Blubber by Judy Blume Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Blubber
Book Review: A must read!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Over 35 years after it was first written, Judy Blume's Blubber still delivers a relevant view of bullying, from the perspective of fifth grader, Jill Brenner. After pudgy Linda presents a classroom assignment on the whale, she is nicknamed "Blubber" by Wendy, the most popular girl at school, and so begins a daily ritual of abuse. While Jill isn't the leader of the pack, she joins right in, seemingly without any hesitation. Is it peer pressure? When Wendy first writes a note using the name Blubber, Jill smiles, not because she thinks it's funny but because Wendy is watching her. After that, she participates wholeheartedly.
Over the next few weeks, most of the kids laugh at Linda, call her names, spit at her, and trip her. They even physically hold her down to mess with her clothes and later, to force her to eat something unappealing. Linda lets it happen, doing very little to resist or fight back. In the end, they lock her in a closet and declare that she's on trial. Of course, Wendy is the judge and this inquiry is anything but fair. Jill thinks that she'll never be in Linda's position, but she learns that popularity is fleeting and that her position in the classroom hierarchy only lasts as long as she is willing to go along with the crowd.
These kids seem to feel no remorse. In fact, there is a general lack of respect for their neighbors, teachers and other students. They justify inappropriate behavior by claiming that the person gets what they deserve. They vandalize houses during Halloween and brag about it. Their teachers are oblivious and Jill's parents are distracted, leaving the action to play out without any supervision. In many ways these kids are still so young, dressing up for Halloween or collecting stamps, and left to their own devices they sink to the lowest level. While none of the characters ever seem to gain much in the way of compassion or feeling, Jill does show readers that they should never let "other people decide what's going to happen to you" and that there are ways to stand up for yourself. This matter-of-fact, true to life portrayal of classroom dynamics is a must read!
Book Review: A realistic look at bullying and peer pressure.
Summary: 5 Stars
Kids can be cruel. It's a cliche, but it most certainly has some truth behind it. And no author better portrayed the mentality behind bullying better than Judy Blume did in "Blubber." The protaganist of "Blubber", Jill, is just an average girl who joins her class in the persecution of an overweight girl, Linda. She goes along with this persecution because she wants to fit in with her classmates and because of the sheer "fun" of it. It's real life, and anyone who has experienced Junior High School will recognize this vicious cycle of bullies, follow-the-leaders, and victims. This is not a sitcom. There is no contrived happy ending or clear-cut victory for anyone. Linda is not a particularly likeable character. The ringleader of the bullies, Wendy, never gets her comeuppence. It's real life. Bullies get away with being creeps, and not every victim is a wonderful person. "Blubber" is a disturbing, but honest book.
Book Review: A very new and amazing book!!
Summary: 5 Stars
It tells the truth!! Not everyone is perfect!! Kids need to learn that. It shows the best and worst things.If you haven't read this book, you should.Book Review: Appalled Mom
Summary: 1 Stars
I picked up this book at a thrift store because as a child I was a huge Judy Blume fan. I read it in one day. Not because it was so good, but much like one can't turn away from the sight of an awful wreck.
The abuse and torture that go on in this book is appalling. And what's worse, it's laughed about. The world was outraged at the abuse that happens to David Peltzer in A Child Called It, but in Blume's book, this abuse is laughable, and chalked up as just a part of growing up. Absolutely appalling.
When a parent is finally told, her only advise to the child was, "You have to learn to laugh it off." WHAT??
I do realize that there's a large time difference, but I'd like to think that 30 years ago if I would've told my mom that someone was being abused (I'm sorry...the word "bullied" is NOT a strong enough word), she would've taken more aggressive measures.
THEY HOLD HER HANDS AND LIFT HER SKIRT IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE CLASS! They threaten to strip her clothes off. They make her kiss their foot. They lock her in a closet. And kid reviewers are calling this book funny. There's something VERY wrong about this.
To the shy little girl out there who is secretly being teased at school, and comes home tonight and picks up this book, I ask, where is her hope?
Blume forgot to write the sequel: Blubber 2- The Story of a Teenage Suicide. That one oughta be a hoot.
Book Review: BLUBBER is a PHAT book to read!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Judy Blume is the author of Blubber. It takes place in Mrs. Minish's classroom in 5th grade. It begins in Mrs. Minish's class while they were doing their reports. This one student, Linda Fischer, did a report on whales. She mentioned that whales have a thick layer of blubber that keep them warm and being that she was kinda of chubby all the kids called her Blubber from then on. Jill, protagonist, Caroline, and Wendy, antagonist always made fun of her and did mean things to her. In the bathroom they made her take off most of her cloths and another time they made her eat chocolate covered ants. The teacher was out of the room most of the time, so they were able to play around a lot. Well it turns out that Wendy using Linda and acts like her friend just to get Jill mad just because of some incident that happened at Halloween. Tracy and Jill stayed best friends. Caroline and Donna were still friends and Wendy and Linda became friends. I thought this book was good over all because is showed what really goes on in school when the teacher isn't around and that you can't always trust your friends. I would recommend this book to 5th graders because it is easy reading and tells you about things that 5th graders like to do to other classmates.