Mary Anne and the Little Princess is the 102nd book in The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin.
Back Cover Summary[]
A real princess is moving to Stoneybrook! Eight-year-old Victoria Kent, distantly in line for the British throne, is spending six months in the States with her parents.
To help Victoria adjust to American life, her nanny hires Mary Anne as a companion. Together, she and the BSC vow to make sure Victoria loves Stoneybrook and the United States. It isn't as easy as it sounds, though, because Victoria is used to a very different lifestyle. If the Baby-sitters aren't careful, this job could turn into a royal pain!
Main Plot[]
The BSC gets a new client, and they are distant relatives of the British royal family.
Subplot[]
Dawn returns to Stoneybrook for Thanksgiving.
Characters[]
Mary Anne's Family
BSC Members
Kids
- Linny and Hannie Papadakis
- David Michael Thomas
- Druscilla Porter
- David Michael Thomas/Karen and Andrew Brewer
- Maria Kilbourne (mentioned)
- Squirt and Becca Ramsey
- Charlotte Johanssen
- Pike Triplets
- Karen Brewer
- Victoria Kent
Teenagers
- Logan Bruno
- Shannon Kilbourne (mentioned)
- Clarence King (mentioned)
- Alan Gray
Adults
- Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson - couple that rents the house to the Kents (mentioned)
- Miss Ursula Rutherford - Victoria's Nanny
- George McArdle - the Kent's driver
- Tabitha Porter (Morbidda Destiny)
- Madeleine Prezzioso (mentioned)
- John Ramsey
- Cecelia Parker
Locations[]
- Brewer/Thomas House
- Schafer/Spier House
- Kent House
- Washington Mall
- Stoneybrook Middle School (just the football field)
- New York City
Pop Culture and Real-Life References[]
- Catherine Called Birdy, Stone Fox, Alice in Wonderland, Romeo and Juliet, Pippi Longstockings, Cat in the Hat (books)
- Fiddler on the Roof, It's a Wonderful Life, Home Alone 2 (movies)
- Clark Kent as Superman & Lois
- My Fair Lady
- Shakespeare
- Laura Ashley
- Beatrix Potter
- Mayflower
- Thomas the Tank Engine
- Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
- Bugs Bunny
- Disney World
- The President
- Whitney Houston, Tom Chapin and Bill Harley, Peter Paul and Mary (singers)
- Macy's
- David Letterman
- Crispix
- Irish folktale called Tir Na n'Og
Continuity and Inconsistencies[]
Continuity
- Stoneybrook Middle Schools team is called the Chargers which is first mentioned in Stacey and the Haunted Masquerade.
- Mary Anne recalls her make over at the mall from Mary Anne's Makeover on page 76.
Inconsistencies
- Charlotte's hair is described as red on page 90.
- On page 91, Mary Anne mentions a Stoneybrook Zoo when there is no zoo in Stoneybrook and closest one is the next town over as mentioned in Mary Anne and the Zoo Mystery.
- Kristy mentions the probation the BSC was on from Kristy's Worst Idea on page 101 as if it was still going on, when it announced it over in Claudia Kishi, Middle School Dropout.
Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]
Dear Reader,
The title for Mary Anne and the Little Princess came from one of my favorite books when I was growing up—A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Another of my favorite books was also by Frances Burnett—The Secret Garden. When I was a kid, I just loved reading. (As an adult, I still do.) I had a lot of favorite books. Among them were the Mary Poppins books, the Wizard of Oz books, the Doctor Doolittle books, Marguerite Henry’s horse stories, Roald Dahl’s books (especially James and the Giant Peach), Mr. Popper’s Penguins, and Baby Island.
My sister and I were very lucky because when we were growing up we were frequently given books as gifts. By the time I was ten, I had a huge shelf full of books I loved. That was why I decided to start a lending library in my bedroom. I spent a long time one summer making pockets to put in the back of each book, and cards to go in the pockets. I opened my library to the kids in the neighborhood, and let them check out books to read. That was the summer I wanted to be a librarian. I changed my mind about a career lots of times after that, but as you can see, I still ended up working with children’s books. And I still have all the books that were on the shelves of my long-ago library.
Trivia[]
- This is Victoria Kent's first appearance and is a client until the events of Mary Anne and the Playground Fight.
- In chapter 1, Sharon is late picking Mary Anne up because she didn’t reset her computer’s clock when daylight saving time ended. However, computer clocks adjust automatically to daylight saving time changes.
- Mary Anne's mom, Alma, once played on her college basketball team.
- Richard's work friends are athletic while he's terrible at sports.
- If Mary Anne had a genie appear to her, she'd wish to see her mother alive.
- Claudia is still getting used to being in the seventh grade.
- Kristy used to rearrange Mary Anne's blocks when she was little.
- Some new clients are wary when they learn that the BSC can't guarantee the same sitter repeatedly.
- Mary Anne sort of follows the news in the newspaper.
- Mary Anne nicknames her father's firm Hot Fudge and Whipped Cream.
- Kristy had to wear a skirt when she meet the Kents for first time.
- Richard's favorite tie is a paisley one.
- Mary Anne said that shopping with Stacey is difficult.
- SMS's football team is going on to the championships.
- Sharon volunteers with Meals on Wheels.
- This is the first time we see Sharon's handwriting.
- On page 85 Mary Anne notes that Dawn does eat meat sometimes.
- Mr. Ramsey did voice over work for Mrs. Ramsey's advertising company.
- Kristy, Mary Anne, and Stacey missed a BSC meeting to go with Victoria to New York.
- The BSC has club T-shirts.
- Dawn surprises Sharon by coming in for Thanksgiving.
- Richard has a complete set of the Oxford English Dictionary.
- Dawn won't be be coming to Stoneybrook for Christmas since she came for Thanksgiving.