Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great - Hardcover

Blume, Judy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0525469281 ISBN 13: 9780525469285

Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers, 2002

Synopsis

Sheila Tubman (Peter Hatcher’s sworn enemy) sometimes wonders who she really is: the outgoing, witty, and capable Sheila the Great, or the secret Sheila, who’s afraid of spiders, the dark, swimming and, most of all, dogs. When her family leaves the city for a summer in the country, 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 not only is an outstanding swimmer, but loves dogs! What will it take for Sheila to admit to Mouse and to herself that she's only human?

"It’s hard to imagine any child who wouldn’t enjoy this absolute lark of a book." – Publishers Weekly

About this title

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.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

By Judy Blume

Puffin Books

Copyright © 2002 Judy Blume
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9780525469285

Chapter One

I'm glad there's only one more week of school beforesummer vacation. Today was so hot! My clothes stuckto me and my brain felt all tired out. I didn't even finishmy math in school. So now I have to do it forhomework.

I walked into the lobby of my apartment buildingthinking how good a big, cold drink would taste. Ipushed the Up elevator button and waited. When theelevator got to the lobby Henry opened the gate and Istepped in. Just as he was about to take me upstairsPeter Hatcher and his dumb old dog came tearingdown the hall.

"Wait up, Henry!" Peter called. "Here I come."

"Please don't wait, Henry," I said. "The elevator'stoo small for that dog."

But Henry opened the gate and waited. "This elevatorcan hold ten people or the equivalent," Henrysaid. "And I figure that dog is the equivalent of a personand a half. So with me and you and Peter and thatdog we've still only got four and a half people."

Sometimes I wish Henry didn't spend so muchtime thinking.

"Hi, Henry," Peter said. "Thanks for waiting."

"Any time, Peter," Henry told him.

"Excuse me, please," I said, stepping out of the elevator.I held my nose. "I can't ride up with that dog.He stinks!"

My heart was beating so loud I was sure Henryand Peter could hear it. And I know Turtle, the dog,was laughing at me. He stuck out his tongue andlicked the corners of his mouth. I'll bet he could tasteme already! I walked down the hall with my head heldhigh, saying, "P.U."

Henry called, "Ten flights up is a long walk,Sheila."

"I don't mind," I called back.

Henry was right. Ten flights up is a long walk. By thetime I got to my floor I was huffing and puffing sohard I had to sit down on the landing and rest. Littledrips of sweat ran from my face down to my neck.Still, I think it's pretty smart of me to pretend that Ihate Turtle because he smells. I always hold my nosewhen I see Peter coming with him. That way Peterwill never know the truth!

After a few minutes I wiped my face with the backof my hand and walked down the hall to our apartment.Mrs. Reese is the only person on our floor witha dog. And I don't worry too much about her. Becauseher dog is so small she carries him around in herarms. She calls him Baby and knits him little sweatersto wear in the winter.

I pushed open our apartment door and wentstraight into the kitchen to get something to drink.

"Is that you, Sheila?" my mother called.

"Yes," I answered.

"Did you have fun at Laurie's?"

"Yes," I said, gulping down a whole can of applejuice.

"Is it still hot out?" Mom asked.

"Yes."

"Did you remember to bring home a quart ofmilk?"

Oh oh! I knew I forgot something.

"Sheila ... did you bring home the milk?" Momcalled again.

"No ... I forgot."

I went into the living room then. My mother wasreading a book. The CD player was on and my sisterLibby was twirling around in her pink toe slippers.She is thirteen and thinks she's a great ballerina. Icould hold my nose for the way Libby dances, but I'dget into big trouble if I did.

My mother said, "You better go back down and getthe milk, Sheila."

I flopped into the big chair that tilts back and said,"I can't, Mom. I'm dead. I just walked up the stairs."

"Don't tell me the elevator is out of order!" Momsaid.

"No."

"Then why did you walk up ten flights of stairs?"

"I don't know," I said. "I just felt like it."

"Sheila, that was a very foolish thing to do in thisheat," Mom told me. "Now go into your room and liedown for a while before supper."

"Do I have to?" I asked.

"Yes, you do. Libby will go to the store and get themilk."

Libby did three flying leaps before she said, "Can'tyou see I'm in the middle of a routine?"

"Your routine can wait," Mom said. "I need themilk for supper and Daddy will be home soon."

"But, Mother! I'm in my leotard," Libby said.

Libby used to say Mom, like me. But since shestarted junior high it's Mother this and Mother that.She is very strange.

Mom told Libby, "You can put a skirt over yourleotard and nobody will notice." Then she looked atme. "Sheila, what are you waiting for? I said go andlie down."

"Okay ... okay," I said. "I'm going." I took off myshoes and arranged them on the floor so that the toespointed toward my bedroom.

I line them up every day before my father comeshome. It's part of a private game Daddy and I play. Iam always hiding somewhere and Daddy has to findme. His only clue is my shoes. I invented this gamewhen I was seven and we've been playing it eversince.

Libby said when she was ten she acted a lot moregrown-up than me. I think she missed out on somegood fun. Anyway, Daddy would be disappointed if Istopped playing our game.

