AYAOTD The Tale of the Bookish Babysitter!

A Review of the Tale of the Bookish Babysitter

The plot of this episode is something that every book lover would dream about experiencing.  Well, maybe not the scary stuff the protagonist experiences.  In fact, the scary aspects are more out of fantasy novel rather than horror. 

Summary:  Our protagonist Ricky Winter is a twelve-year-old boy, who would rather watch television and eat junk food, then take the time to open a book, because books have too many words.  When his mom has to work late, she hires a highly recommended babysitter, Belinda, to watch him, though he’s twelve and apparently is mature enough not to need one. eye roll.   Belinda’s technique for winning over the kid’s hearts is introducing them to the magic of books.  Ricky is resistance to her, but Belinda takes his access to the television and she makes a deal with him.  He has to read for 5 minutes and then she’ll leave him alone. As he reads each book, he begins to hear strange sounds.  Ricky chooses to give up and finds each book boring since apparently he knows boring.  Belinda warns him that he should finish the books he starts and she wouldn’t go out there if she were him.  He answers rather rudely back. "Its a good thing you're not me!"  

While chilling in his room, playing a video game, a shadow looms over Ricky, and ready to blame Belinda for messing him up, he comes face to face a knight.  As he comes running out screaming, he finds a ghost lurking in the hallway.  Belinda is in the living burning her books and tells him it’s the only to get rid of the ghost and knight.  Of course, the dumbass believes her, but the real Belinda shows up and it turns out he was talking to the witch.  Ricky realizes Belinda was right….he shouldn’t have stopped in the middle of those stories.  (Why haven’t fictional characters come after me?!   I have stopped in the middle of books too!)  It’s up to Ricky finish the story using his imagination.  Can he finish the story?

This episode is the book lovers dream.  Who wouldn’t want to read a book that will come life, literally, if you stop reading?  Who wouldn’t want to be the one to finish the story?  Who wouldn’t love Belinda’s job?   Just like most Are You Afraid of the Dark episodes, the acting is mediocre (though, Belinda's actress was pretty good.) and special effects are really bad, but the story itself is quite fun.  The story teaches the audience the value of reading and using your imagination.  Belinda is so sassy and a fun character while Ricky is someone I want punch in the face, but his arc is great, though.  I would love to see this story expanded with better actors and effects.  I also found myself wishing the stories Ricky reads actually existed.