Lately, I’ve been making bi-weekly trips down to my local used book store The Bookman, and shopping their selection of horror books from the 90’s. You know, from the reign of R.L. Stine. Last week I went, and picked up these babies.
I haven’t read these ones yet, but I can’t wait to. I’ll make sure I keep you guys up on which one of these I’m reading. But for now, I’ve been busy reading what I bought on my last haul, which was The Babysitter series from R.L. Stine. The Babysitter series from R.L. Stine is about a girl named Jenny who is tormented by a mysterious stranger while she is at her regular babysitter job. It starts with threatening phone calls and escalates from there. Even after the ordeal, it’s not over and continues on for four books.(4th book not shown.)
Now this series is set in the 90’s so there are a few cheesy things that readers today might giggle at, like lot of leggings with over-sized sweaters and some outdated words and phrases. But that aside, The Babysitter series is really a fantastic series to read.
Being a former babysitter myself, I remember sitting up alone, waiting for the parents to come home. Sometimes there would be strange noises or sounds. I remember flicking on the backyard lights after thinking I saw something out back, praying that there was nothing there when the lights came on. And one night, I did get a series of prank calls that included heavy breathing and whispers. In a few instances, there was pounding at the front door. When I opened it, there was nothing there. Of course, it was probably some teenagers looking for a thrill. But that’s what I love about these books. It answers the what-if questions that I often wonder when I think about the many babysitting nights. What if it wasn’t just bored teenagers pounding at the door? What if it wasn’t just a harmless prank phone call? What if…
About the Series
From the minute that Jenny accepts the Hagen babysitting job, she knows she has made a terrible mistake.
First there is the dark and gloomy Hagen house, filling her with dread and horror. Then the crank phone calls start, and Jenny discovers a creepy “neighbor” prowling in the backyard. When she finds a threatening note in her bag, she realizes that this isn’t a harmless game.
But who wants to hurt her? What kind of maniac is willing to scare her…to death?
Jenny’s last baby-sitting job nearly killed her– for real.
But she’s a survivor. She’s getting over it. The crazy guy who was after her is gone She’s even got a new baby-sitting job.
Then the phone rings. When she answers, she hears a familiar voice.
A voice from the past…from the grave…
Hi, Babes. I’m back.
In this sequel to the bestselling Point Thrillers The Baby-sitter and The Baby-sitter II, Jenny the bad-luck baby-sitter is back, visiting her cousin and trying to get away from her haunting past. But her cousin is a baby-sitter too, and it looks like Jenny has brought the nightmare with her.
Don’t live in the past, they say. And Jenny’s trying to forget all of the horrible baby-sitting experiences that landed her in the hospital last year. Now Jenny lives in a new neighborhood, and the neighbor has asked her to baby-sit. If only she could say no. Because someone is watching Jenny–someone who hates baby-sitters.
I would love for someone to make this series a movie or a series of movie shorts. But for now, I’ll have to rely on just the book. Well, that and When a Stranger Calls, which is another scary movie with the premise of a babysitter who gets more than she bargained for (which is a remake). Here’s the trailer.
What do you think? Have you seen this movie? Have you read the books? Do you plan to? Do you have any freaky babysitter memories or moments? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!
