THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE BOSSY

In this follow-up to Best Babysitters Ever (2019), Malia, Bree, and Dot need money to go see their favorite pop star in concert. Problem is, these middle schoolers don’t have time to increase their babysitting service hours to earn it.

Malia is forced into an internship with her evil older sister and an even more demanding boss. Bree has just adopted a ferocious cat that she has to watch at all times to prevent it from destroying the entire house. Dot has to get ready for the big science fair. To solve their concert fundraising problem, Malia comes up with the idea to subcontract to “satellite” sitters who can babysit in their place while paying them a percentage. After training their new recruits, the girls soon realize it’s more complicated than they imagined. With third-person perspective shifting chapter by chapter, the girls struggle with their responsibilities while slowly regretting their decision as they discover that the satellite sitters threaten to replace their bosses in the hearts of their charges. With lessons smoothly woven into the storytelling—Bree’s cat’s psychotherapist has advice that applies amazingly well to humans, for instance—the narrative neatly balances humor and wisdom. The book’s cover shows Malia to be black, Dot to be white, and Bree to have light brown skin and long, dark hair.

This smart, humorous tale should inspire girls to dream big, experiment, and problem-solve through challenges.