Iggie's House [Hardcover]

Judy Blume (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2002

Iggie's house just wasn't the same. Iggie was gone, moved to Tokyo. And there was Winnie, cracking her gum on Grove Street, where she'd always lived, with no more best friend and two weeks left of summer.

Then the Garber family moved into Iggie's house -- two boys, Glenn and Herbie, and Tina, their little sister. The Garbers were black and Grove Street was white and always had been. Winnie, a welcoming committee of one, set out to make a good impression and be a good neighbor. That's why the trouble started.

Glenn and Herbie and Tina didn't want a "good neighbor." They wanted a friend.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Judy Blume's body of work returns to her original editor, Richard Jackson, with the rerelease of four classics in hardcover. An African-American family moves to all-white Grove Street in Iggie's House, to be released in April. The author's breakthrough title, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, about 11-year old Margaret Simon's struggles with puberty and religion, is now available in hardcover as well as in a Spanish-language edition, Estas ahi Dios? Soy yo, Margaret. Two additional titles came out last season: Blubber takes on preteen teasing; and It's Not the End of the World explores the effects of divorce.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"The purpose is worthy, and the most perceptive aspect of the book is the interpretation of the reaction of the black family."--Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books (April 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689842910
• ISBN-13: 978-0689842917
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #949,255 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

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Different colors go great together!, January 28, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Iggies House (Hardcover)

This is a story about a girl named Winnie that soon finds out you cannot judge a book by its cover. Her bestfriend moved to Japan and the new people that moved in were black. Being the first black family in the neighborhood, it made many people very upset. Mrs. Landan was a neighbor that was so upset she wanted to get a petition signed to make them move away. After a short time the new kids,Glenn, Herbie, and Tina, became friends with Winnie. When this happened, Winnie decided to help get them to stay and for people to be nice to them. At the end of the story the new family ended up staying and the mean Mrs. Landan moved away. It was perfect.

I loved the story because it was easy to read and interesting. I can't imagine not liking someone because they were a different color then me. I liked Winnie because she figured this out before anyone. I am glad it is not like that where I live. I recommend it to kids 9 and up only and I think adults should read it too if they are like Mrs. Landan.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile, January 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Iggie's House (Paperback)

"Iggie's House" is about an 11-year-old girl, Winnie Barringer, who befriends her new neighbors (the Garbers, who have two sons--Glenn and Herbie--and a daughter--Tina) when her best friend (Iggie) moves out of the house they move into. While Winnie doesn't have a problem with the Garbers being black, several of her neighbors do since the area had always been occupied by white residents. So out of loyalty to her new friends, Winnie sets out to crusade against the racism in her neighborhood.

Although "Iggie's House" isn't my favorite Judy Blume book (though I doubt I'll ever give her less than 5 stars on any book), she's great at tackling social problems, such as racism in this book, showing how children typically see things in just black and white, so to speak. Though prejudices aren't as easily overcome as shown here, "Iggie's House" is still a great learning tool for preteens.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Iggie's House Review, April 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Iggie's House (Hardcover)

Parts of this book were dull, but overall, we liked this book. We thought it was interesting to read about the changes in race relations in the 1960s. Winnie was nice to the Garbers -- a black family who moved into her friend Iggie's old house. Everyone else was rude and mean because they didn't like black people. We think it was because they were afraid of change.

Winnie doesn't like it that people are rude to the Garbers. She makes a petition that she hopes will defend them.

The book was somewhat dull because Winnie and the Garbers did not have adventures. For example, they sneaked into a house under construction. That scene could have been more interesting. They could have gotten lost in the house or they could have gotten caught by the police or the workers. Instead, they played and left. The scene didn't seem to have a purpose.

Because the book was so short, we felt like we didn't really know Winnie. We know that she is a tomboy, that she hates being dressed up, and she lets her hair hang in her face. But we don't feel like we kneow who she is on the inside. Her parents are conservative and afraid of new things. Winnie is not like her parents in this way. She is very sensitive. She gets angry and upset easily by things she thinks are unfair.

We would recommend this book for classes who are studying civil rights. We would not recommend this book for fun reading because it is not exciting enough.