Jacky Ha-Ha by James Patterson a top selling author, is a perfect read for girls age 9+.  Packed full of fun and jokes as it follows Jacky Ha-Ha’s day to day life in which she can’t help cracking jokes and seeing the funny side in everything.  She turns any dull moment into a laugh sometimes without thinking it through but is this just a cover for the emotions she is feeling inside?  We were sent a bundle of books and goodies to hold a girls book club at home and my 9yr old Miss M was excited to invite a group of her school friends round.

“With her irresistible urge to tell a joke in every situation – even when she really, really shouldn’t – twelve-year-old Jacky Ha-Ha loves to make people laugh. And cracking wise helps distract her from thinking about not-so-funny things in her life, like her mum serving in a dangerous, faraway war, and a dad who’s hardly ever home.
But no matter how much fun Jacky has, she can’t seem to escape her worries. So one starlit night, she makes a promise to keep her family together… even if she has to give up the one thing that makes her happy. But can she stop being Jacky Ha-Ha, if that’s who she really is?”

The girls all arrived rather excitedly and couldn’t wait to share their thoughts on the book.  They were all enjoying what they had read so we started off by having a little chat, talking about some questions from the prompt sheet I had been sent such as:

• How did Jacky get her nickname?
• What are some of your talents?
• Have you ever stuck up for a friend in the way Jacky sticks up for Meredith?

It was lovely hearing the girls chat and discuss things that we wouldn’t have otherwise and they all seemed to have fun, being inspired by what others said which led them to think of other things to say.  It certainly seems to help reiterate the story line of the book and got the girls to think about parts of their life they may not have otherwise.  They also recalled funny bits they remembered which set them all off in giggles!

Although the book is quite lengthy, it is broken up with black and white images on most pages which the girls enjoyed and helped maintain their interest whilst reading.  Ideal for girls from 9 to 12 years old it is a busy story line but one with meaning and depth behind it.

Once the discussions were over it was time for some fun.  The girls happily did their word searches and coloured the props for the Jacky Ha-Ha photo booth, whilst sucking lollipops and enjoying a refreshing glass of lemonade.

The photo booth was a huge success and they posed in various ways whilst giggling together.

We really enjoyed the Jacky Ha-Ha book club and would definitely like to hold another in the future.  The girls weren’t sure what to expect at first but found it fun and loved that they were all reading the same book.  It certainly helped the girls bond and reinforced their love of reading!

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