| Going, Going, Gone with the Pain and the Great One (series #3) |
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What You Need to Know:
• Another fabulous series by the venerable Judy Blume.
• This series is geared towards a younger Blume reader, think younger than the Fudge books.
• The stories in these collections have very relatable issues for young readers and are all done with a great amount of
humor and candor.
• Each chapter is a stand-alone story, which makes this a great shared reading book before bed and also a wonderful book for your Reader, Sr, to tackle alone.
• I just love how Blume doesn't condescend to children. It goes without saying that this series is really well-written.
The stories will hold your child's attention and show them the writing process at top form. |
Sweet Series Background:
This early-chapter book series is about a set of siblings, the Pain and the Great One, who are, respectively, a first grade boy and a third grade girl. Love the names! Blume has said they are based on her own children; that the original story was written at home with a house full of her children's friends, when her children were six and eight years old. It was originally published as a poem for "Free to Be You and Me." Then Blume published an illustrated picture book called The Pain and the Great One, and now we can enjoy these sassy characters in this delightful chapter book series.
As in all of Blume's books, she is completely honest with her young readers and she doesn't shy away from any issues. This new series is no different, albeit written for a bit younger reader than those that devour the Fudge books.The chapters are actually interconnected, short stories about everyday things in the lives of the Pain and the Great One. |
Sweet Book Summary:
In Going, Going, Gone!, Blume tackles fear of swimming in the ocean, sticking something up your nose and getting it stuck (yuck), not doing something just because your friends are doing it and getting lost at the mall. I have selected mild concerns in subject matter for two reasons: firstly, in case your child is having any of the issues discussed in this book, you need to be aware they are going to read about them. Secondly, I just want to give you a preview because they are all good discussion starters about growing up that you might want to capitalize on, and have the conversations (one at a time, of course).
Also, a note about the book's structure. The interconnected stories are a nice set-up for times when your child only has a few minutes to read. For example, I leave them in the car in case someone is interested in a short story while we are waiting for a sibling. This structure also lends itself to a child who is entering the Reader, SR, reading level. Short stories like this are good practice for learning to retain a story, readying them for longer books. |
Author: Judy Blume Illustrator: James Stevenson Published: 2008, 128 pages
Themes: Excellent Read-Aloud, Growing Up, Family Life, Humor |
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