Review: Kristy and the Walking Disaster (BSC Graphix 16) by Ellen T Crenshaw and Ann M Martin

Kristy and the Walking Disaster is now my favourite of all of the Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel adaptions. The original captured an important part of the series--Kristy has now settled into her new life and stepfamily. And now she is up for a new challenge. When she discovers that her younger brother David Michael desperately wants to play on a baseball team but isn't quite good enough to make it, she gathers around some neighbourhood kids and some of their baby-sitting charges and they form their own neighbourhood team--Kristy's Krushers. The kids aren't exactly stars, especially Jamie Radowski (the series beloved clumsy kid,) but what they lack in talent they make up in determination and team spirit. But what happens when the other neighbourhood softball team challenges them to a game. The kids from Bart's Bashers are slightly older, tougher and mean. And to make matters worse, Kristy finds herself with a crush on their coach.

This was such a fun read. The idea of a neighbourhood baseball team might be slightly unrealistic (especially in this day and age,) but the story more than makes up for it with its fun take on teamwork and what it means to be the underdog. Spoiler, the kids don't have a miraculous win, but there is some great messages about team spirit and not giving up. The friendship between Kristy and Bart is quite interesting--of all of the BSC characters she seems the one least likely to develop a crush at age thirteen, but it is all handled realistically. I also enjoyed Ellen T Crenshaw's illustrations and I love that each artist is allowed some freedom and a chance for their work to shine, instead of the books having a rigid uniform look. 

Perfect for BSC fans new and old. Highly recommended.

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