The Deep End

Billie B Brown #17

by Sally Rippin

In this gorgeous story from the blockbuster chapter-book series, Billie B Brown is learning to swim! In The Deep End, Billie’s class starts swimming lessons in the big pool. Will Billie be too scared to swim in the deep end? Written by the Australian Children’s Laureate Sally Rippin, Billie B Brown is the perfect first chapter-book series. Every down-to-earth story follows bold, brilliant Billie as she uses her imagination to tackle a new challenge, whether it’s about friends, family or feelings. With her best friend, Jack, by her side, there’s nothing Billie can’t do! With more than ten million books in print around the world, Billie B Brown has helped a generation of readers love learning to read. Each book is carefully designed with short chapters, decodable vocabulary and lots of illustrations, and there are no mountains of text or super-tricky words to intimidate the early reader. And there’s plenty of books in the Billie B Brown series to explore! For more wonderful series by Australian Children’s Laureate Sally Rippin, check out the Hey Jack! and School of Monsters series.Readers will love other books in the Billie B Brown! The Bad ButterflyThe Soccer StarThe Midnight FeastThe Best Day EverThe Snow DayThe Wonderful Wedding and many more!

Genres: Childrens

24 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2012

About the author

Sally Rippin was born in Darwin, but grew up mainly in South-East Asia. As a young adult she lived in China for three years, studying traditional Chinese painting. Sally has over seventy books published, many of them award-winning, including two novels for young adults. Her most recent work includes the highly acclaimed children’s novel Angel Creek and the popular Billie B Brown books, which became the highest selling series for 6-8 year olds in Australia within the first year of their release. Sally is Australia’s highest selling female author and her Billie B Brown books have sold more than 4.5 million copies in 14 languages.
​
Sally is a popular presenter in schools and at literary festivals both in Australia and overseas and has a regular program on 3RRR interviewing children’s authors and industry professionals. She is a passionate ambassador for the 100 Story Building creative writing centre for marginalized youth and has mentored many emerging writers and illustrators. Recently, she and her partner co-founded Story Peddlers, a hand-made performance tent that packs away into a custom-built bike, with the aim of bringing back the art of the roving storyteller.

Reviews

[Jayse · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughter Macy loved this book. She has swimming tomorrow and can totally identify with Billie being a bit scared of the deep end.

This is a great series 😍

[Erica Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can definitely understand how Billie felt. I used to be afraid of the deep end myself until my best friend helped me conquer that fear a few years ago.

[Jill Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billie B Brown is afraid to go in the big pool, the deep end is so deep!

Her friend Jack is a good swimmer and he's in the Sharks the best swimming group. The Stingrays is the second group but she's not good enough to be in that group either. She tries to be brave and jumps in but the teacher pulls her out. She's been put in the Swordfish group, the worst group for those who are just learning to swim.

But another girl called Lola is in the same group. Will they learn to swim? Billie had a great idea, she told the teacher she and Lola didn't want to be in the Swordfish group. They would be in the Doggie Paddle group. That's what they did.

This is another charming early reading for youngsters to enjoy.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, it was just a little bad because she jumped in and wanted to prove that she was good enough swimming so she could go to sharks with Jack and she sunk to the bottom of the pool because it was the deep end. I didn't like that she sank to the bottom of the pool. But then the teacher grabbed her and put her on the edge of the pool and gave her a bad look on her face because she was mad. By the end she learned that she could make her own swimming lesson class in the little pool called doggy paddlers.

[Sonya Bright]

One of my favourite things about this series is how the author takes stereotypes and does away with them - in this case, the "popular girl" who turns out to be more complex than she might initially appear.

Billie's vulnerability in this book was well done - she really doesn't want to swim. I think the illustrations in this instalment were particularly good, and really added something to each scene.

This was one of my favourite books in the series.

[Laura]

These books have been a great fit for my daughter who is transitioning from decodable books to trade books. These have helped build her confidence, ability, and stamina!
The story line is also super engaging and relevant for kids aged 6-9.

[Violet Hartwig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Violet was a little scared and worried about Billie almost drowning

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how Billie was able to overcome her fear of the deep end by helping out another classmate in need.

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Better than those dolphins, and at least it is very short. Billie can't swim and feels embarrassed. Finds out at the swimming lessons that another girl cannot swim either. They bond. The end.
At least it was short. 3/10 

[Class 10 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a girl called Billie and she is scared of the deep end at the swimming pool.When she got on the bus she had ah I idea that to hide her swimming bag under the bus seat because her teacher said to make sure that they have their swimming bag.so she swam under the water and dived under the water so she can have courage to the deep end of swimming pool.she found courage to swim in the pool.

I think this is a good book of kids age's 5 and up because it teaches you to do good things in life.this book has no bad scenes in the book.so it is a good book and it entertain you when you are reading the book.

[Andy Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

16-Sally Rippin, “Billie B Brown: The Deep End” (​​Prahran, Victoria, Aust: Hardie Grant Egmont, 2012).
“Billie is more like an octopus than a shark. Arms and legs everywhere!” (p12)
“Right now she feels more like a wobbly jellyfish.” (p21)

The 'Billie B Brown' series by Australian author Sally Rippin is a wonderful set of books helping young kids acknowledge and deal with their range of emotions that arise from various childhood predicaments. These books reinforce the positive outcome of good decision making.

[Ammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

J is starting to read these aloud to V, and I figured I would add one in that I listened in on. These are very relatable for V right now and she is very engaged as J reads. These are very early readers and we expect V to read them in a year or two, but for now, it is a good bonding series for these two.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nolie loves reading these books at night, fun little chapter books!

[Ella Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so fun to read! And it was relatable to when I was really young and wanted to learn to swim so badly cause I loved the water and I still do! (Luckily I learnt to swim)