Here's to You, Rachel Robinson [Paperback]

Judy Blume (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Trouble in Rachel's family is spelled with a capital C—for Charles.

From the outside, Rachel looks like the perfect daughter in the perfect family. She’s a straight-A student, a gifted musician, and a good friend. But her older brother, Charles, seems determined to ruin everything. Rachel feels as if it’s all falling apart. Her best friends, Stephanie and Alison, find Charles funny. They urge Rachel to lighten up and enjoy the end of seventh grade. Easy for them to say. Not so easy for Rachel. Not even when Jeremy Dragon, the coolest boy in ninth grade, notices her. Is it possible that perfection isn’t the key to an exciting life?

An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Continuing the story begun in Just As Long As We're Together , Blume here focuses on Rachel, one of three best friends. This gifted, highly motivated student who, according to her mother, was "born thirty-five," feels somewhat out of sync with Stephanie and Alison as seventh grade draws to a close. Then, when Rachel's acerbic older brother is expelled from boarding school, life at home becomes equally unsettling--and decidedly unpleasant. Rachel's incisive, first-person narration easily draws readers into her complicated world as she learns to cope with the pressures brought on by her relentless quest to be the best at everything and by her troubled family situation. Perceptive, strong storytelling ensures that other characters' points of view (particularly Rachel's brother's) can also be discerned. Blume once again demonstrates her ability to shape multidimensional characters and to explore--often through very convincing dialogue--the tangled interactions of believable, complex people. Ages 11-up.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-This is the second book in what will likely become a trilogy revolving around three 13-year-old friends, Stephanie, Rachel, and Alison. In Just As Long As We Are Together (Orchard, 1987), Stephanie described the turmoils of the first half of seventh grade. Here, Rachel picks up the narrative. Her intelligence and drive have always set her apart, and now her emotions are in a state of turbulence. The unwelcome return of her rebellious brother from boarding school unsettles her family, which is dominated by the intense and highly successful Mrs. Robinson. Charles wreaks havoc through his volatile behavior and cruel, but often insightful, attacks on his sisters and parents. Rachel also struggles to find a balance at school, where increasing pressures threaten to overwhelm her. While dealing with these concerns, she becomes attracted to an older man and longs for her peers to accept her. A master at conveying the values and mores of the upper-middle class, Blume excels in her descriptions of family life and adolescent friendships. Her characterization is powerful and compelling. Rachel's strong narrative voice, couched in simple, direct language, realistically conveys her intense self-preoccupation. Though Rachel is an unusual personalitity, the author never loses sight of the common threads running through the lives of all teenagers. She draws on the universal themes of awakening sexuality and emerging identities to capture and hold her audience. Preteens will snap this one up.
Maggie McEwen, Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick, ME
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Laurel Leaf; First Edition edition (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440219744
• ISBN-13: 978-0440219743
• Product Dimensions: 4.3 x 0.6 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,086,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Judy Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, NJ, making up stories inside her head. She has spent her adult years in many places, doing the same thing, only now she writes her stories down on paper. Adults as well as children will recognize such Blume titles as: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Superfudge; Blubber; Just As Long As We're Together; and Forever. She has also written the best-selling novels Wifey; Smart Women; and, Summer Sisters. More than 75 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into twenty-six languages.
She receives thousands of letters each month from readers of all ages who share their feelings and
concerns with her.
Judy received a B.S. in education from New York University in 1961, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 1996, the same year that American Library Association honored her with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. She has won more than ninety awards, none more important than those coming directly from her youngest readers.
She serves on the boards of the Author's Guild, currently as Vice President; the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, where she sponsors an award for contemporary fiction; and the National Coalition Against Censorship, working to protect intellectual freedom. In Spring 2002, Judy was a spokesperson for the Cheerios "A Book for Every Child" literacy campaign which benefited Reading is Fundamental, America's largest literacy organization. She is also the founder and trustee of The Kids Fund, a charitable and educational foundation.
Judy's first book in the Fudge series, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, was published in 1972. She is thrilled to be celebrating its 30th Anniversary with the publication of Double Fudge. Just as generations of fans have loved the Fudge books, generations of Judy's family have inspired them. Thirty years ago, Fudge was inspired by her son, Larry, and now Double Fudge was written at the request of her grandson, Elliot.
Judy lives on islands up and down the East Coast with her husband George Cooper. They have three grown children and one grandchild.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A story that explains how all pre-teens have problems, April 17, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Here's to You, Rachel Robinson (Paperback)

This book is a great story that really explains how ALL pre-teens to teens have problems. Whether it is family problems, such as your parents splitting up or your brother being a pain in the butt, or problems with your friends, such as worrying that they don't like you anymore. The three main characters, Rachel, Stephanie, and Allison all have one or more of these problems. Rachel, (the main character) is having problems with her brother, Charles. Stephanie's parents just split up and her mother is dating again. And Allison's mother has re-married and is pregnant with a second child. As you read this story you will laugh, and you may cry. Judy Blume did an excellent job with making her characterse so realistic.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read!, August 4, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Here's to You, Rachel Robinson (Paperback)

Read this book! Even if you don't usually like Judy Blume's stories, this is a good one.

Rachel's a straight A student, who is also gifted at music. She ends up with problems, though, because her teachers expect her to participate in more activities than she can cope with. And then there's Charles, her brother, who is a total pain. At the same time she's trying to stay friends with Alison and Steph. What can she do?

The only problem I found with this book is that there is no real solution - the end isn't that good. But I think it's worth reading anyway, because the storyline is quite interesting. I particularly liked it because I could easily relate to the girl in the story.

Apart from a few problems, fantastic!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book ever!!, September 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Here's to You, Rachel Robinson (Hardcover)

I have read this book countless times, and I always come back to it when Im feeling that there isn't anyone like me, and maybe Im just a weirdo. Rachel is so smart, and Im not "a child prodigy" but I can completely relate to her. And just the way Judy Blume writes & describes things, i don't think anyone can get as realistic. I think this was even better then the first, and I hope one with Allison will be written! And maybe some more about Stephanie & Rachel.