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Billie B Brown #14
The Copycat Kid
The Billie B Brown adventures are perfect for girls who are desperate to begin reading but are bored by daggy school readers! The new girl at school won’t stop copying Billie! It is so annoying. What can Billie do?
26 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
12 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Sally Rippin
786 books224 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 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 4, 2018
Billie wore a special outfit to school on the day the new girl came to school. The new girl came from a different country and she spoke Japanese. The next day Billie came in the classroom to see the new girl and she wearing the same clothes Billie wore yesterday. At art time, the teacher said to draw a different world than this one and then Billie looked over at the new girl's art. She copied Billie's art by drawing a polka-dot world too! Then Billie yelled at her. At recess she yelled the new girl for playing soccer without asking Billie. Then at lunch time the teacher told Billie to say "I'm sorry" for yelling. Then Billie went to the library and then went to the computer and looked up "how to write I'm sorry in Japanese". So then Billie wrote "I'm sorry" in Japanese and gave it to the new girl. At the end she learned to just be nice to the new girl and then she'll stop copying Billie.
I liked that the new girl stopped copying Billie and that Billie liked the new girl.
I liked that the new girl stopped copying Billie and that Billie liked the new girl.
June 12, 2022
Billie B Brown has been asked to 'buddy' a new girl at school. She's excited but nervous. When she meets Mika, who hardly speaks English because she's from Japan, they spend the first day together, Billie tries to show her with signs and actions, what Mika needs to do.
The next day Billie sees Mika is dressed in the same clothes Billie wore the day before. At recess Jack asks Billie to play soccer, Mika runs out on the field and is running faster than Billie usually does. Then when they go into the classroom to do a drawing, Mika copies Billie's idea. Billie is furious and yells at Mika to 'STOP COPYING HER'. Ms Walton, their teacher, reminds Billie that everything here is new to Mika. Billie feels bad about yelling at her.
What can she do to make Mika feel better? Billie has an idea. She apologises to Mika and then goes to the computer to get the words in Japanese so Mika will understand.
Sally Rippin has a delightful way of putting situations kids might face into ways problems can be solved. Congratulations on another great Billie B book.
The next day Billie sees Mika is dressed in the same clothes Billie wore the day before. At recess Jack asks Billie to play soccer, Mika runs out on the field and is running faster than Billie usually does. Then when they go into the classroom to do a drawing, Mika copies Billie's idea. Billie is furious and yells at Mika to 'STOP COPYING HER'. Ms Walton, their teacher, reminds Billie that everything here is new to Mika. Billie feels bad about yelling at her.
What can she do to make Mika feel better? Billie has an idea. She apologises to Mika and then goes to the computer to get the words in Japanese so Mika will understand.
Sally Rippin has a delightful way of putting situations kids might face into ways problems can be solved. Congratulations on another great Billie B book.
Read
December 10, 2021When a Japanese student with very little English arrives at school, of course boisterous Billie is put in charge.
But when she starts to do everything Billie does, it doesn't seem like such a great idea.
This was a realistic situation that was dealt with well. Coming from a city full of diplomats, I have strong memories of the struggles of international students back when i was a kid.
I loved the ending and the solution to Billie's dilemma - and the way a bit of modern technology was brought into the situation.
But when she starts to do everything Billie does, it doesn't seem like such a great idea.
This was a realistic situation that was dealt with well. Coming from a city full of diplomats, I have strong memories of the struggles of international students back when i was a kid.
I loved the ending and the solution to Billie's dilemma - and the way a bit of modern technology was brought into the situation.
March 18, 2019
I think it's good because it tells you about do not copy other people.
May 25, 2021
I really like the book I love that Billie got a new friend so she could learn chinese
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2025
Another short one, and better than the last one in this series. There was a moral to the story, I'm never sure if I should mark up or down for that. We like stories with action (especially magic) in this household, so this is probably the last Billie B. Brown for a while. These books are concerned with thinking about how the character is feeling, this is all well and good but not as fun as magic, or pirates or dragons.
Better for a slightly older child 4/10
Better for a slightly older child 4/10
December 26, 2016
When I went to KidLitCon forever ago (otherwise known as a year and a half ago), they gave out bags that already had a few books in them. I think this must have been one of them, because I found it in my bag of books on the way home and there's no way I would have picked up a beginner reader for myself. Anyway, it's taken me way too long to actually open and read it–especially since, I now discover, it's got about twenty words per page. I just read the whole thing in five minutes! I'm not doing a full review on my blog, but I just wanted to write something here s I could take The Copycat Kid off of my TBR bookshelf with a clean conscience.
