Stine, R.L. The Babysitter. Scholastic Inc: New York, 1989.
Annotation: Jenny's always hesitated taking on her new babysitting job, but combined with her paranoia and one too many suspicious phone calls the terror has just begun.
Justification for Nomination: Being an avid fan of suspense and having a particular love for horror "The Babysitter" by R.L Stine took a classic fright of a defenseless babysitter and pitted it against a drafty house, a manic stalker, and loads of suspense.
One thing I've always respected about R.L Stine is that fact that the man sometimes lifts certain stories/plots that we've all heard before and adds his own supernatural or suspenseful plot line to make it shiny and new again. His story "The Babysitter" for example is his own creation with colorful characters and sensory surroundings but uses a plot line similar to "The Babysitter" an urban legend, about an innocent teenage babysitter harassed by menacing phone calls only to find out that they are originating from inside the house.
A film example using the same plot device is 1979's "When a Stranger Calls" released ten years before Stine's "Babysitter" and following a lonely babysitter harassed and stalked while inside an eerie house. So as you can see this plot isn't exactly fresh material but as the past has shown with its successors, it makes for a great story.
Stine's toned down violence and YA version of the story remains suspenseful without becoming explicit. As you read the details and thoughts inside Jenny (our protagonist's) over indulgent mind you start to become one with her and see or hear things that don't exist. The beauty of "The Babysitter" is that when the protagonist's paranoia sets in the reader isn't sure if what she's describing is real or is imaginary. Each chapter ends with a suspenseful mark forcing you to push on in the story and find out the truth or violent end to its means.
The only negativity I would slap with R.L Stine is that he becomes so invested in his heroin and doesn't give the reader much time to get to know anyone else. He does such a good job getting into the main characters voice and her teenage curiosities and angst that we are shown mere glimpses of the supporting cast. The beauty of all of this is that by doing so, it cast suspicion on friends and even the family that hired her for the babysitting job. Stine reveals the different arch-types such as the geeky yet cute new kid, the sexually active best friend, an overbearing father, and the dark, mysterious stranger but still manages not to make them extremely cliche.
I recommend this book because even when it's not suspenseful, we still get to follow the socially awkward and slightly paranoid protagonist struggling with a mysterious stalker on top of relationships, boys, money and the horror of gym class packed into 167 pages.
Another thing I've always loved about R.L Stine whether it be stand alone stories like "The Babysitter", "Goosebumps" or his series "Fear Street" is that he always has some of the best cover art. If you really go back and research the old cover art for his early book you will see the detailed pictures that show you just enough to jump start your imagination. The cover art for "The Babysitter," as seen above, is worth a thousand words. Not only does it give you a great visual image of Jenny's character but also shows the intensity within a scene. You can see her, but she can't seem to see you, which interplays wonderfully with the theme and plot of this story.
Though "The babysitter" focuses in on more suspense than violence another respectable fact of R.L Stine's YA novels is that he saves the best details for last. You never actually think that he'll incorporate any physical violence or deaths but it all surfaces during the climax of this story. If you've already convinced yourself not to read this story due to its familiar plot, due yourself a favor and check it out, it may surprise you.
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