Book excerpt: From the bestselling author of the generation-defining series The Baby-sitters Club comes a series for a new generation! Before there was The Baby-sitters Club, there were four girls named Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, and Stacey McGill. As they start the summer before seventh grade, Kristy is still hoping that her father will return to her family, Mary Anne has to prove that she's no longer a little girl, Claudia is navigating her first major crush, and Stacey is leaving her entire New York City life behind. Separately, it's a lot to deal with. But together, these friends will find a way to make it through--with plenty of laughter, tears, and suprises along the way.