All that to say . . . it's a good book. There's not much to say about it, since it really is so short, but I thought it presented a surprisingly sophisticated tale for its length. I'm taking one point off for realism, though: there's no way everyone would just ignore the new Japanese student Mika, leaving her entirely in the hands of one girl. When I was in kindergarten there was a girl in the grade above me who'd just moved from either China or Japan (can't remember which one now, it's been a long time). We all followed her around in a tight pack during recess, bragged to each other about what new words she'd taught us that day over lunch, etc. Well, I say we–after about a week of this I got sick and tired of chasing after the girl just because she was from a different country. I turned to run away from the crowd and accidentally ran smack into my least-favorite classmate, pitching her to the pavement and earning my first (and last) trip to the principal's office. Oh, the irony.
Anyway, my point is that people from different countries are novelties to children–especially when they're little kids who don't speak English. There's no way Billie would have gotten Mika all to herself during recess every day!
All that to say . . . it's a good book. There's not much to say about it, since it really is so short, but I thought it presented a surprisingly sophisticated tale for its length. I'm taking one point off for realism, though: there's no way everyone would just ignore the new Japanese student Mika, leaving her entirely in the hands of one girl. When I was in kindergarten there was a girl in the grade above me who'd just moved from either China or Japan (can't remember which one now, it's been a long time). We all followed her around in a tight pack during recess, bragged to each other about what new words she'd taught us that day over lunch, etc. Well, I say we–after about a week of this I got sick and tired of chasing after the girl just because she was from a different country. I turned to run away from the crowd and accidentally ran smack into my least-favorite classmate, pitching her to the pavement and earning my first (and last) trip to the principal's office. Oh, the irony.
Anyway, my point is that people from different countries are novelties to children–especially when they're little kids who don't speak English. There's no way Billie would have gotten Mika all to herself during recess every day!
October 18, 2015
Billie B. Brown is so excited to be chosen as the buddy for a new student in her class. She loves being there to help ease Mika's transition into a new school, especially since Mika does not speak much English. But when Billie comes to school the next day and Mika copies everything she does, the thrill is gone. Why does Mika have to dress like her and do everything she does? It's enough to make a girl lose her cool.
Do you have any children or students who enjoy hearing stories about Junie B. Jones or Ready, Freddy read aloud to them, but they are not quite ready to read a chapter book of that length on their own? Then Billie B. Brown and Hey Jack! are perfect for them! The same sort of real life situations and humor, but in a shorter format with more illustrations. These books are great for beginning chapter book readers. Don't worry that the boys won't like them, because Billie's friend Jack is in Billie's stories and has his own series, too.
I won a copy of the book in a giveaway by the publisher and can't wait to introduce it to my students.
Do you have any children or students who enjoy hearing stories about Junie B. Jones or Ready, Freddy read aloud to them, but they are not quite ready to read a chapter book of that length on their own? Then Billie B. Brown and Hey Jack! are perfect for them! The same sort of real life situations and humor, but in a shorter format with more illustrations. These books are great for beginning chapter book readers. Don't worry that the boys won't like them, because Billie's friend Jack is in Billie's stories and has his own series, too.
I won a copy of the book in a giveaway by the publisher and can't wait to introduce it to my students.
July 4, 2016
15-Sally Rippin, “Billie B Brown: The Copycat Kid” (Prahran, Victoria, Aust: Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012).
“'Hi Billie,' says Ms Walton. 'Mike will be happy to see you. In fact, it looks like you have a fan!'” (p15)
The 'Billie B Brown' series by Australian author Sally Rippin is a wonderful set of books helping young kids acknowledge and deal with their range of emotions that arise from various childhood predicaments. These books reinforce the positive outcome of good decision making.
“'Hi Billie,' says Ms Walton. 'Mike will be happy to see you. In fact, it looks like you have a fan!'” (p15)
The 'Billie B Brown' series by Australian author Sally Rippin is a wonderful set of books helping young kids acknowledge and deal with their range of emotions that arise from various childhood predicaments. These books reinforce the positive outcome of good decision making.
Read
April 23, 2014Billie has been chosen to be the special buddy for the new girl but dose billie stay the helper all week?
October 17, 2015
It tells us don't be angry with a new student, he/she just doesn't know what to do.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews