Blubber - by Judy Blume

About the Book

Jill goes along with the rest of the fifth-grade class in tormenting a classmate and then finds out what it's like when she, too, becomes a target.

Book Synopsis

What happens when teasing goes too far? This classic middle grade novel from Judy Blume addresses the timeless topic of bullying and has a fresh new look.

"Blubber is a good name for her," the note from Caroline said about Linda. Jill crumpled it up and left it on the corner of her school desk. She didn't want to think about Linda or her dumb report on whales just then. Jill wanted to think about Halloween.

But Robby grabbed the note and before Linda stopped talking it had gone halfway around the room. There was something about Linda that made a lot of kids in her fifth-grade class want to see how far they could go...but nobody, Jill least of all, expected the fun to end where it did.

In an honest exploration of childhood bullying, this story is told from the perspective of the bully. While she's not the worst in her class, Jill still participates in bullying Linda, and it takes a drastic turn of events for Jill to understand the consequences of her actions. Written in Judy Blume's celebrated candid style, Blubber is a story of bullying, self-discovery, and what makes a true friendship.

About the Author

Judy Blume, one of America's most popular authors, is the recipient of the 2004 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of beloved books for young people, including Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (which celebrated fifty years in 2020), and novels for adult readers, including Wifey, Summer Sisters, and In the Unlikely Event. Her work has been translated into thirty-two languages. Visit Judy at JudyBlume.com or follow her on Twitter at @JudyBlume.