Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great [Paperback]

Judy Blume (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

Sheila Tubman sometimes wonders who she really is: the outgoing, witty, and capable Sheila the Great, or the secret Sheila, who's afraid of the dark, spiders, swimming, and dogs.

When her family spends the summer in Tarrytown, Sheila has to face some of her worst fears. Not only does a dog come with the rented house, but her parents expect Sheila to take swimming lessons! Sheila does her best to pretend she's an expert at everything, but she knows she isn't fooling her new best friend, Mouse Ellis, who happens to be a crackerjack swimmer and a dog lover.

What will it take for Sheila to admit to the Tarrytown kids -- and to herself -- that she's only human?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sheila's ongoing crisis of image is as easy to identify with as it is to laugh at."--Kirkus Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Sheila Tubman sometimes wonders who she really is: the outgoing, witty, and capable Sheila the Great, or the secret Sheila, who's afraid of the dark, spiders, swimming, and dogs.

When her family spends the summer in Tarrytown, Sheila has to face some of her worst fears. Not only does a dog come with the rented house, but her parents expect Sheila to take swimming lessons! Sheila does her best to pretend she's an expert at everything, but she knows she isn't fooling her new best friend, Mouse Ellis, who happens to be a crackerjack swimmer and a dog lover.

What will it take for Sheila to admit to the Tarrytown kids -- and to herself -- that she's only human?

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (March 15, 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440467012
• ISBN-13: 978-0440467014
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,425,479 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

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wake up your mind to a GREAT book!, June 27, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (Paperback)

I'm nine! I am very picky about books. I was looking in the basement for books because I didn't like the books that my mom took out from the library. Then guess what I found? I found a book called Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great! It was about a girl who is scared of stuff. (But she lies and makes it out like she is so great.) What will happens when she lies to her friends? Will they figure it out? This is a great book for bedtime stories, class reading books, and for fun reading!I hope you buy this book and enjoy it like I did!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is a perfect book to read over the summer., June 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (Paperback)

Sheila is a person who is very worried about how she is perceived by other people. She is unsure of herself, and when she doesn't know something, she tells white lies instead of just admitting it. When her family goes to upstate New York for the summer, Sheila is confronted with her fears of dogs and swimming, and in making new friends she must deal with her worries about herself. You may already be familliar with Sheila from the "Fudge" stories, but this book paints a more in depth, endearing picture of her. As always, Judy Blume uses humor to portray situations that might not be so funny were we in them ourselves.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book will knock your socks off!, February 5, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (Paperback)

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great is about a girl named Sheila.Sheila babysits a dog that she really hates!She wants a dog alot but not the dog that she babysits.Sheila wants to get away from home and go to Disneyland but her parents said she could not go.So they went to Tarrytown for a couple of weeks.When they got there they rented a house.They rented the house from a family that had three boys.Sheila got the youngest boys room.When she was unpacking Sheila opened the drawer and there was a note that said,"If you touch any of my stuff, I'll get you some day!" Sheila went to sleep and the next day Sheila met a friend named Meryl but she hated that name so everyone calls her Mouse.Seila learns lots of things in Tarrytown.Read this book and you will find out what she did in Tarrytown and what she learned. You will not put this book down it will knock your socks off.