Blubber by Judy Blume Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Blubber
Book Review: Childhood chronicle of catty classroom commentary...
Summary: 5 Stars
I'd have to say I was rasied on Judy Blume. Her writing was the very best collection of fiction available to me as a youth. I fervently devoured her books, and Blubber one was of my favorites. The truth, honesty, and passion with which Blume writes this story showcases so many different sides of the same situation. One person being teased is not about just he/she alone. There's the instigator, who is usually a troubled person, negelcted and starved for attention, the victim, the followers, the activists, the bystanders who love a show, and those who want no part in any of it. It's hard to decide when you wanna switch your role in the game, even more difficult a decision as an adult.
I've yet to read adult books that are as honest as Blume's juvenile works, and for that I tip my hat. This book has stuck with me the past 16 years like it happened at my school. But, then I'm thinking it did...
Book Review: Cruelty by Children
Summary: 4 Stars
In most books marketed for 9-12 year olds, school is generally described as an enriching atmosphere populated by colourful characters. Not so with Blubber. Almost all the characters (including Jill, the narrarator) are selfish, sometimes even mean, and they make life a living hell for Linda, "the pudgiest girl in the class." Blume writes realistically and passionately, urging adults and teachers to be on the lookout for signs of bullying. Her writing about cruelty in the classroom is unemotional, as seen through the eyes of Jill, the passive observer.
As a family story, Blubber has little to offer, but as a school story it is exceptional. The classroom seems like a real place, with all of the little details of the fifth grade drawn clearly and accurately. Blume must have an amazing memory to be able to recreate a time and atmosphere from so long ago.
I wouldn't recommend this book to obese children, it would probably just make them feel horrible. This book is not a guide for dealing with obesity, or even bullying. Instead, it is a realistic portrayal of fifth grade dynamics. Kids should be able to recognize several of the characters in their own classrooms, and will hopefully gain insight on how important it is to sometimes sacrifice popularity in order to do the right thing. Blubber was published about 30 years ago, and maybe it's just me, but it seems that kids are better behaved these days. Or maybe, like Wendy, they are just adept at hiding inappropriate behaviour from adults. I hope the former is true.
Book Review: Did I read the same book as some of its detractors?
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember reading this book in the fifth grade, and found it to be a very accurate portrayal of how young kids ("tweens," if you will, although that term didn't exist at the time) view themselves and each other, and act according to those views. Some people feel diasappointed that the "ringleader" bully never got her comeuppance. Others were surprised that the "victim" (who was called "Blubber" because she was a little chubby) wasn't a very sympathetic character herself. And people didn't like the main character who was narrating the story either. But when I was growing up, none of us did (or still do) fit into neat little boxes of "good guys" and "bad guys," with the "good guys" winning some great reward in the end, and the "bad guys" getting a clear punishment. (Happens in movies allthe time, but not in real life, and definitely NOT in the fifth grade.) This book isn't about whether bullying is right or wrong, and should victims be vindicated and the bullies "get theirs" in the end -- it's about the choices we make, whether as preteens or adults. Will we follow in other people's footsteps to do evil? Or will we have the courage to stand up to them? If the bully suddenly decides to befriend us, and pick on someone else instead, will we then join them, and do the same that was done to us?
It's never easy to confront a bully, especially when you yourself aren't the target -- the whole, "it's not my business so I won't get involved and risk bringing the same trouble to myself" thing -- and then there's the thrill of "fitting in" when you actually do join the group and take part in the bullying -- the whole "everybody's doing it and I'm just thankful they're not doing it to me" mentality. It's much harder to actually do the right thing, take a stand and say: "this is wrong." All of the book's characters have to make these choices, and how that plays out -- and the results of the choices each of them makes -- is what makes "Blubber" so thrilling, thought-provoking, and painfully realistic.
(p.s. Did anyone notice how there was another fat kid in Blubbler's class -- much fatter than her, even -- but he was a boy, and nobody picked on him? I thought Ms. Blume was making a very good point about the fact that a person's physical or mental attributes don't necessarily make someone a target for bulling, but rather if they seem like the type who won't fight back. It was also a pretty clear statement about the double-standards girls and women have to deal with regarding physical appearance!)
Book Review: Frightening
Summary: 1 Stars
I read this book when I was in 3rd grade. When I first read it, I really liked it. But then as time went on, I suddenly began to wonder: Could the things in this book happen to me? And if it did, how would I handle it? Who would I tell? How could I ever go back to living my life after enduring the cruelty? Yes, it's only a story. But the things that happen in the book (teased because of weight, violence in bathrooms, threats from girls, being degrated, locked in a closet, etc) really do happen. And it happens everyday, to millions of kids. And teachers rarely make it end. And even if they do, the emotional scars aren't healed. And that tension is still in the air when you pass by the bullies. You can almost taste it. I strongly recommend that you DON'T buy this book for your children. It will just make them disturbed, scared, and worried....Book Review: Funny, intriguing, and yet a great moral lesson...
Summary: 5 Stars
Jill thinks it's funny when all the fifth-grade girls gang up on Linda, an unpopular overweight classmate. She even contributes the nickname "Blubber," courtesy of a class report on whales given by Linda herself.
But the tables turn when Jill suddenly finds herself on the wrong end of the girls' cruelty...with even Linda herself seeming to forget what she's just experienced, and joining in the torment on Jill.
This book is a page-turningly perfect depiction of the cruelty of adolescent girls, sadly unavoidable in most classrooms across the country and the decades...