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Jessi's Big Break is the 115th book in The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin.

Back Cover Summary[]

Jessi's made it into the Dance New York program! For three weeks, she'll study with one of her heroes, dancer David Brailsford. And she'll stay in the city too.

Before long, Jessi's happier than she's ever been. She's making great new friends, she's enjoying the city, and she's totally loving Dance NY. In fact, the only cloud on her horizon is the approaching end of the program.

Then Jessi learns she has a chance to blow that cloud away — and join Dance NY full-time. Doing that would mean leaving Stoneybrook...and the BSC. Jessi knows dancing is her destiny. But is she ready to go for it now?

Main Plot[]

Jessi gets a 3 week scholarship with Dance New York (DNY). When she is offered a full time job with DNY she turns it down because she is not ready.

Subplot[]

Characters[]

Jessi's Family

Extended Family

BSC Members

Kids

Pre-Teens

  • Quint Walter
  • Maritza Cruz
  • Celeste, Marcus Glover, Celeste Rodriguez, Michiko Nakamura, Randy Hamill, - Dance NY students

Teenagers

  • Tanisha Cruz - Full time Dance NY students
  • Rasheen, Simi, Brandon, Julissa, Denise - Maritza's friends

Adults

Locations[]

  • New York City
  • Ramsey House
  • Pike House
  • Cruz Apartment
  • Walter Apartment
  • Pike House

Pop Culture and Real-Life References[]

  • Bonnie Bryant, Marguerite Henry (authors)
  • Laura Ashley, Danskins (brands)
  • The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
  • Mikhail Baryshnikov, Judith Jamison, Robert LaFosse, Mark Morris (dancers)
  • Bach
  • Star Wars
  • Hans Christian Anderson's "The Little Match Girl"
  • Steven Spielberg
  • Tom Cruise

Continuity and Inconsistencies[]

Continuity

Inconsistencies

  • In this book, Jessi says that John Kishi is a banker. In most of the other books, he is a partner in an investment firm in Stamford.

Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]

Dear Reader,

In Jessi’s Big Break, Jessi has the adventure of her ballet lifetime. Not only does she get to attend a prestigious ballet school but she gets to live in New York City with a group of new friends with whom she has a lot in common. Jessi finds she loves living in Brooklyn and that being a kid in New York is not as different from being a kid in Stoneybrook as she had thought it would be. She can visit her friends at their apartments. They can order pizza and have a party. She also finds that, unlike in Stoneybrook, she can order in any kind of food at any hour of the day. Plus, she can go to a movie — or she can go to a Broadway show, a jazz club, a museum, or an art gallery. Instead of being driven in a car when she wants to go somewhere, she can take the subway.

Being a kid in New York is exciting! Jessi loved every minute of her visit. You can see why she had a hard time deciding whether to leave Dance NY!

Trivia[]

