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This article is about the original novel. For the graphic novel see Kristy and the Walking Disaster (Graphic Novel).

Kristy and the Walking Disaster is the 20th book in the original The Baby-Sitters Club series. This is the final book that Brenda Bowen edited. Starting with #21, Bethany Buck took over editing duties.

Back-Cover[]

They're lean, they're mean, they're the pride of Stoneybrook. Who are they? They're Kristy's Krushers!

When Kristy sees how much her little brothers and sister want to play on a softball team, she starts a rag-tag team of her own. Maybe Kristy's Krushers aren't world champions (how could they be, with Jackie Rodowsky, walking disaster, playing for them?), but nobody beats them when it comes to team spirit.

Now Bart's Bashers have challenged the Krushers to a real live game. It's bad enough that the Bashers truly ARE lean and mean- but what's worse is that Kristy has a crush on the Basher's coach. A crush with a capital C!

Summary[]

Kristy is baby-sitting for her own brothers and sister and find they want to play baseball. They try very hard but they lack the skills or the age to play Little League ball. Upon seeing how much Karen, David Michael, and Andrew (and other BSC charges) really want to play, she decides to form a team. Jackie Rodowsky, a lovable charge with a penchant for disaster (dropping lemonade, knocking over a refreshment table, breaking a window at the elementary school, etc.) comes up with the name of Kristy's Krushers. Karen insists that the team name is spelled wrong and so irons the spelling of "Crushers" onto her team shirt. The team gets permission to practice twice a week at the Stoneybrook Elementary School playground. Watson becomes a valuable source to Kristy in terms of advice and help in coaching her team.

Kristy soon discovers that hers is not the only non-little league team in the area when she meets Bart Taylor, a thirteen year old boy who lives around the corner from her. Bart coaches Bart's Bashers, a team of older kids who don't play Little League. During one practice, Bart brings some of his players out to watch the Krushers practice. The Basher players keep distracting Bart so they can make fun of and insult many of the Krusher players. Bart challenges Kristy to a game, which she accepts. Nicky Pike was asked to pitch during the game but came down with a fever the morning of the game, leaving David Michael and Jake Kuhn to pitch for the Krushers. During the game, Jackie Rodowsky knocks over the refreshment table and the Pike triplets show up in their Little League uniforms to cheer on the Krushers. Although the Bashers won the seven inning game 16-11, Kristy realizes how much her teams loves to play and how much team spirit they have, even if they know they aren't the best players.

Subplot[]

Characters[]

Kristy's Family

BSC Members

Kids

Teenagers

Adults

Locations[]

Pop Culture and Real-Life References[]

  • Eloise, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Paddington Bear (books)
  • Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers (baseball teams)
  • Woolworth's
  • Pig Pen & the Peanuts

Continuity and Inconsistencies[]

Continuity

Inconsistencies

  • Suzi Barrett is listed as 4 on page 50, when she should be 5.
  • Linny is misspelled on page 22 as Linnie.

Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]

Dear Reader,

Jackie Rodowsky made his first appearance in book #10, Logan Likes Mary Anne. I had so much fun writing about him that I wanted to write a book featuring him. It was also time for Kristy to have another one of her great ideas, and so she organized Kristy’s Krushers, her very own softball team.

Book #20 marked an important change for me. It was the last BSC book that Brenda Bowen edited. I had worked with Brenda since the beginning of the series. Now it was time for her to move on to other things. So a new editor took over. Her name is Bethany Buck (why do all the BSC editors have the initials BB?!), and she’s worked on the series ever since. I should have called book #20 Good-bye, Brenda! Hello, Bethany!

Trivia[]

  • This is the first appearance of Bart Taylor and she develops a crush on him.
  • A reprint of the book was released on May 3, 2022 [1]
  • On the dedication page it says "This is for the member of the Lunch Club."
  • Mary Anne brings Tigger to a BSC meeting.
  • This is the first appearance of Kristy's Krushers in the series.
  • Watson is a huge baseball fan even though he doesn't really play.
  • Myriah Perkins is old enough to join a T-Ball team but would rather join Kristy's team.
  • The Rodowsky's dog, Bo, turns 2.
  • This is the first time Kristy meets the Kuhn kids, this is also the first book which the Kuhn family appears. Before the events of the book, Buddy Barrett was friends with Jake Kuhn, and Buddy told him about Kristy's Krushers.
  • Mallory sprained her wrist before.
  • Kristy didn't know that Claire threw baseball tantrums before this book.
  • Kristy doesn't like the sight of loose, bloody, teeth at all.
  • Jackie breaks a window at the elementary school.
  • Watson and Kristy planned to let every Krusher play even for a few minutes no matter how young.
  • Kristy thinks omens are stupid.
  • Mallory is described as cool headed during an emergency.
  • The Pike triplets, in their little league outfits, join the cheerleaders to cheer on the Krushers.

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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