Review: Dawn On the Coast by Arley Nopra and Ann M Martin (BSC Graphix 19)

There is no stopping the almighty BSC Graphix series. What started as a four book project in 2006 adapting four popular Baby-Sitters Club books as graphic novels now has nineteen volumes in the series and there is no sign of it slowing down yet. 

Dawn On the Coast is the most recent addition to the series and only the second adaption to feature Dawn as the main protagonist. (Why The Ghost at Dawn's House was skipped, I'll never know.) In this one, it is spring break and Dawn is off to visit her dad and her brother Jeff in California. (Now here is another point. Jeff's departure for California was depicted in book fifteen in the original series, which was skipped in the graphics.) Anyway, as Dawn returns to California she soon discovers just how much she has missed her Dad and Jeff, and Sunny, her California bestie who has started her own, laid back version of the Baby-Sitters Club. (Sidenote: Sunny and Maggie later become key characters in the long-forgotten California Diaries series. Jill's story arc is a little trickier.) Anyway, as time goes on, Dawn finds that she doesn't want to leave California. This is understandable as not only has she missed everyone, but what she has in common with them is different to what she shares with her friends in Stoneybrook. This leads to Dawn having to make a big decision.

This was an entertaining enough read, though I cannot say I enjoyed the adaption nearly as much as I enjoyed the original when I was a kid. Why they skipped the scene with the highly incompetent flight attendant I'll never know. (It was definitely one of my favourite bits.) Still, the novel does an excellent job of showcasing the difficulties faced by kids whose parents live in different states, where their two homes are long aeroplane rides away.

Recommended. 

Comments

Lorrs said…
I really like the cover on this one very pretty. Like the diversified the We heart kids club so they are not all blonde "California" girls
19 September 2026 at 21:10
Kathryn White said…
Yes, I liked the diversified We Heart Kids Club as well!
20 September 2026 at 21:04
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