This piece on reading the Baby-Sitters Club books as a middle-aged man is pretty decent.

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

I’m a similar age to the author, so as I read it I absolutely recognised that feeling of repulsion I’d have as a kid at the very notion of accessing any ‘girl’ content. Wonder-Woman, She-Ra, Supergirl, ‘girly’ pop music, books about girl things; I’d actively have nothing to do with them.

I don’t think I’m unusual in that. Perhaps these days, but not then.

#Bookstodon

As a middle-aged man, I would’ve saved loads on therapy if I’d read Baby-Sitters Club books as a kid

Boys weren’t exposed to emotionally intelligent characters in the books marketed to us. I won’t let my son be a victim of the same social taboo

^{Russell Marks (The Guardian)}