Ann Martin - Kristy Power!

"I just have one more question," he said.

"Shoot," I told him.

"Where did you get the name Louie for your dog?" I laughed. "It just came to us," I said. "He was a Louie. If you'd ever met him, you'd know what I mean." I looked at Cary. "Can I ask you one more question?" "Anything," he said, smiling.

There was one thing I was dying to know. And this was my chance to find out. I looked into his eyes and asked, "Why did you really leave Illinois?" Cary grinned. "Oh, that's simple," he answered. "See, the aliens decided it was time for me to go. So they beamed me up - and beamed me down right here in Stoneybrook." "Cary! Come on, really." "Oh, you want the truth?" Now he was in full Cary mode: smirk, eyebrow, and all. "Well, the townspeople accused me of being a witch, so my family had to leave in the dead of night - " I just stood there, shaking my head. I was incredibly glad to have my old archenemy back.

About the Author ANN MATTHEWS MARTIN was born on August 12, 1955. She grew up in Princeton, NJ, with her parents and her younger sister, Jane.

Although Ann used to be a teacher and then an editor of children's books, she's now a full-time writer. She gets ideas for her books from many different places. Some are based on personal experiences. Others are based on childhood memories and feelings. Many are written about contemporary problems or events.

All of Ann's characters, even the members of the Baby-sitters Club, are made up. (So is Stoneybrook.) But many of her characters are based on real people. Sometimes Ann names her characters after people she knows; other times she chooses names she likes.

In addition to the Baby-sitters Club books, Ann Martin has written many other books for children. Her favorite is Ten Kids, No Pets because she loves big families and she loves animals. Her favorite BSC book is Kristy's Big Day. (Kristy is her favorite babysitter.) Ann M. Martin now lives in New York with her cats, Gussie, Woody, and Willy, and her dog, Sadie. Her hobbies are reading, sewing, and needlework - especially making clothes for children.