The popular children's series “The Baby-sitters Club” launched 40 years ago in 1986 when editor Jean Feiwel approached author Ann M. Martin to write four books. Since then, the series has grown to include hundreds of titles, multiple on-screen adaptations, and generations of young readers impacted.
This episode, we time travel to the Scholastic Book Fairs of our childhoods to learn about the origins of “The Baby-sitters Club” — and other iconic paperback series — and discover how they shape generations of readers and the publishing industry.
GUESTS:
- Jean Feiwel is the co-creator and the original editor of “The Baby-sitters Club” series. Now she is Senior Vice President and Publisher at Macmillan
- Seth Lerer is author of “Children’s Literature: A Reader’s History, from Aesop to Harry Potter”
- Margaret Mackey is Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta who studies youth literacies
"Generation: The Media We Love & How It Shapes Us" is a podcast series from Connecticut Public. Each season tells the origin story of a beloved cultural touchstone, asks what keeps it alive across generations, and explores how it helps us become who we are.
"Generation: Baby-Sitters Club" is hosted by Daniela Doncel. This series was reported, written, and produced by Lily Tyson and Daniela Doncel. It was edited and produced by Cassandra Basler. Sound design and mixing by Jay Cowit. Megan Fitzgerald is our project manager. Ayannah Brown and Mark Mirko are our visuals producers. Sam Hockaday created our show art. Marketing support provided by The Podglomerate.
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