Cool zone with the Pain & the Great One

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

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.

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.

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.

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. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.

Gr 1–3— In the third easy chapter book about the Pain (first-grader Jake) and the Great One (third-grader Abigail), Blume relates several common childhood concerns. Each chapter begins with an illustration to let readers know which sibling is narrating. The Great One tells about her brother losing a tooth and her phase of wanting to be known as Violet Rose. Jake explains what happened the day he was a waiter when the first graders opened the "Breakfast Club" in their classroom and about the time a student took her dog to school and it ran off with Jake's stuffed elephant. The two siblings squabble but it is normal, harmless teasing, and when the chips are down they band together, as in the chapter about their run-in with the school bully. The family cat, Fluzzy, ends the book with a brief chapter of how he also would like a new name. Stevenson's trademark ink sketches add interest and humor to the stories. No new ground is broken here, but the topics are those to which early-elementary graders can relate.—Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI