Juggling Jeremy (Blue Bananas)
Blue bananas Series
on Goodreads (7)
What’s inside...
In the book by Chris D'Lacey, a young boy named Jeremy discovers his love for juggling using various objects like bundles of socks, eggs, and cuddly toys. However, his juggling often leads to accidents and causes his mum to become angry. During a day out in the country, a blacksmith shows Jeremy the proper way to juggle. After seeing the skill involved, Jeremy realizes that juggling is not for him and decides to give it up.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
4-7
Length
48 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What do you think made Jeremy decide to start juggling?
How do you think Jeremy felt when he was learning to juggle?
Can you think of a time when you tried something new? How did it make you feel?
What do you think the story teaches us about practice and perseverance?
If you could juggle anything, what would it be and why?
Tip: Role play these questions
Start by sharing your own experiences with trying something new to encourage your child to open up.
Ask your child to predict what might happen next in the story before you turn the page, to keep them engaged and thinking ahead.
After reading, use real objects to attempt simple juggling to bring the story to life and discuss the challenges faced by Jeremy in a hands-on way.
Relate the story's themes to your child’s life by discussing any current challenges they are facing and how persistence might help.
End your discussion by celebrating effort, not just success, to emphasize the value of perseverance shown in the book.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Practice and perseverance lead to success
Explanation: In 'Juggling Jeremy,' Jeremy practices his juggling and improves steadily throughout the story, demonstrating that consistent effort can lead to mastery of a skill.
Real-World Application: Children can apply this lesson by consistently practicing a skill such as playing an instrument or a sport, understanding that improvement comes with persistence.
Example Lesson: Teamwork and collaboration are valuable
Explanation: Jeremy collaborates with his friends during the juggling show, highlighting the importance of working together to achieve a common goal.
Real-World Application: This lesson can inspire children to participate in group activities, understand the importance of cooperating with others, and see how teamwork can lead to success in both academic and extracurricular activities.
Example Lesson: It's okay to make mistakes
Explanation: While learning to juggle, Jeremy drops the balls several times but continues to try. This shows that making mistakes is a part of learning and shouldn't discourage persistence.
Real-World Application: Children can be encouraged to embrace mistakes as learning opportunities, helping them to tackle new challenges without fear of failure and develop resilience.