The heartfelt message of its conclusion, when juxtaposed against this hateful start, is diminished, especially for young readers living with scoliosis who would have to wade through the early hurtful comments before they come to see Deenie’s journey unfold. Interestingly, the severity of Deenie’s curve was never explicitly mentioned, aside from the knowledge that it was not severe enough to mention surgery and that treatment would be fulfilling a “cosmetic” purpose. Another one of everyone's childhood favorite, that I read too late in life, and thus failed to get on board the rave train with everyone else. Her decision to leave her first husband when she was 37 led to her divorce tale It’s Not the End of the World. This is your usual cautionary tale, of not being needlessly judgmental, because one day it could happen to you, mixed with a heavy dose of little girls can be anything they want, so stop pushing them into ready-made boxes.

Deenie (Literature) - TV Tropes Deenie (Literature) - TV Tropes

An important topic is that of parents exhorting their children to take up professions that the parents feel that are suited for them, whether or not the children are amenable to the idea.She receives thousands of letters a year from readers of all ages who share their feelings and concerns with her. After spending time in treatment with other young women like her—who cut, burn, poke, and otherwise hurt themselves—Charlie is released and takes a bus from the Twin Cities to Tucson to be closer to Mikey, a boy she "like-likes" but who had pined for Ellis instead. Author Judy Blume points to a poster for the film adaptation of her groundbreaking young adult book. The seminal book centers on 11-year-old Margaret, whose life is upended by her family’s move from New York City to suburban New Jersey right before she starts sixth grade. Seventeen-year-old Charlie Davis, a white girl living on the margins, thinks she has little reason to live: her father drowned himself; her bereft and abusive mother kicked her out; her best friend, Ellis, is nearly brain dead after cutting too deeply; and she's gone through unspeakable experiences living on the street.

Judy Blume Books By Age and Reading Level | Time The Best Judy Blume Books By Age and Reading Level | Time

In defiance, Deenie brings her old outfit to Janet's house, intending to remove the brace and change clothes once there, but she changes her mind; she leaves her brace on and her old clothes in Janet's room, where they stay for the duration of the party. And in the middle-grade area, a dedicated Judy Blume shelf was packed with Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, Superfudge, Blubber, Deenie, Tiger Eyes, Forever … and of course, Margaret.It is difficult to know whether this was a conscious choice or reflective of the time or place the novel was written. Thelma exhorts her to keep up her grades, to the exclusion of all non-academic pursuits, in the hopes that she will eventually become a doctor or lawyer. What’s most astonishing about Judy Blume isn’t that her books keep selling 50 years after they burst onto the kids lit scene, but that they are no less potent than they were back then.

Deenie - Wikiwand

Only Known by Their Nickname: Deenie is short for Wilmadeene (a misspelling of Wilma Dean "Deanie" Loomis from Splendor in the Grass) and her real name is barely mentioned save for an interviewer and her old-fashioned sewing teacher.Instead of giving Deenie any personality or independent existence beyond her malady, the author throws in the subtopic of masturbation — Deenie likes to touch her "special place" to get "that good feeling," and is relieved when the gym teacher tells the class it's okay — which only makes the story's hygienic slant more pronounced. Not only that, but she's convinced that it will put an end to normal teenage life, including her blossoming relationship with her crush, Buddy Brader.