Return of Judy Blume and The Pain and the Great One

The Pain and the Great One are back, this time in lower middle grade novels. Alternating chapters illustrate the love/hate/annoy the heck out of each other of an older sister/younger brother relationship. Just like the original picture book, these new installments are funny and real all at once. But, in these, the cat always gets the last word.

Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One Judy Blume

This first chapter book features stories about hair cuts, soccer, birthday parties, dog-sitting, and others.

Cool Zone with the Pain and the Great One Judy Blume

The next one features such things as bullies, crushes, pets, and names. This is my favorite of the three.

Going, Going, Gone! with the Pain and the Great One Judy Blume

Here we visit the grandparents, have fun in the ocean, see an alligator, go to the fair, shove a pussy willow up our nose, and get lost in the mall. Another great one!

It's great to have Blume writing children's books again. Fans of her younger work will want to check these out. Look out for Friend or Fiend? with the Pain and the Great One in May!

Just Another Nonfiction Monday, ooo-wa-ooo

Ok, first off, why did I not know that the new Last Apprentice book, Wrath of the Bloodeye came out in AUGUST?

YOU HAVE TO TELL ME THESE THINGS PEOPLE!!! I found out because my boss and I were talking about new books (I'm in charge of displaying them and some other things with new non-picture books) and he's all "by the way, the new Last Apprentice finally came in, but I checked it out." Had I not been standing in a library, I might have screamed. And had I not been wearing a skirt, I might have writhed around in agony on the floor. Ok, not really, but... how did I not know? Ok, it was probably good that I didn't-- it saved me lots of agonizing over whether to wait until it came in or to just go buy the darn thing.

I'm getting a copy from another branch.

Also, banned books people, hold onto your hats. Internets have been super-spotty lately. Winners will be announced as soon as the cable guy comes and fixes the cable! And internets!

Anyway, it's nonfiction Monday, so here are some books for your reading pleasure!

Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume ed. Jennifer O'Connell

Basically, this is a series of essays by current chick-lit type authors, telling of the effect that Judy Blume's books had on them, both growing up and as an adult.

It was so fun to dip into these stories about how much girls took from such favorites of mine as Deenie, Blubber, Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself, and of course Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and Forever . . ..

The essays are thoughtful. Some are sad and some are funny, and many wish for books staring their beloved characters as grown-ups, so Margaret and Sally and Katherine, et al could continue to show us how to live, or at least reassure us that we're normal. (And there's a sentiment I echo--did these girls, who we saw so much of ourselves in, turn out the same way we did? What choices and experiences did they make and have to make them different?)

A great book for Judy fans, especially for those of us whom she had a huge impact on.

Also, I had totally forgotten about the Judy Blume diary, but a totally had one. It was a great diary.

Round up is at Picture Book of the Day!