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Dawn on the Coast is the 23rd book in the original The Baby-Sitters Club series.

Back Cover Summary[]

Dawn can't wait for her trip to California. Besides all the sun and fun, it's her first visit since her brother, Jeff, moved back to live with their dad. California is better than Dawn ever remembered it. The beaches are beautiful, Disneyland is a blast, and Californians eat healthy food! Plus, Dawn's best friend, Sunny, has even started her own baby-sitting club.

After one wonderful week, Dawn begins to think she might want to stay in California, like Jeff.

Dawn's a California girl at heart—but could she really leave Stoneybrook for good?

Summary[]

Dawn visits her dad and brother Jeff in California and finds herself wishing she could move back.

Subplot[]

Characters[]

Dawn's Family

BSC Members

Kids

California

Stoneybrook

Teenagers

Adults

  • Mrs. Austin
  • Tom - Sits next to Dawn on the way to California
  • Mrs. Bruen

Locations[]

  • Schafer House
  • Brewer/Thomas House
  • Disneyland
  • Winslow House
  • Newton House
  • Beach
  • Austin House
  • Pike House
  • Airport

Pop Culture and Real-Life References[]

  • California Girls (song)
  • Adventures in baby-sitting (movie)
  • Captain EO and Michael Jackson
  • Teddy Roosevelt
  • Annie Oakley

Continuity and Inconsistencies[]

Continuity

Inconsistencies

  • On page 89 Sam is called Sam Brewer instead of Sam Thomas.
  • Dawn says she wasn't really friends with Maggie and Jill before. However, in Dawn's Book she says they've been friends since first grade.

Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]

Dear Reader,

Dawn on the Coast is the first Baby-sitters Club book set in California. When Dawn returns to her hometown, her friends have a surprise for her. They’ve started the We ♥ Kids Club, a baby-sitting club of their own. Over the years I’ve heard of lots of kids who have done what Dawn’s friends did — started baby-sitting businesses of their own. In fact, in 1995, I know of nearly 200 real baby-sitting clubs. Not all of the clubs are run just like the Baby-sitters Club or the We ♥ Kids Club. Some of them have only two members, some of them have lots of members. Some of them meet only once a week, some meet at school. The eleven-year-old daughter of one of my best friends just started a club of her own, Kids, Inc. And she’s in charge, just like Kristy. Whether your club is as organized as the Baby-sitters Club or as loose as the We ♥ Kids Club, the important things are to have fun and be responsible sitters.

Trivia[]

  • First appearances of Sunny Winslow, Maggie Blume, Jill Henderson, and Mrs. Bruen.
  • This is the first ghostwritten book.
  • A reprint came out February 7, 2023 [1]
  • This is one of the few regular books that starts with a letter. It's also one of the first letters from a parent.
  • Nannie randomly calls Kristy on page 29.
  • Dawn sits next to a theater director on her plane ride to California.
  • Dawn is not a strict vegetarian in this book.
  • Sunny met Dawn at the gate.
  • Dawn's first choices at Disneyland are Fantasyland, New Orleans Square, and Jungleland. Jeff's are Tomorrowland, Bear Country, and Frontierland.
  • This is the first introduction of the We ♥️ Kids Club.
  • This is the last time the Feldmans are seen in the series and a year has passed.
  • Nicky spends some time in the passage from time to time.
  • Jessi and Karen go to Ben Brewer's bedroom.
  • This is the first time Dawn considers moving back to California.
  • Dawn uses an address book.
  • Sharon's handwriting is similar to Mary Anne's.
  • Sharon is still dating Trip.
  • Jessi visits her hometown and wrote to Dawn about the experience thinking she might feel the same way.
  • On page 132 Mr. Schafer invites the BSC out to California, which eventually leads to the events of California Girls!.
  • Dawn buys mouse ears for each member of the BSC (it’s unknown if she bought Stacey a pair as well, but Stacey wasn’t a BSC member at the time).

Gallery[]