  • Jessi's dance friends also appear briefly in Baby-sitters' European Vacation.
  • Jessi's aunts and uncles on her father's side is Charles, Arthur, and Cecelia.
  • Mr. Ramsey tells jokes that embarrass Jessi.
  • Aunt Cecelia is uncomfortable with answering machines.
  • Throgs Neck Bridge is a real bridge that goes to New York.
  • This is the last book Jessi narrates.
  • Quint's parents call Jessi the dance angel.
  • Jessi and Maritza with their friends created a video called Ballet is Murder.
  • Real places Jessi visited in New York include: The Blue Note, Carnegie Hall, Statue of Liberty, Twin Towers, Chinatown, Little Italy, Penn Station, Greenwich Village, Empire State Building, Sylvia's Restaurant.
  • Janine calls Claudia's art "play therapy."
  • The triplets help out on sitting jobs sometimes.
  • The Pikes makes Jessi a cassette telegram with Becca.
    • Claire tells her about her class rabbit
    • Byron wants to read her his English report
    • Becca suggests everyone sings.
  • Jessi doesn't think she'd be ready for a boyfriend until she's thirteen or fourteen.
  • All the shops in Stoneybrook close at 9.
  • Mallory would never want to work in New York.
  • This is one of the few mentions of e-mail in the main series.
  • Becca knows about The Record Book and writes in it.
  • Jessi was offered to dance full time.
  • Jessi really didn't miss the BSC that much.
Baby-Sitters Club Books
The Summer Before | #1 Kristy's Great Idea | #2 Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls | #3 The Truth About Stacey | #4 Mary Anne Saves the Day | #5 Dawn and the Impossible Three | #6 Kristy's Big Day | #7 Claudia and Mean Janine | #8 Boy-Crazy Stacey | #9 The Ghost at Dawn's House | #10 Logan Likes Mary Anne! | #11 Kristy and the Snobs | #12 Claudia and the New Girl | #13 Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye | #14 Hello, Mallory | #15 Little Miss Stoneybrook... and Dawn | #16 Jessi's Secret Language | #17 Mary Anne's Bad-Luck Mystery | #18 Stacey's Mistake | #19 Claudia and the Bad Joke | #20 Kristy and the Walking Disaster | #21 Mallory and the Trouble with Twins | #22 Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter | #23 Dawn on the Coast | #24 Kristy and the Mother's Day Surprise | #25 Mary Anne and the Search for Tigger | #26 Claudia and the Sad Good-bye | #27 Jessi and the Superbrat | #28 Welcome Back, Stacey! | #29 Mallory and the Mystery Diary | #30 Mary Anne and the Great Romance | #31 Dawn's Wicked Stepsister | #32 Kristy and the Secret of Susan | #33 Claudia and the Great Search | #34 Mary Anne and Too Many Boys | #35 Stacey and the Mystery of Stoneybrook | #36 Jessi's Baby-Sitter | #37 Dawn and the Older Boy | #38 Kristy's Mystery Admirer | #39 Poor Mallory! | #40 Claudia and the Middle School Mystery | #41 Mary Anne vs. Logan | #42 Jessi and the Dance School Phantom | #43 Stacey's Emergency | #44 Dawn and the Big Sleepover | #45 Kristy and the Baby Parade | #46 Mary Anne Misses Logan | #47 Mallory on Strike | #48 Jessi's Wish | #49 Claudia and the Genius of Elm Street | #50 Dawn's Big Date | #51 Stacey's Ex-Best Friend | #52 Mary Anne + 2 Many Babies | #53 Kristy for President | #54 Mallory and the Dream Horse | #55 Jessi's Gold Medal | #56 Keep Out, Claudia! | #57 Dawn Saves the Planet | #58 Stacey's Choice | #59 Mallory Hates Boys (and Gym) | #60 Mary Anne's Makeover | #61 Jessi and the Awful Secret | #62 Kristy and the Worst Kid Ever | #63 Claudia's Freind Friend | #64 Dawn's Family Feud | #65 Stacey's Big Crush | #66 Maid Mary Anne | #67 Dawn's Big Move | #68 Jessi and the Bad Baby-sitter | #69 Get Well Soon, Mallory! | #70 Stacey and the Cheerleaders | #71 Claudia and the Perfect Boy | #72 Dawn and the We Love Kids Club | #73 Mary Anne and Miss Priss | #74 Kristy and the Copycat | #75 Jessi's Horrible Prank | #76 Stacey's Lie | #77 Dawn and Whitney, Friends Forever | #78 Claudia and Crazy Peaches | #79 Mary Anne Breaks the Rules | #80 Mallory Pike, No. 1 Fan | #81 Kristy and Mr. Mom | #82 Jessi and the Troublemaker | #83 Stacey vs. the BSC | #84 Dawn and the School Spirit War | #85 Claudia Kishi, Live From WSTO! | #86 Mary Anne and Camp BSC | #87 Stacey and the Bad Girls | #88 Farewell, Dawn | #89 Kristy and the Dirty Diapers | #90 Welcome to the BSC, Abby! | #91 Claudia and the First Thanksgiving | #92 Mallory's Christmas Wish | #93 Mary Anne and the Memory Garden | #94 Stacey McGill, Super Sitter | #95 Kristy + Bart = ? | #96 Abby's Lucky Thirteen | #97 Claudia and the World's Cutest Baby | #98 Dawn and Too Many Sitters | #99 Stacey's Broken Heart | #100 Kristy's Worst Idea | #101 Claudia Kishi, Middle School Dropout | #102 Mary Anne and the Little Princess | #103 Happy Holidays, Jessi | #104 Abby's Twin | #105 Stacey the Math Whiz | #106 Claudia, Queen of the Seventh Grade | #107 Mind Your Own Business, Kristy! | #108 Don't Give Up, Mallory! | #109 Mary Anne to the Rescue | #110 Abby the Bad Sport | #111 Stacey's Secret Friend | #112 Kristy and the Sister War | #113 Claudia Makes Up Her Mind | #114 The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier | #115 Jessi's Big Break | #116 Abby and the Best Kid Ever | #117 Claudia and the Terrible Truth | #118 Kristy Thomas, Dog Trainer | #119 Stacey's Ex-Boyfriend | #120 Mary Anne and the Playground Fight | #121 Abby in Wonderland | #122 Kristy in Charge | #123 Claudia's Big Party | #124 Stacey McGill... Matchmaker? | #125 Mary Anne in the Middle | #126 The All-New Mallory Pike | #127 Abby's Un-Valentine | #128 Claudia and the Little Liar | #129 Kristy at Bat | #130 Stacey's Movie | #131 The Fire at Mary Anne's House
Super Specials
#1 Baby-sitters on Board! | #2 Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation | #3 Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation | #4 Baby-sitters' Island Adventure | #5 California Girls! | #6 New York, New York! | #7 Snowbound | #8 Baby-sitters at Shadow Lake | #9 Starring the Baby-sitters Club #10 Sea City, Here We Come! | #11 The Baby-sitters Remember | #12 Here Come the Bridesmaids! | #13 Aloha, Baby-sitters! | #14 BSC in the USA | #15 Baby-sitters' European Vacation
Portrait Collection
Stacey's Book | Claudia's Book | Dawn's Book | Mary Anne's Book | Kristy's Book | Abby's Book
Other
The Baby-Sitters Club Notebook (1987) | The Baby-Sitters Club Postcard Book (1991) | Trivia & Puzzle Fun Book (1992) | Ann M. Martin: The Story of the author of the Baby-sitters Club (1993) | The Baby-Sitters Club Guide to Babysitting (1993) | The Baby-Sitters Club Chain Letter (1993) | The Baby-Sitters Club Secret Santa (1994) | Audio Books on Cassette Tape (1994-5) | BSC Movie Novelization (1995) | The Complete Guide to the Baby-Sitters Club (1996) | Autograph Book (1998) | BSC Graphic Novels (2006-present) | We Are the Baby-Sitters Club: Essays and Artwork from Grown-Up Readers (2021) | Welcome to Stoneybrook: A Guided Journal (2021) | The Official Coloring Book (2023)
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