Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer Review

Synopsis from Candlewick Publishing:

Roar! It’s not bad enough that Mom and Dad are heading to California, leaving Judy and Stink with Aunt Awful (er, Opal), but now two of Judy’s friends are going Splitsville, too. Just when it looks like her summer is going to be BOR-ing- eureka! — Judy comes up with the most thrill-a-delic plan ever. Get ready for a race involving tightrope walking, Scream Monster riding, and way more! Add in a treasure hunt for Judy’s teacher, a midnight stakeout, a runaway ice cream truck, and a dash of Bigfoot, and what have you got? The Judy Moodiest summer ever!

About: Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer is a middle grade fiction written by Megan McDonald and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. It was published on 4/10/2012 by Candlewick Press, paperback, 208 pages. The genres are middle grade, fiction, and social issues. This book is intended for readers ages 6 to 9, grades 1 to 4. Judy Moody is a series composed of 14 books, where Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer is book number 10.  According to the publisher’s website, “Candlewick Press arrived on the scene with some of the highest-quality picture books anywhere. And in the years since then, our offerings have grown to encompass all ages, from board books to e-books, high-end novelty to cutting-edge fiction. In 1992, Candlewick Press opened its doors as an independent children’s publisher, and we remain an independent publisher today.” Please see below for more information about the author and publisher.

My Experience: I started reading Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer on 8/11/2018 and finished it on 8/13/2018. This book is super fun to read! I’m reading book 10 and though it’s in a series, this book can be read as a standalone. The Who’s Who page at the beginning of the book is really helpful! I like Judy and her brother Stink and their active imagination. I like that when Judy’s mom burns during cooking, she runs to the rescue with her water gun. I like Judy’s teacher, Mr. Todd and his fun assignment for the students to find him during summer break. My son’s favorite character in this book is Frank Pearl because he barf during the roller coaster ride.

In this book, readers will follow Judy Moody, told in the third person point of view, as she counts down the last minutes of school until summer break. Judy runs a PT club with her classmates/friends as members. In this PT club, she has plans for a fun summer because last summer was boring with a capital letter B. As plans often can go wrong, Judy soon finds out that her friends will be out of town and will not be able to join in her plans for a Mega-Rare Not Bummer Summer Dare. All hope for a fun summer is not lost when Judy thought of an idea to race with her friends even while they are away to see who will achieve the highest thrill points first by taking actions in daring activities. Judy struggles with earning thrill points because her friend/PT member, Frank Pearl throws up all over her during their roller coaster ride. Judy’s brother is obsess with catching Bigfoot and Judy is nowhere near believing of its existence, but it might just save her from losing the Mega-Rare Summer Dare race.

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer is very well written and organized. This is the first book I have read where in place of chapter numbers are chapter titles. I love the humor. I like Judy’s younger brother Stink and his strong passion for something he loves, which in this case is Bigfoot and his constant references to Bigfoot’s book. I find the many made up words are hard to read but I do like the use of big words and the given definition within the story. I like how Judy doesn’t give up even though often her plan fails. I like the reminder about the ice cream truck because nowadays I don’t hear them coming down my street anymore. I like Judy’s easy going family. This book is fun and uplifting and I highly recommend everyone to read it, especially kids! I told my son about this book and he could hardly wait to read!

Pro: fast paced, page turner, humor, imagination, actions & adventures, friendship, family, couldn’t put down

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

Buy it here for free shipping: Book Depository  or Candlewick’s website

About the Author:

Megan McDonald is the creator of the popular and award-winning Judy Moody and Stink series. She is also the author of three Sisters Club stories, two books about Ant and Honey Bee, and many other books for children. Megan McDonald lives in California. (Photo obtained from internet and info obtained from Candlewick’s website).

Peter H. Reynolds is the illustrator of the Judy Moody and Stink books and the author-illustrator of The Dot, Ish, So Few of Me, and Rose’s Garden. He lives in Dedham, Massachusetts. (Info obtained from Candlewick’s website).

More Information about Candlewick Publishing

Website: http://www.candlewick.com | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CandlewickPressBooks | Twitter: https://twitter.com/Candlewick | Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candlewickpress

***Disclaimer: I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway hosted by the publisher. Many thanks to Candlewick Publishing for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine