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In anticipation of what this season of Jane the Virgin might bring—Will [REDACTED] marriage be annulled? Will [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] ever get back together?—we’ve decided to keep our blood pressure down and focus on something like Jane’s diaper bag. As in what will the new mama be carrying in it? 

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Remember a time when reading about 11–12 year olds watching the neighborhood kids seemed like a plausible arrangement? Ah, youth. 

It's a far departure from today's norm, where new parents often expect their babysitters to be professional child-rearing experts. (I currently have two nannies who alternate watching my 4-year-old and 9-month-old. Both have college degrees in early childhood development!) So when I re-read the first book in the series, Kristy’s Great Idea by Ann M. Martin, I thought I’d chuckle over outdated babysitting blunders. Only I've come to realize that maybe modern-day nannies could take a page or two from these preternaturally mature middle-schoolers. 

Here are five times Kristy, Stacey, Mary Anne, and Claudia were suspiciously good, possibly magical, babysitting professionals:

Photo courtesy of Tom Eversley

Every Wednesday, we offer advice and strategies to survive all of the most dire and urgent circumstances, as well as some of the more common scenarios we all deal with.

This week we've got an excerpt from The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Parenting.  Summer car trips are a staple of American life, but also sometimes the most aggressive battle ground for families. Luckily we have what you need to wrangle your children into enjoying the ride without threatening to TURN THIS CAR AROUND RIGHT NOW, JIMMY! 

We at Quirk Books have the distinct pleasure of being book midwives to Sam Maggs' The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy. And as we got to know the fantastic author behind all the geeky gal wisdom, we also got to know her biggest fan — her mom, Nancy! Sam and Nancy are huge supporters of one another online and off, and it's been amazing to watch them take conventions like C2E2 by storm. With Nancy as her mom, it's no surprise to us that Sam is the kick-butt feminista she is today. So this Mother's Day, we wanted to chat with these excellent ladies on what being an unstoppable mother/daughter duo is all about! 

Mother's Day is fast upon us like a hungry lion upon an unsuspecting gazelle. But don't panic! We've curated the best kid-tested, mother-approved products in the Quirk Books Zazzle store. There's a little something for every mom, but mostly your mom.

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It's a truth universally acknowledged that most of us would much rather raise lovers than fighters. What better way to ensure this than to honor your favorite characters from some of history's most romantic literature?

Get inspired by our list of beloved authors, characters and muses who will surely win your affection throughout the ages. "What's in a name?" Juliet Capulet asked, to which we answer, "More than the usual suspects." Here are ten literary-inspired picks for baby bookworms.