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This is Jack. Today Jack is in a wobbly mood. He feels funny in his tummy and wobbly in his legs. Jack has been invited to a party. It is a dress-up party for a boy in Jack’s soccer club. The boy’s name is Jem. He doesn’t go to Jack’s

school. Jack won’t know anyone at the party except for Jem. That’s why he’s feeling wobbly. Jack has dressed up as a robot from outer space. He made his costume himself. This morning Jack thought his costume was awesome. But now he thinks it might look silly. Jack worries that all the kids at Jem’s party will have cooler costumes than his. Probably costumes from a shop, not just ones they made themselves. ‘Hey Jack!’ Jack hears his mum call from downstairs. ‘Time to go!’ Jack shuffles downstairs. His costume is very difficult to walk in. Jack can’t bend his legs properly.

‘Hell-o-Mum,’ Jack says in his best robot voice. Jack’s mum laughs. ‘Wow, that’s some costume!’ she says. Jack feels his face get hot. He frowns. ‘I don’t want to go to Jem’s party anymore,’ he says. ‘Why not?’ says Jack’s mum. ‘Because my costume is dumb,’ says Jack. ‘I bet everyone else will have cool costumes and they will all laugh at me. Just like you did!’

Jack’s mum smiles. ‘I was only laughing at your funny voice, Jack. Your costume is great.’ ‘Really?’ asks Jack. ‘Yep,’ Jack’s mum says. Then she puts on a robot voice. ‘Ro-bot- Jack-I-com-mand-you-to-go-to-the-par-ty.’

Jack feels his mouth twitch into a smile. ‘All right, then,’ he says. ‘Come on, let’s go,’ says Jack’s mum. They drive to Jem’s house. Jack’s mum stops the car out the front. Then she turns to open the door. ‘Wait!’ says Jack. ‘I just want to see what the other kids are wearing first.’ So they sit outside Jem’s house in the car and watch the other kids arrive.

‘Oh no!’ says Jack. ‘What’s wrong?’ says his mum. ‘Look,’ says Jack. ‘That boy’s got a proper Superman costume. And look at that boy. He’s got a Harry Potter costume. A real one. Not a home-made one. My costume looks stupid. I knew I shouldn’t have come!’