Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
OMG what!? My only memory of this book from childhood was that I did not like it, and for some reason I found the cover scary (it was a chalkboard, into which I imagined scary images.) But reading it now as an adult and it's 90% spending time in the mind of a bunch of bullies?! The balance is SO off in this story--the comeuppance lasts so little time and it feels a lot like "well, it'll come for you too." I just did not enjoy being in this book at all.
This was my first time reading this book and I was not prepared for the old-school bullying. It was harsh. I don't feel like it was thoroughly addressed at the end of the book either. While I can see the appeal, I feel there are better options to address bullying and body positivity.
Something about this book never sat well with me as a child. Reading it, though Blume might have been going for "realistic", left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Linda was left in the dust, Jill-- even when getting bullied herself-- remained a character I didn't like. Frankly, I didn't like any of the characters.
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m not sure what the first Judy Blume book I read was—it may have been [b:Freckle Juice|37738|Freckle Juice|Judy Blume|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1295888341l/37738._SX50_.jpg|244031]—but my love for her definitely ignited when our teacher read us [b:Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing|37741|Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (Fudge, #1)|Judy Blume|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1630471264l/37741._SY75_.jpg|879886] when I was in the fourth grade class of St. Mary’s. I read a lot, but Judy Blume was the first author I really loved and that love demanded I read all of her books available at the time (including [b:Wifey|37744|Wifey|Judy Blume|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388448472l/37744._SX50_.jpg|543406], which I...regret.) I had a boxed set of her books which included Nothing, my beloved [b:Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret|37732|Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret|Judy Blume|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1388356524l/37732._SY75_.jpg|4121], and this book.
I liked Blubber and read it enough for it to start to fall apart (as opposed to Margaret which did completely fall apart, because sometimes I slept with it like a stuffed animal.) This one didn’t resonate the same way with me, and it’s been decades since I’ve read it.
And boy, was this hard to read as an adult.
This story is about bullying, and Blume explains in the epilogue that it was inspired by bullying her daughter witnessed at school (it was first published in 1974.) Jill Brenner is basically a good kid, other than pranking a mean neighbor on Halloween, but when her fifth grade class—cheered on by a nasty ringleader—decides to pick on a classmate that’s a bit of a doormat, she can’t help but join in. And when Linda Fischer does a class report on whales, the nickname “Blubber” sticks. But it gets much worse than name-calling.
And while this story had its funny, charming moments (because this is Judy Blume), it was very difficult to read about how this gang of otherwise mostly ordinary children tortured another child—from keep-away on the school bus, which many of us are undoubtedly familiar with, to more serious offenses like force-feeding her and making her vomit, locking her in a closet, and pulling her skirt up to show everyone her panties.
It's like that South Park episode where the kids connive to have all the adults arrested and just one week later they’ve gone full-on Children of the Corn.
I don’t know where I’m going with this. Bullying is bad and children are terrifying and humanity can be awful and I used to watch a lot of South Park. Anyway, I think this is still a valuable read for kids.
I liked Blubber and read it enough for it to start to fall apart (as opposed to Margaret which did completely fall apart, because sometimes I slept with it like a stuffed animal.) This one didn’t resonate the same way with me, and it’s been decades since I’ve read it.
And boy, was this hard to read as an adult.
This story is about bullying, and Blume explains in the epilogue that it was inspired by bullying her daughter witnessed at school (it was first published in 1974.) Jill Brenner is basically a good kid, other than pranking a mean neighbor on Halloween, but when her fifth grade class—cheered on by a nasty ringleader—decides to pick on a classmate that’s a bit of a doormat, she can’t help but join in. And when Linda Fischer does a class report on whales, the nickname “Blubber” sticks. But it gets much worse than name-calling.
And while this story had its funny, charming moments (because this is Judy Blume), it was very difficult to read about how this gang of otherwise mostly ordinary children tortured another child—from keep-away on the school bus, which many of us are undoubtedly familiar with, to more serious offenses like force-feeding her and making her vomit, locking her in a closet, and pulling her skirt up to show everyone her panties.
It's like that South Park episode where the kids connive to have all the adults arrested and just one week later they’ve gone full-on Children of the Corn.
I don’t know where I’m going with this. Bullying is bad and children are terrifying and humanity can be awful and I used to watch a lot of South Park. Anyway, I think this is still a valuable read for kids.
I'm unsure what to think about this book. This and "Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret" are the two titles everyone associates with Blume. I didn't know what it was about going in. YA titles often have bizarre names mostly to intrigue the reader, like "How to Eat Fried Worms" and "My Teacher is an Alien". Not this one.
Going in blind, I was allowed to judge the characters with impartiality. The main character, Jill, starts as whiny and spoiled, and doesn't get any better when she starts targeting the title character (a fat girl).
The bullying is instigated by ringleader Wendy, and the things she and Jill (and others) do to "Blubber" are absolutely atrocious, like trapping her in the bathroom and attempting to strip her. The story culminates in a mock trial of "Blubber" that becomes too unfair not to protest. For her insolence, Jill becomes the bullied. The story ends with friendships manipulated and changed, as often happens in elementary school.