Baby-Sitters Club Books
The Summer Before | #1 Kristy's Great Idea | #2 Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls | #3 The Truth About Stacey | #4 Mary Anne Saves the Day | #5 Dawn and the Impossible Three | #6 Kristy's Big Day | #7 Claudia and Mean Janine | #8 Boy-Crazy Stacey | #9 The Ghost at Dawn's House | #10 Logan Likes Mary Anne! | #11 Kristy and the Snobs | #12 Claudia and the New Girl | #13 Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye | #14 Hello, Mallory | #15 Little Miss Stoneybrook... and Dawn | #16 Jessi's Secret Language | #17 Mary Anne's Bad-Luck Mystery | #18 Stacey's Mistake | #19 Claudia and the Bad Joke | #20 Kristy and the Walking Disaster | #21 Mallory and the Trouble with Twins | #22 Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter | #23 Dawn on the Coast | #24 Kristy and the Mother's Day Surprise | #25 Mary Anne and the Search for Tigger | #26 Claudia and the Sad Good-bye | #27 Jessi and the Superbrat | #28 Welcome Back, Stacey! | #29 Mallory and the Mystery Diary | #30 Mary Anne and the Great Romance | #31 Dawn's Wicked Stepsister | #32 Kristy and the Secret of Susan | #33 Claudia and the Great Search | #34 Mary Anne and Too Many Boys | #35 Stacey and the Mystery of Stoneybrook | #36 Jessi's Baby-Sitter | #37 Dawn and the Older Boy | #38 Kristy's Mystery Admirer | #39 Poor Mallory! | #40 Claudia and the Middle School Mystery | #41 Mary Anne vs. Logan | #42 Jessi and the Dance School Phantom | #43 Stacey's Emergency | #44 Dawn and the Big Sleepover | #45 Kristy and the Baby Parade | #46 Mary Anne Misses Logan | #47 Mallory on Strike | #48 Jessi's Wish | #49 Claudia and the Genius of Elm Street | #50 Dawn's Big Date | #51 Stacey's Ex-Best Friend | #52 Mary Anne + 2 Many Babies | #53 Kristy for President | #54 Mallory and the Dream Horse | #55 Jessi's Gold Medal | #56 Keep Out, Claudia! | #57 Dawn Saves the Planet | #58 Stacey's Choice | #59 Mallory Hates Boys (and Gym) | #60 Mary Anne's Makeover | #61 Jessi and the Awful Secret | #62 Kristy and the Worst Kid Ever | #63 Claudia's Freind Friend | #64 Dawn's Family Feud | #65 Stacey's Big Crush | #66 Maid Mary Anne | #67 Dawn's Big Move | #68 Jessi and the Bad Baby-sitter | #69 Get Well Soon, Mallory! | #70 Stacey and the Cheerleaders | #71 Claudia and the Perfect Boy | #72 Dawn and the We Love Kids Club | #73 Mary Anne and Miss Priss | #74 Kristy and the Copycat | #75 Jessi's Horrible Prank | #76 Stacey's Lie | #77 Dawn and Whitney, Friends Forever | #78 Claudia and Crazy Peaches | #79 Mary Anne Breaks the Rules | #80 Mallory Pike, No. 1 Fan | #81 Kristy and Mr. Mom | #82 Jessi and the Troublemaker | #83 Stacey vs. the BSC | #84 Dawn and the School Spirit War | #85 Claudia Kishi, Live From WSTO! | #86 Mary Anne and Camp BSC | #87 Stacey and the Bad Girls | #88 Farewell, Dawn | #89 Kristy and the Dirty Diapers | #90 Welcome to the BSC, Abby! | #91 Claudia and the First Thanksgiving | #92 Mallory's Christmas Wish | #93 Mary Anne and the Memory Garden | #94 Stacey McGill, Super Sitter | #95 Kristy + Bart = ? | #96 Abby's Lucky Thirteen | #97 Claudia and the World's Cutest Baby | #98 Dawn and Too Many Sitters | #99 Stacey's Broken Heart | #100 Kristy's Worst Idea | #101 Claudia Kishi, Middle School Dropout | #102 Mary Anne and the Little Princess | #103 Happy Holidays, Jessi | #104 Abby's Twin | #105 Stacey the Math Whiz | #106 Claudia, Queen of the Seventh Grade | #107 Mind Your Own Business, Kristy! | #108 Don't Give Up, Mallory! | #109 Mary Anne to the Rescue | #110 Abby the Bad Sport | #111 Stacey's Secret Friend | #112 Kristy and the Sister War | #113 Claudia Makes Up Her Mind | #114 The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier | #115 Jessi's Big Break | #116 Abby and the Best Kid Ever | #117 Claudia and the Terrible Truth | #118 Kristy Thomas, Dog Trainer | #119 Stacey's Ex-Boyfriend | #120 Mary Anne and the Playground Fight | #121 Abby in Wonderland | #122 Kristy in Charge | #123 Claudia's Big Party | #124 Stacey McGill... Matchmaker? | #125 Mary Anne in the Middle | #126 The All-New Mallory Pike | #127 Abby's Un-Valentine | #128 Claudia and the Little Liar | #129 Kristy at Bat | #130 Stacey's Movie | #131 The Fire at Mary Anne's House
Super Specials
#1 Baby-sitters on Board! | #2 Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation | #3 Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation | #4 Baby-sitters' Island Adventure | #5 California Girls! | #6 New York, New York! | #7 Snowbound | #8 Baby-sitters at Shadow Lake | #9 Starring the Baby-sitters Club #10 Sea City, Here We Come! | #11 The Baby-sitters Remember | #12 Here Come the Bridesmaids! | #13 Aloha, Baby-sitters! | #14 BSC in the USA | #15 Baby-sitters' European Vacation
Portrait Collection
Stacey's Book | Claudia's Book | Dawn's Book | Mary Anne's Book | Kristy's Book | Abby's Book
Other
The Baby-Sitters Club Notebook (1987) | The Baby-Sitters Club Postcard Book (1991) | Trivia & Puzzle Fun Book (1992) | Ann M. Martin: The Story of the author of the Baby-sitters Club (1993) | The Baby-Sitters Club Guide to Babysitting (1993) | The Baby-Sitters Club Chain Letter (1993) | The Baby-Sitters Club Secret Santa (1994) | Audio Books on Cassette Tape (1994-5) | BSC Movie Novelization (1995) | The Complete Guide to the Baby-Sitters Club (1996) | Autograph Book (1998) | BSC Graphic Novels (2006-present) | We Are the Baby-Sitters Club: Essays and Artwork from Grown-Up Readers (2021) | Welcome to Stoneybrook: A Guided Journal (2021) | The Official Coloring Book (2023)
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