Blubber (novel)
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| Author | Judy Blume |
|---|---|
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Young adult |
| Publisher | Bradbury |
| Released | 1974 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 224 |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-87888-072-0 |
Blubber is a novel by Judy Blume first published in 1974. The protagonist is Jill, a Pennsylvania fifth-grader[1] who joins her classmates in ostracizing and bullying Linda, a slightly overweight girl. Linda gives an oral class report about whales and is hence nicknamed "Blubber" by her peers. Wendy, a smart and popular girl, leads her classmates in bullying Linda. The story follows the fickleness of preteen group dynamics and observes the ease with which bullying shifts targets, especially late in the story when Jill, after standing up for Linda (because Jill is frustrated with herself for so readily following Wendy's lead), becomes the focus of harassment (including from Linda herself, who is more than willing to bully one of her former harassers). Jill's best friend is Tracy Wu, a girl of Chinese heritage, and Wendy makes a racial slur against Tracy when Jill sticks up for Linda. Unlike Linda, Jill fights back against her classmates when they harass her. After a showdown in the girls' washroom, Jill is no longer bullied by her peers and becomes friendly with the new girl in her class, Rochelle, while remaining best friends with Tracy Wu.
[edit] Controversy
This book is on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000 at number 32.[2] For what is cited as "for offensive language . . . unsuited to age group. The mean-spirited ringleader is never punished for her cruelty."
[edit] References
- ^ Books: Blubber, by Judy Blume, Paperback. Barnes & Noble. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
- ^ The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000. American Library Association. Retrieved on 2007-02-02.
