Advanced Children's Literature: Realistic Fiction

McDonald, Megan. JUDY MOODY. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2000.

JUDY MOODY is the first in a series about a mischievous 3rd grader, her brother Stink, best friend Rocky, parents, and her cat named “Mouse.” Judy is in a very bad mood. She wishes summer hadn’t ended and she didn’t have to face the first day of school without a t-shirt with writing on the front, a t-shirt from an amusement park or tourist attraction. Judy seems to have a reputation and guesses correctly that her new teacher will put her on the very front row. That Judy had to vacation at her Grandmother’s house and stay in state makes this tale especially realistic in the current recession with its high gas prices and budget restrictions that most public school children will come to be familiar with. The titles are published by a firm known for their beautiful picture books and fairy tale renditions and the illustrations though black and white pencil and charcoal drawings are amusing and add much to the appeal of the books. It is said that imitation is the highest form of flattery. I must admit both that I thoroughly enjoyed reading the title and it reminded an awfully lot of JUNIE B. JONES. The publication date indicates that Barbara Park’s series was published first. I prefer the more square size of Judy Moody and the fact that it has a table of contents that is illustrated. The title contains substantially more pages than a “JUNIE B.” book and more illustrations as well. I predict a great probability that it will be popular with the 1st-4th grade crowd. The fact that it has more pages than Barbara Parks series may be good for the ego and or book report rules of 3rd and 4th graders. The writing is engaging and students will enjoy reading about Judy’s new pet, a Venus fly trap and the little brother Stink who insists on going everywhere Judy goes. It’s refreshing to see a girl whose best friend is a boy and entertaining to see how much she despises Frank Pearl (compare to “Meanie Jim”), who has a crush on Judy. McDonald does an admirable job of making her characters less than homogenous with an African-American teacher and pet store employee. Wholesome and just plain fun, this series will make a good addition to the beginning chapter book collection in your public library or media center. They would also be excellent to have in a classroom reading collection and as they are available in paperback that is a realistic proposition.