When I realized the story was about bullying, and that the bully is the protagonist, I wasn't sure how to react. I had automatic lack of sympathy for her, which I can't believe Blume didn't expect. Then I started thinking, is this a cautionary tale? A walk in the other person's shoes? No, because the reader doesn't understand why Jill started bullying, or anyone in fact, and there's no consequences from it. Is it like "The Great Gatsby" where you're not supposed to sympathize with the characters but observe the decline and fall?
And I can't help reading this book without applying what we now know about bullying and girls. I'm not saying the book is out of date. Far from it, it's actually close to home. But you've also got more knowledge on the subject like Queen Bees and Wannabes, cyberbullying, school shootings, bullycide, causes of bullying, interventions, scapegoating, and so on.
Jill's bully persona doesn't match her non-school persona (she collects stamps, for God's sake). The bully's perspective didn't feel plausible (a book that did do it well was the sequel to "My Teacher is an Alien"). And in the book, it never goes beyond the circle of girls. The events feel disconnected, like "a bunch of stuff that happens".
I guess my two biggest complaints are that, except for Jill, we never get out of the bully cliche (even though Blume says she wrote this based on what was going on her daughter's class at the time -- maybe this is the kind of stuff that actually happens to girls and not boys). It's more about the instances of bullying. They're not well-developed, complex, or have backstory. The worst people on Earth are the most fascinating. The other complaint is that no one seems to learn anything by the end, except that "war changes things". Maybe that's the lesson we're supposed to learn?
Going in blind, I was allowed to judge the characters with impartiality. The main character, Jill, starts as whiny and spoiled, and doesn't get any better when she starts targeting the title character (a fat girl).
The bullying is instigated by ringleader Wendy, and the things she and Jill (and others) do to "Blubber" are absolutely atrocious, like trapping her in the bathroom and attempting to strip her. The story culminates in a mock trial of "Blubber" that becomes too unfair not to protest. For her insolence, Jill becomes the bullied. The story ends with friendships manipulated and changed, as often happens in elementary school.
When I realized the story was about bullying, and that the bully is the protagonist, I wasn't sure how to react. I had automatic lack of sympathy for her, which I can't believe Blume didn't expect. Then I started thinking, is this a cautionary tale? A walk in the other person's shoes? No, because the reader doesn't understand why Jill started bullying, or anyone in fact, and there's no consequences from it. Is it like "The Great Gatsby" where you're not supposed to sympathize with the characters but observe the decline and fall?
And I can't help reading this book without applying what we now know about bullying and girls. I'm not saying the book is out of date. Far from it, it's actually close to home. But you've also got more knowledge on the subject like Queen Bees and Wannabes, cyberbullying, school shootings, bullycide, causes of bullying, interventions, scapegoating, and so on.
Jill's bully persona doesn't match her non-school persona (she collects stamps, for God's sake). The bully's perspective didn't feel plausible (a book that did do it well was the sequel to "My Teacher is an Alien"). And in the book, it never goes beyond the circle of girls. The events feel disconnected, like "a bunch of stuff that happens".
I guess my two biggest complaints are that, except for Jill, we never get out of the bully cliche (even though Blume says she wrote this based on what was going on her daughter's class at the time -- maybe this is the kind of stuff that actually happens to girls and not boys). It's more about the instances of bullying. They're not well-developed, complex, or have backstory. The worst people on Earth are the most fascinating. The other complaint is that no one seems to learn anything by the end, except that "war changes things". Maybe that's the lesson we're supposed to learn?
I really don't know why Judy Blume felt like she should write this book. Yes, I read her reasoning in the note at the end of my book, but I still don't know what she was trying to accomplish. All that happens is one girl gets teased relentlessly by our main character and her class. Our main character is not the meanest of the girls, but she isn't nice either. There is really no reason for us as readers to like her. The adults in this story do nothing to help the child who is getting bullied, and although Blume discusses in her note that children should talk to adults, as far as we see, poor Linda never tells anyone about the abuse she is experiencing. The bullies in this story never get punished, and we are supposed to just believe that everyone lives happily ever after at the abupt ending.
Like other Blume books, Blubber does take us back into the 70s. Her books have not aged well in regards to many cultural things happening within. This may be my favorite thing about her books, I like to read about what it was like in the 70s at school and in the community. For example, the main character's mother is a chain smoker and this is openly discussed, on Halloween the kids are collecting money for charity while trick-or-treating, and students get weighed twice a year by the school nurse. These are just some of the references that seem to be just a little outdated.
As an adult I did not enjoy this book, but I also wouldn't ever recommend this to any child. No, I wouldn't have it banned as some people have wanted, I just don't see the value in this and feel that there are a lot better things to be reading.
Like other Blume books, Blubber does take us back into the 70s. Her books have not aged well in regards to many cultural things happening within. This may be my favorite thing about her books, I like to read about what it was like in the 70s at school and in the community. For example, the main character's mother is a chain smoker and this is openly discussed, on Halloween the kids are collecting money for charity while trick-or-treating, and students get weighed twice a year by the school nurse. These are just some of the references that seem to be just a little outdated.
As an adult I did not enjoy this book, but I also wouldn't ever recommend this to any child. No, I wouldn't have it banned as some people have wanted, I just don't see the value in this and feel that there are a lot better things to be reading.
emotional
fast-paced
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Found randomly at a charity shop decided to read as one of my childhood favourite authors. I don't think this was one of my favourite stories really though.