The One In The Middle Is The Green Kangaroo (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) [School & Library Binding]

Judy Blume (Author), Amy Aitken (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1989 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Freddy is tired of being the middle child in his family until he gets a very special part in the school play.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Squeezed between a big brother and a kid sister, Freddy employs newfound histrionic abilities to escape being "the peanut butter part of a sandwich." Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

Lately second-grader Freddy Dissel has that left-out kind of feeling. Life can be lonely when you're the middle kid in the family and you feel like "the peanut butter part of a sandwich," squeezed between an older brother and a little sister. But now for the first time it's Freddy's chance to show everyone how special he is and, most of a all, prove it to himself! --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• School & Library Binding: 39 pages
• Publisher: Turtleback (December 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881031828
• ISBN-13: 978-0881031829
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,451,559 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 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Reviews from sever-year-olds, May 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The One in the Middle Is the Green Kangaroo (Hardcover)

The following reviews were written by four 7-year-olds in a classroom book club I led. We studied reviews from Amazon.com before they wrote theirs to see how there can be many different opinions on one title:

Annie says: I would recommend this book to you because it is neat how Freddy Dissel started out having nothing special and ended up doing something all of his own. He gets to be the green kangaroo in a school play.

Ashleigh says: I think this book is funny because my 4-year-old brother is the middle child and me and my sister boss him around like Freddy. I think everyone should have this book!

David says: This book is about a boy named Freddy who plays the green kangaroo in the school play. I think it is stupid because he hops all around saying, "I'm the Green Kangaroo." I would not recommend a friend read this book because it is stupid.

Rachel says: I think this book is funny because when Freddy's teacher, Ms. Gumber, told him "break a leg" he thought he should really fall off the stage and break a leg. I would recommend this book to you because it is neat and I think it is neat because the illustrator really expressed what the words described.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Touching title...Loving story, January 13, 2002

By 

Carmen K. Welsh Jr. "Kayfey" (Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo (Hardcover)

There are books to thrill you, and there are the books that warm you throughout your life. This is one of them.
Judy Blume has a broad stroke, writing for ages from elementary to Adult life. And with each book, she captures all the humiliation and comedy that those years offer. Though I was "too big" for this book when I read it, I don't regret doing so. Though I am not a middle child, I understand how it feels when, as a child, you feel that you don't matter, at that stage "not-old-enough-and-so-not-important-enough". Having read a wide scale of Blume throughout childhood, I know which books touched me, made me angry, and made me shout: "Hoooray!"
Judy Blume puts as much feeling into her books' titles as she does into her stories, and so even the most disaffected can only become interested because of her colorful titles. This is one of my favorite Judy Blume stories, and my favorite title by her. There are stories to challenge, books to think, fables that make you laugh out loud and novels to make you weep.
And there is "The One in the Middle is the Green Kangeroo". Even if you have not heard of Judy Blume or haven't read one of her titles, I won't hold it against you. It is a short life and we can't read them all, but doesn't the title sound curious enough for you to give this book a try?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The green kangroo is a good book., May 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo (Dell Picture Yearling) (Paperback)

I really enjoyed The one in the middle is the green kangroo. It had comedy, fussing, and problems. The main chacters is Freddy Dissel and his brother Michel and his sister Ellen. Freddy didn't like being small beacuse he did not like being out of the fun. One day at school there was a poster in the hall that said MEETING FOR SCHOOL PLAY Fifth AND SIX GRADERS ONLY. He went to class and told his teacher he wont's to be in the play but his teacher told him that it was only for the big kids.But she told him that she would ask Ms. Matson about a special part for him. If you want to hear the ending of the story read the book.