Judy Moody Was in a Mood

Author: Megan McDonald

Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds

Published: In 2000 by Candlewick Press

ISBN: 978-0763606855

Synopsis: 

      For Judy Moody nothing could be worse than end of summer and the first day of school in a a new seat in a new classroom with a new teacher and no pet porcupine named Roger.  The very idea of it put her in a mood, not a good mood, but a bad, mad-faced mood.  Judy Moody was not excited to start the third grade.  However, once the school year begins she quickly discovers that things may not be quite as bad as they appeared.  Sometimes the worst situation results in something better than you ever anticipated.  Meet this aspiring young doctor with attitude in a fun tale filled with exotic pets, secret clubs and hilarious experiences! 

 

My Reaction: 

      Judy Moody is quite a character!  She's the embodiment of a new third grader; spunky, self-assured and just a little bit grouchy when things don't go her way.  All of her problems, though they might seem slight to an adult, are ones that I can remember being very preoccupied with when I was younger.  Where you sit in the classroom, what you wear on the first day of school and what kind of crazy adventures you'd had over the summer all matter immensely to elementary-aged children because they have a powerful sway over early peer relationships.  Based on my memories, I know my friends and I were always looking for the newest, most exciting and daring stories we could find.  A story like Judy's, about eating shark, would have become the talk of the town around my friends. 
         The way Judy approaches life greatly resembles my memories of third grade and I believe they probably parallel many students' experiences today.  The emotional moods she encounters throughout the book mirror emotions many young students have faced themselves.  Furthermore, her fascination with rare and exotic rainforest animals, such as her pet Venus Flytrap Jaws, and her obsession with collecting things, like broken doll parts and different types of band-aides are qualities that I believe many children can relate to.  I know I certainly could have.  In third grade I was obsessed with collecting discarded pencil lead.  Every time one of my friends' pencils broke I would scoop up the lead and put it inside my portable pencil sharpener.  By the end of the year I had quite a collection, the colored pencil tips were the ones I coveted the most because the bright colors contrasted beautifully against the dull grey of most pencil lead. 
       For these reasons I feel Judy Moody Was in a Mood is an excellent piece of realistic fiction for newly independent readers.  It utilizes realistic situations, that many children have experienced themselves, in fun and adventurous context that children when enjoy reading.

My Rating (1-5 stars):

 

Judy Moody and her little brother Stink

Still Curious:

Did you know Judy Moody's Birthday is April 1st!?! It's not a joke.  You can learn more interesting facts about Judy and find other Judy Moody books.  It even has a section with activity ideas and teaching guides for parents and teachers! In Judy's words "it's a really Rare and awesome place to visit."  Click on the link below and you'll be transported to the world of Judy Moody!

Judy Moody's Rare and Awesome Website

 Would you like your very own pet Venus Flytrap?  PetFlytrap.com is a website devoted to selling carnivorous and other unusual plants, like Judy's favorite pet Jaws. 

There's also a Movie:

Judy Moody and the NOT Bummer Summer