Trying to remember an old Judy Blume favourite

[RustyPaperclip]

I remember reading the odd Judy Blume book when I was younger and I really enjoyed them, one in particular, but for the life of me I can't remember the name. Briefly tried googling but hoping you wise lot can help.

From what I remember as a child, the main character grew up around the time of WW2. I think her father might have been a dentist. I remember something at the beginning about playing Cowboys and Indians and also Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The family moved at some point and the girl was convinced a new neighbour was Hitler.

Now I have written it down it sounds blood weird but I loved it when I was young and would like to read it again. Cheers

[SoThatHappened]

Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself

Loved that book

[SoThatHappened]

They moved to Florida for the winter as her brother had been ill with nephritis.

[Salmiak]

Oh Judy Blume! I still have a little internal giggle whenever I hear the name Ralph

[RustyPaperclip]

Ah perfect! I did read a brief synopsis but got thrown off by the story about the brother (clearly blanked that out as a child!)

I did love a bit of Judy Blume growing up, but I also loved another book if anyone can help. It was about two sisters. The younger one was a dancer and came across as very spoilt. The older daughter was a tomboy but got taken under the wing of a professional dancer who lived down the road and saw her dancing on a building site I think. I may be wrong, but I think it was somehow mouse related.

It makes me chuckle that you all managed to work out the book from my garbled description!

[Darrowisred]

Rusty that book was Deenie. I loved it too.

[Darrowisred]

Oh actually maybe not just read your description again!

[RustyPaperclip]

Was Deenie the book about the girl with a spinal problem who needed a back brace? I loved that book too. I'm predicting a week or so of reverting back to preteen/teen books to refresh my memory

[Ipushedmygrannyaffabus]

Deenie was the one where the girl had scoliosis. One of my favourites was blubber, about a girl getting bullied at school?

I'm off work next week - can see a trip to the library happening!

[Eminybob]

I loved Judy Blume. I think I have read all of them.
I remember the one with the Hitler neighbour but I wouldn't have been able to get the name of it.

[AmpersandRea]

I still have my copy of Starring Sally J Freedman As Herself and a copy of Forever bought as an adult

[turdfairynomore]

My kids bought me the Little House on the Prairie boxed set for my birthday! Memories!!! And I've ordered Thursday's Child by Noel Streatfield as my Easter treat!!

[IPityThePontipines]

Loved Starring Sally J Freeman as herself. I reread it countless times as a child. It's just so vividly written and contains a lot of serious issues (Holocaust, racial segregation) without being overly worthy.

[RustyPaperclip]

Oh you lovely people of MN I have a now of a lovely cup of tea wine and ready to relive my teenage years.

[CrotchetQuaverMinim]

the other book might be by Jean Ure, "Supermouse" (or Hi There, Supermouse) or one of a few others she wrote, possibly about the same girls. (She wrote loads of books about a variety of things, can't remember how many about those girls, but at least a few of them were ballet related).

[teamnomistake]

Is the Ballet one "Hi there Supermouse!" By Jean Ure? That had a tomboy sister and a bratty sister. I used to read it and get outraged on the tomboy's behalf

[FeliciaJollygoodfellow]

I remember that book about the dancer. Not sure the name but I read it a few times.

Off to google and probably buy loads of my old favourites!

I also loved Lois Lowry and Paula Danziger books, all the same ilk.

[hairymairyfromthedairy]

Does anyone remember "Are you there God it's me Margaret?"

[FeedMyFaceWithJaffaCakes]

The one about the back. Is that.. Are you there god it's me Margaret?

[MyKingdomForBrie]

This is why I never throw a book away, nothing worse than the threads of a story catching at your memory but you can't quite get it. Love these threads!

[FeedMyFaceWithJaffaCakes]

Oh just Rtwt. Deenie was the one with the girl with the back (scoliosis!) X

[Cerseirys]

No, the back is Deenie. Margaret is the period book.

[PaulAnkaTheDog]

Ralph

[Cerseirys]

Yep. Sorry Ralph Fiennes...

[Dancergirl]

I was a huge Judy Blume fan growing u but Sally J Freedman was my absolute favourite. I re-read it many many times as an adult too. I loved Sally's personality, the close relationship with her father and grandmother...and also the interaction between Sally and her brother Douglas who finds Sally a bit annoying but you can really see the brother/sister love. So well written, you could almost be there.

I read the Supermouse book too.

[Dancergirl]

Other JB books less talked about - Blubber (about bullying) and Iggies House (about racism).