Jacky Ha-Ha

by James Patterson, Chris Grabenstein, Kerascoët (Illustrator)

Overview

In this #1 New York Times bestselling novel, get to know Jacky Ha-Ha, a funny class clown who loves to make people laugh—even when everything else in her life feels anything but silly.

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 mom 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?

Don't miss Jacky Ha-Ha's other hilarious stories: Jacky Ha-Ha: My Life is a Joke and Jacky Ha-Ha Gets the Last Laugh!  

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316262491
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	03/21/2016
Series:	Jacky Ha-Ha Series , #1
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	1,104,236
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 7.70(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

James Patterson received the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community at the 2015 National Book Awards. He holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers, and his books have sold more than 350 million copies worldwide. A tireless champion of the power of books and reading, Patterson created a children's book imprint, JIMMY Patterson, whose mission is simple: "We want every kid who finishes a JIMMY Book to say, 'PLEASE GIVE ME ANOTHER BOOK.'" He has donated more than one million books to students and soldiers and funds over four hundred Teacher Education Scholarships at twenty-four colleges and universities. He has also donated millions to independent bookstores and school libraries. Patterson invests proceeds from the sales of JIMMY Patterson Books in pro-reading initiatives.

Hometown:

Palm Beach, Florida

Date of Birth:

March 22, 1947

Place of Birth:

Newburgh, New York

Education:

B.A., Manhattan College, 1969; M.A., Vanderbilt University, 1971

Website:

http://www.jamespatterson.com

Editorial Reviews

3/16/2016
When you’re the middle child in a household of seven girls, it takes a lot to get noticed—but Jacky Hart, the heroine of James Patterson’s lively new novel for young readers, Jacky Ha-Ha, is up for the challenge. A wisecracking, prank-loving free spirit who is equally adept at sassing teachers and putting bullies in their place, Jacky loves nothing more than performing in front of an audience—whether it’s her beloved grandmother, Nonna, or a crowd that has formed to watch Jacky and her friends see if they can eat every kind of greasy food sold along the boardwalk of their seaside New Jersey town.Read More

B&N Reads

02/15/2016
Seventh grader Jacky Hart has been the class clown ever since classmates laughed at her stutter back in elementary school. "What's so wrong with wanting to be liked?" she wonders. Now "Jacky Ha-Ha" can't break out of her routine, even though her rudeness and pranks earn her numerous detentions. With her mother serving in Operation Desert Shield (the story is set on the Jersey Shore in 1990) and her father mysteriously absent most nights, Jacky is left without much guidance. Could a dynamic new English teacher help redirect Jacky's need to perform? The story is stuffed with page-turning pranks and social and family drama (Jacky is one of six sisters), and the swoopy b&w cartoons from Kerascoët, a pseudonym for French artists Marie Pommepuy and Sébastian Cosset, only add to Jacky's untamed energy. Framed as a successful comedy writer looking back on her wild 12th year, the novel is sure to amuse and encourage readers who don't have it all figured out just yet. Ages 8–12. Author's agent: (for Patterson) Robert Barnett, Williams & Connolly; (for Grabenstein) Eric Myers, Spieler Agency. Illustrator's agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

A #1 New York Times Bestseller!

A Parents' Choice Award Winner!
A National Parenting Products Award Winner!

"...Jacky is the best yet. Fun, smart, emotionally engaging, Jacky is a character that young readers will love spending time with."— Kirkus Reviews

"Readers will find Jacky entertaining.... the art is playful and fun. This title is sure to have high circulation among fans of Patterson's previous works."
— School Library Journal

"The story is stuffed with page-turning pranks, and the swoopy b&w cartoons from Kerascoët only add to Jacky's untamed energy.... The novel is sure to amuse and encourage readers who don't have it all figured out just yet."
— Publisher's Weekly

"Smart, funny, and immensely likable, Jacky is a colorful narrator and an increasingly interesting character, and her struggles will strike a chord with many readers.... The many black-and-white cartoon-style drawings increase the book's appeal."— Booklist

"James Patterson has figured out the formula for writing entertaining books for tween readers. Jacky is a wildly engaging character. [The story is] great fun." — Parents' Choice

"Jacky is a genuinely likable and funny protagonist...Kerascoët's black and white illustrations are full of verve and energy, as cartoonish Jacky careens her way through life."— BCCB

From the Publisher

03/01/2016
Gr 4–6—The jokes fall flat in this mediocre tale of family, middle school mishaps, and personal acceptance. Jacky recounts her life during the 1990s, when George H.W. Bush was president and Nintendo was popular. Jacky Hart, the fourth of six sisters, uses her quick wit to disguise her speech impediment. Although she makes herself a promise to behave differently in middle school, she unfortunately ends up, once again, being the class clown. This stems from her home life. There, she needs to be a personal cheerleader to her sisters, as their father is mysteriously missing during family dinners and their mother is off serving in Operation Desert Shield. When Jacky finds herself in big trouble for being a jokester, Mrs. O'Mara, a new English teacher, helps her realize that she has talent far beyond collecting detentions. Readers will find Jacky entertaining, but her character is ultimately unoriginal. Cartoon illustrations are interspersed throughout the novel, similar to those in Patterson's I Funny (Little, Brown, 2013) and Rachel Renee Russell's "Dork Diaries" series (S. & S.). While the art is playful and fun to look at, it never feels essential to the text. Readers may find Jacky's grown-up narration confusing, as she recounts her life as a middle schooler. The ending is unrealistic. VERDICT Despite its many shortcomings, this title is sure to have high circulation among fans of Patterson's previous works.—Jessica Bratt, Grand Rapids Public Library, Grand Rapids, MI

School Library Journal

2016-02-02
A precocious seventh-grader tries to turn over a new leaf and end her term as the class clown. It's New Jersey, 1990, and Jacky Hart is the middle child in a family with six other girls. Attention is hard to come by, but Jacky has earned her fair share by being the endlessly funny member of her large, white family. Unfortunately, Jacky's teachers do not appreciate this goofball attitude. Jacky joins the school play to channel her talents creatively and discovers a passion for performing, but not all is well. Jacky's mother is overseas as a citizen soldier in the run-up to the first Gulf War, and her lifeguard father is spending way too much time with an attractive female fellow lifeguard. A lot of other things happen too, but this is typical for Patterson. His novels are made or broken not by their plots but by their lead characters, and Jacky is the best yet. Fun, smart, emotionally engaging, Jacky is a character that young readers will love spending time with. Sure, the novel could lose about 100 pages and still tell the same story, but Jacky and her sisters are so endearing readers won't feel the effects of the chubby second and third acts until long after finishing the book, and few will really care. Pop-culture references from the '90s and the 2010s (for comparison) abound. A typical Patterson plot significantly elevated by its title character. (Historical fiction. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews