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Lulu #6
Lulu and the Hamster in the Night
When Lulu goes for a sleepover at her nan's house, she isn't supposed to take her new hamster. But how can she leave him behind? Lulu adopts a hamster, but she can't tell Nan about it because Nan doesn't care for most animals, especially hamsters. It's her birthday this weekend and Lulu and Mellie are staying the night. Lulu needs to bring her new hamster with her, but can she and Mellie keep it secret from Nan over the weekend?
112 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2013
17 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
About the author
Hilary McKay
134 books387 followersHilary McKay was born in Boston, Lincolnshire and is the eldest of four girls. From a very early age she read voraciously and grew up in a household of readers. Hilary says of herself as a child "I anaesthetised myself against the big bad world with large doses of literature. The local library was as familiar to me as my own home."
After reading Botany and Zoology at St. Andrew's University Hilary then went on to work as a biochemist in an Analysis Department. Hilary enjoyed the work but at the same time had a burning desire to write. After the birth of her two children, Hilary wanted to devote more time to bringing up her children and writing so decided to leave her job.
One of the best things about being a writer, says Hilary, is receiving letters from children. She wishes that she had written to authors as a child, but it never occurred to her to contact them
Hilary now lives in a small village in Derbyshire with her family. When not writing Hilary loves walking, reading, and having friends to stay.
After reading Botany and Zoology at St. Andrew's University Hilary then went on to work as a biochemist in an Analysis Department. Hilary enjoyed the work but at the same time had a burning desire to write. After the birth of her two children, Hilary wanted to devote more time to bringing up her children and writing so decided to leave her job.
One of the best things about being a writer, says Hilary, is receiving letters from children. She wishes that she had written to authors as a child, but it never occurred to her to contact them
Hilary now lives in a small village in Derbyshire with her family. When not writing Hilary loves walking, reading, and having friends to stay.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
April 15, 2015
Another great addition to this child friendly series. Lulu's love of animals is something most young readers can relate to...and often it creates some difficulties. This time she has taken her new hamster to her grandmother's home, secretly as her grandmother doesn't like hamsters. The relationship between Lulu, her cousin Mellie and their Nana is just lovely, as is the girls relationship with the hamster who comes to the good life once he is in Lulu's care. There is an escape, a night time rescue and warm feelings all around. A comfortable book.
July 1, 2017
My sister (mom of five) sent me a message asking if I'd read any of these books. I...hadn't. Librarian FAIL! So I went ahead and grabbed as many as I could find and read through them so I could give her advice on if I thought they'd be good for my nieces. This was the first one I read. I found it to be pretty cute. Decent vocabulary, likable characters, and a good message about taking care of animals who come your way. I also appreciated the close-knit family that is portrayed. My only complaint was that there didn't seem to be any sort of consequence...not even mild displeasure...related to Lulu's dishonesty. That element kept the book from getting a 4 star rating.
March 31, 2019
I love this. So much love and kindness, interesting without trying too hard, smart kiddos, perfect length. I love it. Definitely going to put this series on my baby’s bookshelf when she’s school aged.
April 10, 2019
Adorable Lulu, a very smart and kind young lady who loves to take care of animals.
Pretty drawings here and there, which my too-young-to-read little one liked very much.
Bonus, the writing is quite enjoyable for grownups too.
A lovely read !
Pretty drawings here and there, which my too-young-to-read little one liked very much.
Bonus, the writing is quite enjoyable for grownups too.
A lovely read !
January 22, 2020
Funny and heartwarming
The book is entertaining. Perfect for my elementary school kids who like having pets and an enjoyable read for me too. They relate to the two girls and the animals who always manage to find some sort of harmless mischief.
The book is entertaining. Perfect for my elementary school kids who like having pets and an enjoyable read for me too. They relate to the two girls and the animals who always manage to find some sort of harmless mischief.
June 16, 2020
Great little adventure story about a hamster and his owner.
August 15, 2020
Very nice book💚💙❤💛💜💖💓💌
We loved the book so much!💗 It teaches caring for pets and animals!😄Very nice book !💜Very Nicely written !😃 Very good
We loved the book so much!💗 It teaches caring for pets and animals!😄Very nice book !💜Very Nicely written !😃 Very good
April 26, 2021
Sweet P loves these books.
January 3, 2024
This was not my favorite of the series, but it's still great for independent readers who love pets :)
December 24, 2016
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
When Lulu's classmate, Emma, decides she no longer wants her hamster, Ratty, she gives him to Lulu, who happily takes him in. Just as Lulu and her cousin Mellie get Ratty trained, however, they are invited to spend the weekend with their Nan, who is having a birthday. Convinced that Ratty should not be left alone, they decide to sneak him away with them, even though Nan is terrified of hamsters. Keeping Ratty hidden proves more difficult than expected, however, when Nan's dogs take an interest in him, and then, by accident, he escapes!
It is pretty clear by now that Hilary McKay can make a compelling story out of anything that happens to Lulu and her family and friends. While the plot of this book does not necessarily bring anything new to the stereotypical "lost hamster" storyline, it is exceedingly well-written, and perfectly captures Lulu's ongoing struggle between getting animals out of trouble and getting herself into it. As other titles in the series have done, this one also really celebrates the warm, loving relationship Lulu and Mellie have with their grandmother, and the patience of the adults in Lulu's life for her strong interest in caring for animals.
The writing in these books is always such a pleasant treat to read. McKay has a very artistic writing style that exposes kids to wonderful examples of figurative language and beautiful description without sacrificing the overall simplicity of the text. Here is just one moment that, though very small, exemplifies McKay's talent:
The penguins finished. A new show started about criminal minds.
"No, thank you!" said Nan. "No criminal minds here!" And she switched off the TV so that the screen became blank except for Mellie's reflection.
Fans of the series will be glad to discover this sixth installment about Lulu.
When Lulu's classmate, Emma, decides she no longer wants her hamster, Ratty, she gives him to Lulu, who happily takes him in. Just as Lulu and her cousin Mellie get Ratty trained, however, they are invited to spend the weekend with their Nan, who is having a birthday. Convinced that Ratty should not be left alone, they decide to sneak him away with them, even though Nan is terrified of hamsters. Keeping Ratty hidden proves more difficult than expected, however, when Nan's dogs take an interest in him, and then, by accident, he escapes!
It is pretty clear by now that Hilary McKay can make a compelling story out of anything that happens to Lulu and her family and friends. While the plot of this book does not necessarily bring anything new to the stereotypical "lost hamster" storyline, it is exceedingly well-written, and perfectly captures Lulu's ongoing struggle between getting animals out of trouble and getting herself into it. As other titles in the series have done, this one also really celebrates the warm, loving relationship Lulu and Mellie have with their grandmother, and the patience of the adults in Lulu's life for her strong interest in caring for animals.
The writing in these books is always such a pleasant treat to read. McKay has a very artistic writing style that exposes kids to wonderful examples of figurative language and beautiful description without sacrificing the overall simplicity of the text. Here is just one moment that, though very small, exemplifies McKay's talent:
The penguins finished. A new show started about criminal minds.
"No, thank you!" said Nan. "No criminal minds here!" And she switched off the TV so that the screen became blank except for Mellie's reflection.
Fans of the series will be glad to discover this sixth installment about Lulu.
May 14, 2015
http://noranydroptoread.com/2015/05/1...
In LULU AND THE HAMSTER IN THE NIGHT, Lulu rescues a neglected hamster from a "big girl" at her school, Emma Pond, who (like everyone) knows of Lulu's animal rescue efforts and offers the hamster to Lulu. Since the alternative is Emma releasing the hamster into the wild, Lulu takes the hamster and immediately begins his transformation by improving his living conditions and conditioning him to accept kindness from humans. In the middle of this socialization process is Nan's birthday. What Nan wants for her birthday is a slumber party with Lulu and her cousin Mellie. Nan doesn't like hamsters. And she has three cats. But Lulu is reluctant to leave Ratty at home, so she sneaks him to Nan's, disguised as a present. But Ratty escapes, leaving Mellie and Lulu to track him down before the cats do and without Nan finding out.
I enjoy reading Lulu stories out loud, and this was no exception. Lilah and I laughed quite a bit during this installment, which has the girls trying to find a way *inside* a wall, a suspicious neighbor calling the police, and trying to act casual around Nan despite their panic. The birthday party for Nan is lots of fun, with both the girls and Nan using their imaginations to create a memorable occasion. Lilah and I give this one all our thumbs up.
Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title courtesy of the publisher.
In LULU AND THE HAMSTER IN THE NIGHT, Lulu rescues a neglected hamster from a "big girl" at her school, Emma Pond, who (like everyone) knows of Lulu's animal rescue efforts and offers the hamster to Lulu. Since the alternative is Emma releasing the hamster into the wild, Lulu takes the hamster and immediately begins his transformation by improving his living conditions and conditioning him to accept kindness from humans. In the middle of this socialization process is Nan's birthday. What Nan wants for her birthday is a slumber party with Lulu and her cousin Mellie. Nan doesn't like hamsters. And she has three cats. But Lulu is reluctant to leave Ratty at home, so she sneaks him to Nan's, disguised as a present. But Ratty escapes, leaving Mellie and Lulu to track him down before the cats do and without Nan finding out.
I enjoy reading Lulu stories out loud, and this was no exception. Lilah and I laughed quite a bit during this installment, which has the girls trying to find a way *inside* a wall, a suspicious neighbor calling the police, and trying to act casual around Nan despite their panic. The birthday party for Nan is lots of fun, with both the girls and Nan using their imaginations to create a memorable occasion. Lilah and I give this one all our thumbs up.
Source disclosure: I received an e-galley of this title courtesy of the publisher.
November 28, 2015
Summary: Lulu loves animals, all kinds of animals. One day she rescues a hamster from a big girl at school who was going to get rid of it because it bit her. Lulu took the hamster home and trained it to be friendly. But then she was invited to spend the night at her grandma’s house with her cousin, Mellie. Lulu wanted to go to Nan’s house, but she didn’t want to leave her new hamster alone. So Lulu and Mellie secretly bring the hamster to Nan’s house. That night, the hamster escapes and gets caught inside the walls of Nan’s house. Luckily for the girls, Nan’s cats know exactly where the hamster is at all times and a policeman showed them how to make a trap to catch the hamster with a bucket, a scarf, and some carrot pieces. Nan and the girls stay in the garden waiting for the hamster to crawl into the trap but they fall asleep and the hamster takes all the carrot pieces away and goes back to his own cage to sleep!
http://julianaleewriter.com/the-cybil...
http://julianaleewriter.com/the-cybil...
April 15, 2015
Lulu and the Hamster in the Night. The most important sequel is Lulu because she has her own series, and while 1493 contains vital information and almost achieved top spot for the most essential sequel, Hilary McKay beat Charles Mann by invoking proper hamster care in fun form. Because Lulu's stupid classmate can't handle her hamster so she threatens to abandon him. Lulu grabs the hamster and socializes him but at a critical juncture in his friendliness training, her Nan's birthday arrives and she and Mellie need to sleep over at Nan's for her birthday weekend. Can she sneak the hamster into Nan's house? Hamsters are social, curious, nocturnal fuzzies and Lulu and the Hamster in the Night emphasizes the nocturnal when the hamster escapes and goes on a hamster-blast adventure fun and Lulu and Mellie need to rescue him without waking Nan.
http://surfeitofbooks.blogspot.com/20...
http://surfeitofbooks.blogspot.com/20...
June 15, 2015
This was a cute story. Lulu loves animals, and one of her classmates was mistreating her pet hamster. Lulu told her classmate she would take the hamster. She cleaned the cage, and her cousin built a maze for the hamster. The story teaches children how to be responsible pet owners, and the responsibilities of taking care of a pet. Lulu and her cousin are invited to their Nana's for a weekend, to celebrate Nana's birthday. They don't think the grandmother will like having a hamster in her home, so the wrap the cage like a gift. The hamster get out of the cage, and gets in the wall of the house. They have a little adventure getting it out, with the help of Nana, and a policeman. Nana thinks it's an exciting way to celebrate her birthday.
The illustrations are very good, most of them are of the cute little black cousins.
The illustrations are very good, most of them are of the cute little black cousins.
March 14, 2015
Another wonderful installment in this series. Lulu and Mellie are celebrating their grandma's birthday with a sleepover. Lulu knows she shouldn't bring her new pet hamster (for one thing, Nan has three cats!) but she does, and, of course, he manages to escape. I think kids, especially kids who love animals, can totally relate to Lulu and the trouble she gets into. And, as ever, it is nice to have a well-written, funny series to recommend that has non-white main characters.
February 1, 2013
One of my very favorite books in this fabulous series (right up there with Lulu and the Dog From the Sea and Lulu and the Rabbit Next Door). Oh, I love Lulu! As usual, she gets into lots of wacky trouble through the new animal she cares for, and as usual, my son and I laughed and laughed. Long may this series continue!
May 6, 2015
Lulu was famous for animals, and Lulu's parents were also famous—for allowing Lulu to have so many. There are just so many pets to rescue! But not everyone is fond of having lots of animals. When Lulu and her cousin Mellie decide to bring Ratty the hamster to grandma Nan's house for the weekend, they try to keep it a secret. The problem is, Ratty decides to have an adventure of his own.
April 28, 2015
Lulu just keeps adding to her menagerie! But what does she do when she heads to Grandma's house and grandma doesn't necessarily like her latest addition? Read this Lulu book to find out. If you haven't read others in this series, you are surely missing out on some fun animal stories.
April 21, 2015
Love the LuLu books!
Read
November 12, 2015Read #7
February 17, 2016
I am not a big fan of pet books, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. More thoughts here: http://www.sunlitpages.com/2016/02/th...
November 27, 2016
Lulu is awesome. So is her grandmother.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews