Blubber
The thing I like about Judy Blume is that her characters have guts. They say what they think and are quite frank in their thoughts. At that age, I would never have had the courage to speak as her characters do. This book about the social world of 5th grade girls is a wonderful starter for conversations about cliques, bullying, and friendships. Jill's class has a perfect scapegoat in Linda, a heavy girl unwilling to stand up for herself. We see how Jill gets caught up in taunting others, how easily one’s social status can change, and how one might deal with social pressures. Discussing the ideas in this book can help you show your daughter how to stand up for what she believes in and not do what others are doing just to stay “safe” socially.
Note that there are a couple of swear words in the book. While some might find these objectionable, they do create a good opportunity for a discussion about language. You might discuss whether your family find words like these objectionable or not, why, and if you think there is a context for using them.
Do you know anybody like Wendy?
Why do you think Caroline went along with Wendy?
Do people get picked on like this at your school? If so, what do bystanders do?
Which character in this book would you most like for a friend? Why?
Did you think that Jill handled the situation well?
What could Jill have done differently or better?
Would this solution work in real life?
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