I tried to smile. "Not really," I told him. "Bo helped. Maybe Bo needs some exercise. Why don't you take him outside? Archie and I will try to put the spaceship back together." Jackie sighed. "Okay," he replied. "But don't be surprised if I ram into the toolshed or wreck up the lawn or something." Jackie is the teeniest bit accident-prone. Sometimes this bothers him - but mostly he is pretty happy-go-lucky.

    Plink, plinkety, plink, plink, blam. "Bullfrogs!" "You know what I wish, Claudia?" Archie said when Jackie and Bo were safely out the door. "I wish I could be in a play. Or in a show. I want to stand on a stage in front of a lot of people. I want the people to clap for me, and laugh at my jokes." "You want to be an entertainer?" I said. "Hmm. And Jackie wants to play an instrument, and Shea is getting ready for his recital. You guys must like show business." "Yup," replied Shea. "Don't you?" To be truthful, I hadn't given it much thought. I have other interests. Like art and baby-sitting. And junk food.

    My name is Claudia Kishi. Claudia Lynn Kishi, to be exact. I'm thirteen years old. I live here in the small town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. I have a mom and a dad and an older sister. I don't have any pets, but I do have lots of friends. My best friends are the members of a business called the Baby-sitters Club. I happen to be the vice-president of that club (which us members call the BSC).

    I've been the vice-president of the BSC ever since the club started, which was back at the beginning of seventh grade. Now I'm in eighth grade at Stoneybrook Middle School. I'll tell you a secret about school and me. I am not a very good student. I am especially not a good speller. It isn't that I'm dumb, although sometimes I feel dumb. It's just that I don't think school is very interesting. Except for art class. And when I'm at home I can usually find about a dozen things to do that are more exciting than homework.