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A review by hjswinford
Blubber by Judy Blume
4.0
4.5 stars
I appreciate this predecessor of Mean Girls. It is very much a relic of its time period, even if it's almost unbelievable through the lens of modern day. There was a brief interview with Blume at the end of this book and she said something to the effect of this book not being a book that you just read and then put away. It draws out questions and discussions about bullying and empathy and I really liked what she had to say.
This book isn't preaching about the topics is deals with, and that's what's so cool about it. It's creating thoughts and feelings and leaving the answers up to the readers. I don't think Middle Grade fiction puts that much faith in its readers anymore. In my experience, more recent MG either preaches about its topic or it avoids hard topics all together. Thank you, Judy Blume, for having faith in smart kids and involved parents.
I appreciate this predecessor of Mean Girls. It is very much a relic of its time period, even if it's almost unbelievable through the lens of modern day. There was a brief interview with Blume at the end of this book and she said something to the effect of this book not being a book that you just read and then put away. It draws out questions and discussions about bullying and empathy and I really liked what she had to say.
This book isn't preaching about the topics is deals with, and that's what's so cool about it. It's creating thoughts and feelings and leaving the answers up to the readers. I don't think Middle Grade fiction puts that much faith in its readers anymore. In my experience, more recent MG either preaches about its topic or it avoids hard topics all together. Thank you, Judy Blume, for having faith in smart kids and involved parents.