I was SO EXCITED to see Ann M. Martin plans to write more Baby Sitters Club books appealing to younger readers in the NY Times .  Dibbly fresh, as Claudia Kishi would say.

I read a lot as a child, and spent most of my time between the ages of 8 – 10 in Stoneybrook, CT with Kristy, Claudia, Stacey, Dawn, and Mary Anne developing unrealistically high expectations of  my life at thirteen years old and babysitting.

My friends and I traded books, and would read them religiously. As I got older, I realized the silliness of the books.  They were outdated (constant references to perms, leggings, over-sized shirts), lacked subtlety (half the character’s parents were divorced, the ethnicity of every “diverse” character was explained),  and were unrealistic (13-year olds regularly baby sat 10-year olds, always met boyfriends on vacations, had practically no adult supervision ever).

But I still love them, the way I love kitchy, dramatic reality shows.

I shall blog more about some of my favs: Sweet Valley High, Nancy Drew and so on. Oh I’m so happy that even students today are reading the old Baby Sitters Club books. I was in a classroom and I saw one student with the older books and another student with the graphic novels. Hey I say – at least they’re getting the jist of it. I’m game!

Children’s literature has changed a vast amount since I’ve grown up in a positive and negative way. Not all girls and boys want to read about magic. Not all boys and girls want to read about typical lives etc.etc.

Sorry this post is majorly late. I’ve been busy-sick-and sick of being not busy enough.

I was lucky to first discover The Catcher in the Rye at the pivotal adolescent stage (usually occurring between ages 13 – 15) of hating everything/everyone and being narcissistic enough to think I was unique in my view.  Until I discovered Holden Caulfield, and immediately christened him my kindred spirit.  I carried the book around like a talisman and devoured Salinger’s three other published works.  I searched for more information about the author and was disappointed to learn of his extreme privacy and refusal to publish past the 1960s.

Now ninety years old, Salinger is still fighting interpretations of Catcher from being published.  I personally would love to read other author’s interpretations of Holden Caulfield, but out of respect to an author who impacted my teen years tremendously, Salinger’s artistic creation should be left alone.

I wonder if he wants former teenage fans to still be a little enthralled with Holden? Or does he want us to just leave him alone?

However may he Rest In Peace J.D. Salinger – January 28, 2010