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Summary
Summary
THE PAIN AND the Great One hardly agree on anything. But deep down, they know they can count on each other, especially at school, where it often takes two to figure things out. Like when that first baby tooth falls out on the school bus. Or when an unwanted visitor on Bring Your Pet to School Day needs to be caught. Or worst of all, when a scary bully says you're burnt toast. On days like these it can feel good not to go it alone. (And don't forget Fluzzy the cat, who knows a thing or two himself.)
Author Notes
Judy Blume was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on February 12, 1938. She received a bachelor's degree in education from New York University in 1961. Her first book, The One in the Middle Is the Green Kangaroo, was published in 1969. Her other books include Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret; Then Again, Maybe I Won't; Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing; Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great; and Blubber. Her adult titles include Wifey, Smart Women, Summer Sisters, and In the Unlikely Event. In 1996, she received the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement and in 2004, she received the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Judy Blume masterfully incorporates realistic sibling interaction with subtle life lessons in the latest installment (Delacorte, 2008) in The Pain and the Great One series. When first grader Jake (the Pain) loses his first tooth on the way to school, he makes a deal with his third grade sister Abigail (the Great One)--he will give her half of the tooth fairy money if she'll keep the tooth safe all day. The next morning the Pain honors his part of the deal--he rips the dollar bill in half and hands it to his sister. When the Pain loses his magnifying glass to a fifth grade bully, the Great One comes to the rescue by jumping on the boy's back and demanding that he return it. When the youngsters talk about the event during dinner, Blume cleverly provides a subtle reminder by the parents that it is sometimes better to ask an adult for help than to fight a bully alone. Kate McInerney's reading brings the adventures to life, although as the chapters alternate between the thoughts of the two characters, it may take a few moments for listeners to determine which one is speaking. Having Blume narrate the last chapter as Fluzzy the cat is pretty cool. Teachers will want to use this story as a starting point for discussions about family values and bullying.-Stephanie Farnlacher, Trace Crossings Elementary School, Hoover, AL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
This third book in the series continues the story of older sister Abigail ("the Great One") and younger brother Jake ("the Pain"). In alternating chapters, the two tell about day-to-day embarrassments and successes while also dealing with each other's foibles. Blume's understanding of sibling dynamics is perfect for early chapter-book readers. Stevenson's droll pen-and-ink illustrations help set the light tone. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Jake and Abigail, Blume's ever-sparring siblings, return with six new stories filled with laughter, provocation and, most of all, affectionate loyalty. First-grader Jake's pressing issues include the loss of his first tooth, a fifth-grade bully and the near-demise of his bedtime stuffed elephant, always marked by an eagerness to appear all-knowing and grown-up. Third-grader Abigail, continually vexed by her brother, has concerns of her own: chasing boys and choosing an alternate name for herself. Blume is a master at mixing amusing and even outrageous twists into her depictions of everyday sibling and school matters, such as a real dog running wild through school on Bring Your (pretend) Pet Day. Each vignette will have readers and listeners predicting, groaning or chuckling as events unfold. Stevenson's lively black-and-white cartoon art enhance the short chapters, which epitomize the best in sibling relationships. For cat lovers who are wondering what Fluzzy is thinking, a seventh chapter tells all. (Fiction. 6-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Blume continues a series that started as a picture book and then expanded into a chapter book series with Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One (2007). This entry finds first-grader Jake, the Pain to his sister, and third-grader Abigail, the self-proclaimed Great One, telling their stories in alternating chapters. Their concerns are familiar and reader friendly: a loose tooth, being bullied, love of a stuffed animal, and, of course, sibling rivalry. Yet brother and sister are always there for each other, and the durability of the bond is the strong underpinning for Blume's frothy style. Recently independent readers will find this just the book to push their skills forward. Stevenson's gray-washed line illustrations add to the fun.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2008 Booklist
New York Review of Books Review
CHILDREN tend to become what we expect them to be. When we envisioned them as vessels waiting to be filled with virtue, they made like vessels; nowadays we see them as consumers, and they fall into line, getting, spending and demanding designer gear. A couple of new books about brothers and sisters reveal expectations adults currently have of sibling relationships. In "Mail Harry to the Moon!" baby Harry's older brother is enraged when he cries, spits up or displaces him on Grandma's lap. Big Brother demands that Harry be thrown in the trash, flushed down the toilet or put back inside Mommy. Finally, on a double-page spread he screams, "Mail Harry to the Moon!" Then one morning Harry seems to have disappeared, so Big Brother decides he really has been sent to the Moon and sets off in his laundry hamper rocket ship to rescue him. Robie H. Harris writes of her inspiration for this book, "One day, I overheard a 4-year-old ask a family friend to take his baby brother back to Chicago with her." Kevin Henkee once said the seed of his book "Julius: The Baby of the World" lay in a similar remark, in which an older sister asked, "After the baby dies do I get my room back?" The opposite routes that these two authors took after such real-life incidents show something of our varied expectations of the family. Henkes softened the question to "After Julius goes away do I get my room back?" Harris intensifies the emotion, creating a seriously angry little boy. Her text is matched by Michael Emberley's pictures of a child with a deep frown and clenched fists. The book's turning point suggests that a tantrum results in a change of heart. This hopeful conclusion may reflect current child-rearing theory, but I still wouldn't leave Harry alone with his brother. Skipping ahead from toddlers to primary school, we meet Jake and his older sister, Abigail, in Judy Blume's "Cool Zone With the Pain and the Great One." The second in a series, this easy-reading story collection presents Jake (the Pain) in first grade and Abigail (the Great One) in third. In two years looms a significant power imbalance, and their relationship demands elaborate rules, record-keeping and negotiation. This isn't Blume's most nuanced writing. The stories are told from the alternating viewpoints of Jake and Abigail, but the voices are indistinguishable. Predictably, the siblings connect when they band together against a common enemy, but most episodes end with vexation. The sibling relationship here is largely one of rivalry and resentment. But Blume certainly knows her way around this age group. She knows that calling somebody a baby is such a powerful weapon that it needs to be rationed and that a substitute teacher can release the anarchic impulse in even the best-behaved soul. A story involving girls chasing boys across the playground and sitting on them shows Abigail in a rare vulnerable moment and balances her demanding, sarcastic streak. Big Brother just isn't wild about Harry in "Mail Harry to the Moon!" James Stevenson's pen and wash drawings also provide balance, along with warmth and personality; a few strokes and we can reliably distinguish between all four Emmas at Abigail's school. One squiggly smile line and we share Jake's pleasure in chewing on his toy elephant's ear. Stevenson also draws the best noses since William Steig. These two books, in which the problems of brothers and sisters are more vibrant and convincing than the pleasures, raise the question of what is essential about the sibling relationship and what is imposed by society. In "Sisters and Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World," Steve Jenkins and Robin Page present intriguing lore about termite families, bat twins and giant anteater singletons, in gorgeous cut- and torn-paper collages. We enjoy the unexpected grace of beavers swimming and the bulky power of grizzly bears. The text is straightforward, as the authors leave the human analogies to us. But who could resist? Hyena cubs will probably get along if they are brother and sister, but two brothers or two sisters often fight to the death. Young peregrine falcons learn to hunt through play, alternating roles of hunter and prey. Wild turkey brothers are lifelong companions. Adoption, mingled families, even the single-gender family - the variety of human families is nothing compared with the animal world. Sarah Ellis's latest book for young readers is "Days of Toil and Tears: The Child Labour Diary of Flora Rutherford."