Karen's Big Top is the 51st book in the Baby-Sitters Little Sister series.
Back Cover Summary[]
Karen is going to circus camp. And she loves it! She even makes a new friend, Jillian, who is a circus performer. Jillian tells Karen what it's like traveling from show to show. She even lets Karen help her with the circus animals.
Karen has gigundo fun learning all the circus activities. But now Karen has to choose one stunt to perform for the final show. The trapeze or the high wire? A clown or a juggler? On no! Karen can't make up her mind!
Summary[]
Characters in this book[]
Karen's Family
- Karen Brewer
- Andrew Brewer
- Big House - Watson Brewer, Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, Charlie Thomas, Sam Thomas, Kristy Thomas, David Michael Thomas, Emily Michelle Brewer, Nannie
- Little House - Lisa Engle, Seth Engle
Kids
- Nancy Dawes
- Hannie Papadakis
- Linny Papadakis (mentioned)
- Bill Korman (mentioned)
- Melody Korman (mentioned)
- Maria Kilbourne (mentioned)
- Scott Hsu (mentioned)
- Ricky Torres
- Natalie Springer
- Robin, Joseph, Gregory - circus campers
- Jillian - circus performer
Teenagers
- Jimmy and Laura - circus performer
Adults
- Mrs and Mr. B.F. Willie - circus performer
- Miss Donovan (mentioned)
Places in this book[]
- Big House
- Little House (briefly)
- Stoneybrook University (mentioned)
- B.F. Willie Circus Camp
Trivia[]
- Nannie celebrates a birthday in this book, revealing her birthday is near the end of July. She is one of the three members of the Brewer/Thomas family to have a birthday in the series followed by Elizabeth in Karen's Big Job and Watson in Karen's Island Adventure.
- Andrew pronounces purple as poiple.
- The Thomas/Brewer family hosts a block party for the fourth of July.
- Stoneybrook University hosts an outdoor concert and fireworks.
- Continuity: Karen mentions that she's still in gymnastics which first started at the end of Karen's Big Joke,
- David Michael was a winkie in a school production of the Wizard of Oz.
- This is the camp that Karen references in Mary Anne and Camp BSC.
- Some animals at the camp includes: Lulu a horse, Monty a poodle, and the elephants Henry, Sophie, and Lilly.
- At the final show the roles include:
- Karen as the ringmaster
- Nancy on the trapeze
- Ricky as a juggler
- Robin, Joseph, and Gregory on the high wire
- Natalie as a clown
- Hannie rides a horse bareback
- Nannie has her birthday at the local bowling alley.