The Baby-Sitters Club: Claudia and Mean Janine by Ann M. Martin and Raina Telgemeier

Claudia Kishi is the artistic one in her family, but she feels insignificant next to her sister, Janine, who is extremely intelligent, knows a lot about computers and gets all A's. Claudia feels that nobody in the family notices her contributions, but she draws most of the criticisms.

This leads to a lot of bad feeling between the two and a lot of squabbling and fighting. Finally, one night when their parents go to dinner, Claudia manages to eat an uncontentious dinner with her sister and their grandmother, Mimi, who is Japanese and lives with them. But after dinner, they sit down to play Trivial Pursuit, which causes another argument because Janine is easily winning, and Claudia accuses her of cheating.

Even though earlier she and the rest of the BSC made plans to have a playgroup three days a week, along with their new member Dawn Schaefer, Claudia no longer feels happy or content. She's just angry, and when Janine comes back, they are ready to start arguing again when they hear a loud thump from upstairs, where Mimi was going to bed. Going into her room, they find her collapsed on the floor, and call 911. Janine goes to the hospital with Mimi while Claudia waits for their parents. But now she's afraid that her constant arguing with her sister may have caused Mimi's collapse, something she feels even more strongly when it comes out that Mimi has had a stroke.

Dealing with her feelings isn't easy, and her continued resentment of her sister pulls a surprising response from Janine. But it isn't until Janine can unload her resentment of Claudia that the sisters realize how much they have in common, and how much they both want Mimi to get well. Can they make peace, or will the war continue?

This was a very affecting graphic novel, as the feelings Claudia displays are not unknown or uncommon when someone you love falls ill after you have had an argument. The argument comes about because of the differing interests and abilities of the two sisters, and the way each feels that they are less valued daughter. What they don't realize is that they are more alike than they want to admit, and are able to come together to help their grandmother get well.

Not having read the original books, I am still surprised at how good the story is and how well it holds together even though, obviously, stuff had to be cut to make the entire story fit into a graphic novel. The art is nice, although it is better than the first novel, in which club president Kristy and Stacey were hard to tell apart. On the cover, Kristy has brown hair (as does Mary-Anne), but inside, her hair has been colored the same as Blonde Stacey's and Blonde Dawn's. The only way you can tell them apart is by hairstyle, aided here by how Stacey cuts her hair very short, and that Kristy wears hers up in a pony-tail. If Kristy really is a brunetter, why not find some way to indicate that in-story?

Aside from that, the story and art work well together, and as I mentioned previously, the story touches the heart. As a graphic novel for early teens, it's not bad, and has nothing objectionable in it that parents might find troubling. So a definite one to recommend to young girls.