got to school, deceiving her parents. Her friend replies, “sneaky” and this is shown in picture with the girls smiling, celebrating the deception. Later we are shown that she has all types of snacks and treats hidden throughout her room from her parents. — That last item is certainly the worst of the book, but it should be mentioned that the presentation of content that targets somewhat older girls in a graphic novel format is a bit strange. These pictures have nearly the exact same look and feel as, say, “The Magic Treehouse Graphic Novel”, but the content if full of somewhat older topics such as dealing with dating and remarriage after a divorce, boy craziness (“he’s so hot!”), a girl with a mom who has passed away, potential food disorders (one girl won’t eat when the others do), friends “growing up” faster than others, etc. This discrepancy between the audience that the illustrations indicate the book is for and that of the content is a topic to really keep an eye on as these graphic novels continue to grow in popularity (see our review of “Hey Kiddo” for an extreme example of this). — There are a few more items to be aware of. There is an older lady that lives next door to one of the babysitting clients. The young kids are convinced she is a witch and they say so repeatedly (book implies she is not). One girl tells her friend that her clothes make her look like a little kid. The girls intentionally go out of their way to avoid one of the sisters.