Stacey McGill is moving back to New York! That means no more Stoneybrook Middle School, no more Charlotte Johanssen, and worst of all... no more Baby-sitters Club. Stacey's friends are crushed when they hear that Stacey's moving, especially Claudia. Stacey is her best friend.

What kind of going-away present is good enough for someone so special? And how will the BSC go on without Stacey?

Poor Stacey. She just moved to a new town, is still coming to terms with her diabetes, and is facing baby-sitting problems left and right. Fortunately, Stacey has three new friends -- Kristy, Claudia, and Mary Anne. Together they're the BSC -- and they will deal with whatever's thrown their way... even if it's a rival baby-sitting club!

Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, and Stacey are best friends and founding members of The Baby-sitters Club. Whatever comes up -- cranky toddlers, huge dogs, scary neighbors, prank calls -- you can count on them to save the day. Baby-sitting isn't always easy, and neither is dealing with strict parents, new families, fashion emergencies, and mysterious secrets. But no matter what, the BSC have what they need most: friendship.

Jessi recently moved to Stoneybrook and is one of the newest members of The Baby-sitters Club. She's getting ready to start regularly sitting for the BSC's newest charge, Matt Braddock. Matt has been Deaf since birth and uses sign language to communicate, so Jessi has to use it, too. It's a secret language!

Soon all the neighborhood kids want to learn how to sign, which keeps the BSC busy. Jessi's the busiest of all -- she's preparing for her dance school's big show, plus working on another secret, just for Matt. Will Jessi be able to keep the secret and pull off her performance?

Claudia and her sister, Janine, may as well be from two different planets. Claudia, who pays more attention to her artwork and The Baby-sitters Club than her homework, feels like she can't compete with her perfect sister. Janine studies nonstop, gets straight As, and even takes college-level courses! But when something unexpected happens to the most beloved person in their family, will the sisters be able to put aside their differences?

When The Baby-sitters Club gets into a huge fight, Mary Anne is left to her own devices. She has to eat alone in the school cafeteria, figure out how to make new friends, and deal with her overprotective father. But the worst happens when she finds herself in a baby-sitting emergency and can't turn to her friends for help. Will Mary Anne solve her problems and save The Baby-sitters Club from falling apart?