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Hey Jack! #9
The Circus Lesson
Jack’s new babysitter is awesome, but a bit crazy. Pizza for dinner, juggling lessons and sleeping outside – with no tent! But will Jack let his worrying get in the way of having fun?
- GenresChildrens
48 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2013
5 people are currently reading
64 people want to read
About the author
Sally Rippin
800 books226 followersSally Rippin was born in Darwin, but grew up mainly in South-East Asia. As a young adult she lived in China for three years, studying traditional Chinese painting. Sally has over seventy books published, many of them award-winning, including two novels for young adults. Her most recent work includes the highly acclaimed children’s novel Angel Creek and the popular Billie B Brown books, which became the highest selling series for 6-8 year olds in Australia within the first year of their release. Sally is Australia’s highest selling female author and her Billie B Brown books have sold more than 4.5 million copies in 14 languages.
Sally is a popular presenter in schools and at literary festivals both in Australia and overseas and has a regular program on 3RRR interviewing children’s authors and industry professionals. She is a passionate ambassador for the 100 Story Building creative writing centre for marginalized youth and has mentored many emerging writers and illustrators. Recently, she and her partner co-founded Story Peddlers, a hand-made performance tent that packs away into a custom-built bike, with the aim of bringing back the art of the roving storyteller.
Sally is a popular presenter in schools and at literary festivals both in Australia and overseas and has a regular program on 3RRR interviewing children’s authors and industry professionals. She is a passionate ambassador for the 100 Story Building creative writing centre for marginalized youth and has mentored many emerging writers and illustrators. Recently, she and her partner co-founded Story Peddlers, a hand-made performance tent that packs away into a custom-built bike, with the aim of bringing back the art of the roving storyteller.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 16, 2023
Jon gives this a billion stars. He read it to Savannah and I and laughed the whole way through. A new favourite series!
May 13, 2022
The first page shows early readers how Jack feels. He has Angry, frowny eyebrows. Tummy knotted with nerves. Clenched fists. He's in a cranky mood.
His parents are going out for the night and they aren't taking him with them. Instead his cousin Sue will come and look after him.
Sue isn't what he expects. She does acrobatic exercises in their lounge. Orders extra cheesy pizza for tea. Then suggests they eat it in his cubby house. After that, she gets Jack to bring out sleeping bags and she puts a mosquito net over them so they can sleep out under the stars.
Sue tells Jack she used to be like him, always wanting to stay the same. When she joined the circus that all changed.
Jack realised it was good to do things differently.
His parents are going out for the night and they aren't taking him with them. Instead his cousin Sue will come and look after him.
Sue isn't what he expects. She does acrobatic exercises in their lounge. Orders extra cheesy pizza for tea. Then suggests they eat it in his cubby house. After that, she gets Jack to bring out sleeping bags and she puts a mosquito net over them so they can sleep out under the stars.
Sue tells Jack she used to be like him, always wanting to stay the same. When she joined the circus that all changed.
Jack realised it was good to do things differently.
February 4, 2023
3.5 stars!
November 8, 2016
"Hey Jack: The Circus Lesson" was a great introductory book to chapter books for younger children. When Jack's parents leave for the night and hire his cousin to babysit he finds out how crazy she is! It doesn't take long for him to realize she is unlike other adults when she shows him some of her acrobatic moves. At the end of the book his cousin Susan proposes the idea to even sleep outside without a tent! As Jack warms up to Susan, he realizes that his parents leaving him for the night wasn't so bad after all.
Questions for Children
-Have you ever experienced your parents leaving you for the night with a babysitter? If yes, how did you react? If no, how do you think you would handle the situation?
-Have you ever had a babysitter that was as unique as Susan? If yes, what did you do together? If no, what activities would you want to do with your babysitter?
-What would be your favorite activity that Jack and Susan did in the book and why?
-If you could be in the circus what act would you want to perform? Why?
-What do you think Jack was thinking when Susan suggested they sleep outside? How would you react to this idea?
Rippin, S. (2013). Hey Jack! the circus lesson. Richmond, Vic.: Hardie Grant.
Questions for Children
-Have you ever experienced your parents leaving you for the night with a babysitter? If yes, how did you react? If no, how do you think you would handle the situation?
-Have you ever had a babysitter that was as unique as Susan? If yes, what did you do together? If no, what activities would you want to do with your babysitter?
-What would be your favorite activity that Jack and Susan did in the book and why?
-If you could be in the circus what act would you want to perform? Why?
-What do you think Jack was thinking when Susan suggested they sleep outside? How would you react to this idea?
Rippin, S. (2013). Hey Jack! the circus lesson. Richmond, Vic.: Hardie Grant.
July 30, 2016
9 - Sally Rippin, “Hey Jack! The Circus Lesson” (Richmond, Victoria, Aust: Hardie Grant Egmont, 2013).
“Jack's [older] cousin Sue is coming to look after him.” (p2)
“Let's just have a picnic on the floor.” (p26)
“In no time at all, Jack and Sue are in their sleeping bags in the backyard.” (p35)
“Jack's [older] cousin Sue is coming to look after him.” (p2)
“Let's just have a picnic on the floor.” (p26)
“In no time at all, Jack and Sue are in their sleeping bags in the backyard.” (p35)
February 11, 2018
One of my nephews is in Grade 1 and has been looking for some books to read. So I bought him this one.
It's a fantastic chapter book for early readers that can show kids that change can not only be good, but it can also be fun.
It's a fantastic chapter book for early readers that can show kids that change can not only be good, but it can also be fun.
May 6, 2020
This whole series is perfect for beginning readers! It teaches strong vocabulary and very valuable lessons in common activities that kids do and go through!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews