- Illustrated Chapter Books
- Ages 8–11
- Comedy
My Great Success and Other Failures
Book 4 in Jess JacksonView the full series
When a local comic shop wants Jess's cartoons for a campaign, she's in danger of becoming properly famous at school, and of learning the hard way that success isn't quite what it looks like.
- Best for8–11
- FormatIllustrated
- Length208 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr25 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Irreverent
- Warm
- Heartwarming
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Jess Jackson's cartoons are finally taking off. A local comic store wants to use her drawings in a campaign, which puts her in real danger of becoming famous at school, and being famous turns out to be a lot more complicated than she imagined. As the attention grows, so do the tensions with her friends, and Jess discovers that what looks like a great success from the outside can feel a lot like a series of failures from the inside. Not that it's going to her head. Or that it's really much of a success at all. The fourth in comedian Catherine Wilkins's Jess Jackson series is a wry, laugh-out-loud comedy about ambition, friendship and the gap between how things look and how they feel, illustrated throughout by Sarah Horne. Warm, quick and hugely relatable, it's a perfect finale for fans of the series.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Aimed at 8-11s reading independently, with cartoon-led humour for confident younger readers and strong read-aloud appeal from about 7. The themes of ambition and fame land most for upper-primary readers.
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- Best fit · 8–11
- Read aloud · 7–10
- Independent · 8–11
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Moderate
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Funny school stories
- Friendship dramas
- Reluctant readers
- Tween girls
- Cartooning and comics
Avoid if
No common reasons to avoid this one — a rare clean sweep on the sensitivity flags.
Particularly good for children who are…
- Interested in art and creativity
- Making friends
- Reluctant reader
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Jess's cartoons make her almost-famous, and it turns out fame is far messier than she hoped. The wry gap between looking successful and feeling like a failure is funny, honest and completely relatable.
- Being understood finally
- Friendship and belonging
- Proving yourself
Why parents love it
A witty, clear-eyed comedy about ambition and the strain it puts on friendships, told with warmth and zero preachiness. The cartoon-led humour keeps reluctant readers turning the pages.
- Shared humour
- Quick to read
In the series
Jess Jackson.
4 books · open the series →
About the creators
About the creators.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
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Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
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