Jumping Into Trouble Series by Margaret Pearce

A heartwarming Australian series about John Emery Phillips–a boy with a restless spirit, a stubborn streak, and a deep love for animals. From chasing down runaway horses to escaping danger under the circus big top, John’s journey is filled with risk, friendship, and self-discovery.

 

Set against the changing rural landscapes of Australia, each book captures the real struggles and triumphs of a boy who refuses to accept that some dreams are out of reach. Whether he’s chasing horses, running from home, or stumbling into unexpected friendships, John is always jumping into something–and often, into trouble.

 

Book 1: Wanted! A Horse

John Phillips is the only kid in the district without a horse. Every Saturday, he sits on his front fence and watches the riders go past: Shetlands, Welsh Mountain ponies, expensive part-Arabs, all clip-clopping to the riding school or Pony Club without him. His parents won’t budge, his small blue heeler Blue barely counts as company, and the weekend stretches ahead, empty and useless.

Then a wild chestnut gelding bolts from the local riding school, and one ordinary Saturday explodes into adventure. Before the day is out, John will be wading through lake shallows, outwitting a would-be horse thief, and discovering something he never expected: that the horse worth having might not be the horse you dreamed of.

A warm, funny, and honest story about a boy who wants a horse more than anything, and what happens when he finally gets one.

Genre: Mid-grade Reader

ISBN: 9781921314834

ISBN PRINT D2D: 9798230807872

ASIN: B003ZYEV58

Print: 978-1-922066-59-6

 

 

Book 2: Circus Runaway

One dog was locked in a garage. One boy had no choice but to run.

John Emery Phillips slips out in the dead of night, saddles his old horse Roanie, and disappears into the dark Australian countryside with his blue heeler Blue at his heels. The reason? Blue has bitten two grown men, his father has five stitches in his shoulder, and the order has come down: the dog dies in the morning.

What begins as a desperate escape turns into something John never imagined. Swept up by a circus train heading deep into the country, he finds himself in the extraordinary world of Archie Shugg’s travelling circus: three roan horses that waltz in the sawdust ring, acrobats in silver tights high on the trapeze, elephants that help raise the big tent, and a pair of quarrelling clowns who tumble through every performance.

But circus life holds more than wonder. Someone is trying to burn Archie’s circus down. As a series of fires creeps closer, John, Fred and Leonard must move faster than the flames to find out who, and why.

And meanwhile, Blue keeps proving there is more to a condemned dog than anyone back home ever believed.

Once a condemned dog finds his calling in the sawdust ring, going home starts to feel like the hardest thing of all.

 

Genre: Mid-Grade Reader

ISBN: 978-1-920972-64-6

ISBN PRINT D2D: 9798227839282

ASIN: B0043XXI4K

Print: 978-1-922066-60-2

 

Book 3: Missing! A Horse

One collar left dangling. One bay gelding gone.

John Emery Phillips knows the difference between a horse that slips its tether and a horse that has been taken. The unbuckled collar says it all. But when he tries to raise the alarm, the adults around him have another word for it: strayed.

Then a second horse goes missing. Then comes the news that changes everything: knacker yards are paying good prices for horses, no questions asked. Animals are being stolen and sold for pet food and fertiliser.

With no one listening and time running out, John and a handful of stubborn friends do what the grown-ups won’t. They follow the clues, pound the pavement, and refuse to give up, even when the trail goes cold and the odds stack against them.

A story of loyalty, courage, and refusing to stop searching when it matters most.

 

Genre: Mid-Grade Reader

ISBN: 9781921636028

ISBN PRINT D2D: 9798230194279

ASIN: B00408ANHS

Print: 9781549946431