Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
My third grade teacher read this aloud to us. I remember halfway through the book (around the red-cape-bathroom incident) her pausing and saying, "This is not a very good book."
I believe she never read the book to another class again. I loved it, though.
I believe she never read the book to another class again. I loved it, though.
I don't think it's humanly possible for me to ever get tired of this book. I've read it so many times since 2nd grade, I basically have it memorized. And yet each time it's like new.
emotional
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Vomit, Toxic friendship
Minor: Addiction
Linda, an overweight girl in fifth grade, gives a report about whales one day. Someone passes around a note that "Blubber is a good name for her" and Linda has a new nickname. The other kids start to tease and harass her and just generally make her life miserable. Our narrator, Jill, watches all this and even takes part in it.
Holy cow, what mean little kids these are! This was hard to read, even as an adult. Or maybe it's because I'm an adult and unconsciously prefer to look back at childhood with rose-colored glasses. We definitely had a pecking order in our class and the kids at the bottom of it were picked on but I don't remember it being this bad! The sad thing is that it all feels real though. I tended to keep to myself so there could have been mean girls cornering other girls in the bathroom and stripping them off and making fun of them mercilessly for all I know. And even if my class wasn't that mean, just the act of avoiding someone or always choosing him or her last for teams was damaging enough. There may be degrees but bullying is still bullying.
The beauty of the book is that the reader first has enough distance to see how cruelly the other kids treat Linda and then, when the tables are turned, learn how it feels to be tormented. It definitely teaches a lesson about how destructive bullying is without being too preachy.
I don't know if there are better books about bullying out there but this one has become a classic. Children should have to read it or something like it so that they can learn how hurtful their actions can be. And if a child is being picked on, it lets them know that he or she is not alone.
Holy cow, what mean little kids these are! This was hard to read, even as an adult. Or maybe it's because I'm an adult and unconsciously prefer to look back at childhood with rose-colored glasses. We definitely had a pecking order in our class and the kids at the bottom of it were picked on but I don't remember it being this bad! The sad thing is that it all feels real though. I tended to keep to myself so there could have been mean girls cornering other girls in the bathroom and stripping them off and making fun of them mercilessly for all I know. And even if my class wasn't that mean, just the act of avoiding someone or always choosing him or her last for teams was damaging enough. There may be degrees but bullying is still bullying.
The beauty of the book is that the reader first has enough distance to see how cruelly the other kids treat Linda and then, when the tables are turned, learn how it feels to be tormented. It definitely teaches a lesson about how destructive bullying is without being too preachy.
I don't know if there are better books about bullying out there but this one has become a classic. Children should have to read it or something like it so that they can learn how hurtful their actions can be. And if a child is being picked on, it lets them know that he or she is not alone.
This book shocked me as a child, I loved the way the teasing wasn't glossed over and "prettified" for kids.
I adore Judy Blume's books! I noticed "Blubber" wasn't on my Good Reads list, so I pulled it off the shelf and read it.
I liked that Jill and Tracy collected stamps. I remember never hearing about Unicef until reading books by this author.
I liked that Jill and Tracy collected stamps. I remember never hearing about Unicef until reading books by this author.
This is one of those books I felt like I should have read when I was younger...and I probably would have enjoyed it more if I was.
dark
fast-paced
challenging
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I remember loving Judy Blume books as a child, but I do not recall reading this one. I am reading through a list of banned books. Many of those books are children's stories. They are also not usually much to be banned. I do understand why parents might want this banned, though I don't believe in book banning. It's a book about bullying. The book is harsh at times. Children who behave as these girls do can often cause severe emotional trauma to their peers. These are the girls that trigger suicidal thoughts in middle school girls. I think that this book is quite realistic, but as someone who has experienced verbal abuse, I found it hard to listen to in parts.