Judy Moody gets famous!

This sequel to Judy Moody handily matches the original in zip and wit, portraying the spunky Judy in her quest for recognition. Famous for her changeable moods, the third-grader wants to become just plain famous after her arch rival, Jessica, wins a spelling contest to earn the title of Queen Bee, an honor accompanied by a bejeweled tiara and a front-page headline in the local newspaper. In contrast, green-eyed Judy "felt about as famous as a pencil." When it becomes clear that her spelling prowess will not pave Judy's way to fame, the resourceful child tries to pass off a hammered cherry pit as one from George Washington's ill-fated tree a ruse that bombs when a boy mistakes it for an M&M and swallows it. Judy's cat, Mouse, makes another appearance, helping the heroine attract the spotlight when it wins second place in a pet contest; but the newspaper photo shows only her elbow, and her name appears as "Judy Muddy." McDonald provides an inventive conclusion to her tangy tale, as an altruistic undertaking on Judy's part garners her fame (hint: her medical school aspirations once again come into play) but anonymously. Even Judy could spell two words that describe both the plot and its heroine: f-r-e-s-h and f-u-n-n-y. Here's to her quick return. Ages 6-10. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Gr 2-4-Third-grader Judy Moody is back in her second adventure for the young chapter-book crowd. She has a mood for all seasons, and this time it is jealousy. She thinks everyone else is famous except for her-even her parents and brother all have claims to fame. Sure that she'll be a winner when her cat makes toast for the "Famous Pet Contest," she loses to a boy whose chicken plays "Three Blind Mice" on a toy piano. In the end, Judy becomes famous anonymously after she steals some broken dolls from the hospital, fixes and cleans them, and mails them back, and the local newspaper picks up the story. To her surprise, she finds her secret even more satisfying than having everyone know who did the good deed. Funny black-and-white cartoons appear throughout. Dialogue is right on target for the character's age and feelings. The child's self-centered attitude may be tiresome to some adult readers, but kids will relate to her every concern. Look for future adventures of this feisty heroine, and don't miss her time in the spotlight.-Sharon R. Pearce, Geronimo Public School, OK (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(Primary, Intermediate) In this sequel to Judy Moody, the irrepressible third grader-envious of goody-goody classmate Jessica Finch, who gets a tiara and her picture in the paper when she wins a spelling bee-is in the mood to get ""f-a-m-o-u-s."" Her relentless and indiscriminate pursuit of fame yields few results, however. She tries to pass off a cherry pit as belonging to George Washington, but a little kid swallows it before she can attract reporters; she manages to win second place in a pet contest (her cat makes toast), but only her elbow makes it into the newspaper photo. Worse, when she recruits the gang to try to set the world record for farthest human-centipede walk, her friend Frank ends up in the hospital. When she eventually does make it into the newspaper, it's anonymously, as a secret philanthropist-but it's for a cause she really cares about, and it makes her feel ""famouser"" than even George Washington. The ending may leave some readers bemused-it's not really clear why Judy's lust for fame is satisfied by her anonymous rehabilitation of the hospital dolls-but the force of Judy's personality and the story's great energy and humor should carry the day. Everything about these Judy Moody books-from the liberally illustrated, spaciously designed, accessible format to the believability of Judy's third-grade worldview-spells g-o-o-d n-e-w-s for early chapter book readers. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Envious of classmate and spelling-bee champ Jessica's picture in the local paper, the irrepressible third grader introduced in Judy Moody (2000) tries for her own 15 minutes of fame. As she quickly discovers, it can be elusive. Like its predecessor, a disarming plot and likable characters are matched to an equally appealing format: small pages, generously spaced and sized type, die-cut windows in the dust jacket, and frequent ink-and-wash illustrations featuring smiles and high spots inside. In the end, Judy Moody earns her write-up inadvertently, after spiriting away a bagful of battered dolls from a hospital's playroom, refurbishing them from her large private collection of loose doll parts-plus hospital gowns made from an old sheet and little casts of "oogey wet newspaper"-then returning them anonymously. "Phantom Doll Doctor Strikes County Hospital," reads the headline. Only she, her affectionate nuclear family, and her likely-to-burgeon fan base know the truth. New chapter-book readers will enjoy watching Judy's moods, and the ensuing complications, unfold. (Fiction. 8-10)

This sequel to Judy Moody handily matches the original in zip and wit, portraying the spunky Judy in her quest for recognition. Famous for her changeable moods, the third-grader wants to become just plain famous after her arch rival, Jessica, wins a spelling contest to earn the title of Queen Bee, an honor accompanied by a bejeweled tiara and a front-page headline in the local newspaper. In contrast, green-eyed Judy "felt about as famous as a pencil." When it becomes clear that her spelling prowess will not pave Judy's way to fame, the resourceful child tries to pass off a hammered cherry pit as one from George Washington's ill-fated tree a ruse that bombs when a boy mistakes it for an M&M and swallows it. Judy's cat, Mouse, makes another appearance, helping the heroine attract the spotlight when it wins second place in a pet contest; but the newspaper photo shows only her elbow, and her name appears as "Judy Muddy." McDonald provides an inventive conclusion to her tangy tale, as an altruistic undertaking on Judy's part garners her fame (hint: her medical school aspirations once again come into play) but anonymously. Even Judy could spell two words that describe both the plot and its heroine: f-r-e-s-h and f-u-n-n-y. Here's to her quick return. Ages 6-10. (Aug.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Gr 2-4-Third-grader Judy Moody is back in her second adventure for the young chapter-book crowd. She has a mood for all seasons, and this time it is jealousy. She thinks everyone else is famous except for her-even her parents and brother all have claims to fame. Sure that she'll be a winner when her cat makes toast for the "Famous Pet Contest," she loses to a boy whose chicken plays "Three Blind Mice" on a toy piano. In the end, Judy becomes famous anonymously after she steals some broken dolls from the hospital, fixes and cleans them, and mails them back, and the local newspaper picks up the story. To her surprise, she finds her secret even more satisfying than having everyone know who did the good deed. Funny black-and-white cartoons appear throughout. Dialogue is right on target for the character's age and feelings. The child's self-centered attitude may be tiresome to some adult readers, but kids will relate to her every concern. Look for future adventures of this feisty heroine, and don't miss her time in the spotlight.-Sharon R. Pearce, Geronimo Public School, OK Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.