My family has long known the amazing work of Judy Blume. We think ‘Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” should be required reading for anyone in 4th grade. We also think that the only thing better than “Freckle Juice” is “Superfudge.”
On our recent road trip, we discovered another Blume book series: “The Pain and the Great One!”
On our recent road trip, we discovered another Blume book series: “The Pain and the Great One!”
While listening to the first CD, the two characters of little brother (Age 6) and big sister (Age 8) completely captured my seven year-old’s heart. My boy could relate to the little brother because of the status of second-born child, as well as their shared second grade humor. It’s as if Judy Blume crawled inside my son’s head and deciphered every phrase that could cause him to snort milk out his nose. (Warning: do not allow little boys to enjoy these books while snacking).
Each chapter of the books in this series is told from an alternating sibling’s perspective. Sometimes these narrations overlap and you understand the different perspectives; sometimes they tell independent stories. The raw innocence captured in the writing makes the characters instantly accessible. You know what they are thinking to themselves, as well as what they chose to say to those around them. For both my sons, I think “Jake” asked some of the questions that they themselves have wondered, but were afraid to ask.
Added bonus: In every book of the series, the last chapter is told by the pet cat, Fluzzy. In the audio version, these chapters are read by Judy Blume herself and provide both humor and warmth that makes you want to immediately start the next book. We checked out the rest of the series as soon as we returned home from our trip.
Looking over Judy’s website, I found that she had an entire section dedicated to discussing the work of being a writer. Perfect for homeschoolers and classroom teachers – Judy’s words encourage writer’s of every age to keep a writer’s notebook, use a personal writing process, and understand that rewriting can be the best part of it all!
Each chapter of the books in this series is told from an alternating sibling’s perspective. Sometimes these narrations overlap and you understand the different perspectives; sometimes they tell independent stories. The raw innocence captured in the writing makes the characters instantly accessible. You know what they are thinking to themselves, as well as what they chose to say to those around them. For both my sons, I think “Jake” asked some of the questions that they themselves have wondered, but were afraid to ask.
Added bonus: In every book of the series, the last chapter is told by the pet cat, Fluzzy. In the audio version, these chapters are read by Judy Blume herself and provide both humor and warmth that makes you want to immediately start the next book. We checked out the rest of the series as soon as we returned home from our trip.
Looking over Judy’s website, I found that she had an entire section dedicated to discussing the work of being a writer. Perfect for homeschoolers and classroom teachers – Judy’s words encourage writer’s of every age to keep a writer’s notebook, use a personal writing process, and understand that rewriting can be the best part of it all!