There's an exciting addition to the Upton Green family (and it's not whatever Mr Paws has left on the living room carpet...).
But getting a new little sister isn't nearly as straightforward as Billie expects. Why are there so many rules? It's been weeks and weeks, and she still hasn't been able to hold the baby up at Show & Tell.
Luckily, the school musical is in full swing, giving Billie the perfect distraction. She just needs to watch out for Painy Janey, who has her eyes on the main part and doesn't care what gets in her way...
This is the third in the brilliant series of B.U.G books by the lovely Jen Carney, published by Penguin. I had already been sent books 1 and 2 by the publishers, and Isla had loved them, so she was very excited when we saw the latest in the series on a visit to Blackwell's in Oxford (just an incredible bookshop!), and it was bought and read in record time - 2 evenings!
Continuing to follow the adventures and events in the life of Billie Upton Green (B.U.G.) this latest story tells of the dramas in her family as they adopt a younger sister for Billie. Of course, this isn't an easy process and not everything goes to plan!
Billie's classmates don't make life easy for her, and alongside the dramas of the school show she takes part in, Billie faces, but overcomes, lots of life's challenges as the story unfolds.
Isla says: 'This is an amazing book. I hope there's another one coming out soon! I like how Billie's parents think it's a spelling jotter but it's actually a diary. I liked how there were pictures all the way through to go with the writing, and that it was a diary that sounded like Billie was telling the story - I like diaries!'
I love the way that this is a more realistic portrayal of life for the character - not as nonsensical as Wimpy Kid or Tom Gates, but perfect for fans of those, and how it addresses potentially sensitive issues in a careful and thoughtful manner. I too, look forward to the next in the series, if not to read it myself, to see the joy and enjoyment it brings to the face of an avid fan!
Books 1 and 2 in the series, as well as this latest one, are available to order through Jen's website:
jen-carney.com/ where you can also find out lots of facts about her and her writing/illustrating too. You can follow her on Twitter as @jennycarney
See what's going on and follow BUG's adventures at Jen's official YouTube channel:
Thanks to Penguin for the copies of the first two books in the series...find out more from them here:
Review by Rich Simpson (@richreadalot) with a little help from Isla, aged 9, February 2022.
All opinions our own.