Libby and I share a bedroom. I stretched out onmy bed while Libby turned the closet upside downlooking for a skirt.

"You are a pain!" she said to me. "You know that,Sheila? You are a real live pain!"

I didn't answer her.

"Why'd you walk up the stairs ... huh?"

I still didn't answer.

"Did you see a dog in the elevator? I'll bet that's it.I'll bet Mrs. Reese was in the elevator with Baby."

"Wrong!" I said.

Libby finally found a skirt and pulled it on overher leotard. "Then I'll bet it was Peter Hatcher andTurtle."

"Maybe it was and maybe it wasn't," I said.

"Chicken chicken chicken," Libby called as she left.

I put my hands over my ears to show I wasn't evenlistening.

Libby got back with the milk right before Daddy gothome for supper. I jumped off my bed and crawledunder it when I heard him say, "Hello, I'm home."

I knew Daddy found my shoes when he called, "Ahha! I'm coming to find a Sheila!"

It really isn't very hard for him to find me. Therearen't that many places where I can hide. We onlyhave five rooms. Still, Daddy always pretends that hedoesn't have any idea where I might be.

When he came into my room he started openingmy dresser drawers. He said, "Hmmm, no Sheila inhere. No Sheila in there either."

I laughed. Daddy knows I wouldn't fit into a dresserdrawer. And as soon as I laughed he lifted my bedspreadand looked under the bed.

"Ah ha! I found a Sheila!"

I crawled out and kissed Daddy hello. Libbywalked in then. "I don't think you should encourageher to be such a baby," she told Daddy.

"I am not a baby!" I shouted.

"Then why don't you stop playing baby games?" Libby asked.

"All right, Libby," Daddy said. "That's enough!"

"You see," Libby said. "You're always on her side!"

"I'm not on anyone's side," Daddy said. "Let's forgetabout this and go have our supper. I've got somenews for you."

I was sure Daddy's news would be about our summerplans. We've been waiting and waiting to find outwhat we're going to do this summer. I wanted to takea trip to Disneyland but Mom and Daddy said That'sout of the question.

When we sat down at the table and started to eatDaddy said, "We got the house!"

"Oh, Buzz," Mom said. "That's wonderful!"

I wish people would stop calling my father Buzzand start calling him Bertram. That's his real name. Ifeel so silly having a father named Buzz.

"What house?" Libby asked.

"In Tarrytown," Daddy told her. "It belongs to aprofessor at Marymount who's spending the summerin England."

My father is a professor at Marymount Collegetoo. He teaches English. Libby says when she is oldenough to go to college she is not going to Marymountbecause there aren't enough boys around there. Libbythinks boys are very important. Libby is sick!

"It sounds nice," Mom said. "Anything's betterthan the city in July and August."

"I hope there's something to do in Tarrytown,"Libby said. "I really wanted to go to the beach thissummer."

I happen to know that is because Libby has a newbikini and she wants to show it off.

"You'll like Tarrytown," Daddy told Libby. "There'sa pool down the road from our house and there's avery good day camp...."

Libby interrupted. "I'm much too old for daycamp, Father! You know that."

"Not this one," Daddy said. "It's special. You can'teven go if you're not at least ten. It's a cultural artscamp."

"I'm no good at art, Father. You know that too,"Libby said.

"Art includes theater, music, and dancing," Daddy told her.

"Dancing?" Libby asked.

Then Mom and Daddy got these big smiles on theirfaces. I'm sure they knew all along that Libby wouldbe very happy once she found out she could spend thesummer on her dumb old toes!

"Oh, Father ... oh, Mother!" Libby cried.

"I wanted to go to Disneyland," I said.

"We told you that was out of the question," Mom said.

"I know. But I still wanted to go."

"In Tarrytown you can have your own bedroom," Daddy said.

"I can?"

"Yes. There are four bedrooms in Professor Egran'shouse."

I thought that over. My own bedroom. That soundedpretty good.

"And you can learn to swim," Mom said.

"I don't want to learn to swim," I told her.

"We'll see," she said. "We don't have to decidenow."

"Can my bedroom be far away from Libby's?"

"We'll see about that too," Mom said. "Now finishyour string beans."

The next day I told Peter Hatcher, "I'm going awayfor the whole summer. I'm going to have my own bedroom."

"Goody for you!" he said.

"So you don't have to wash your dog. BecauseI won't be around to tell you how bad he smells!"

"My dog said to tell you he thinks you smell too,"Peter said. Then he went off with Jimmy Fargo andthey both laughed and laughed. They think they'reso funny! I don't know why I used to waste my timeplaying "cooties" with them. Maybe next year I'll getlucky. Maybe Peter Hatcher and Jimmy Fargo won'tbe in my fifth-grade class.

I met Mrs. Reese in the hall. "I'm going away forthe whole summer," I said. "I'm going to have my ownbedroom, with flowered wallpaper and frilly curtainsand little lamps shaped like candles."

And she said, "Aren't you lucky! Baby would like togo away too, but he doesn't have any place to go."

I told Henry I'd be away for two whole months."I'm going to sleep in my own bedroom, in my owncanopy bed!"

Henry said, "I'll really miss you, Sheila. Who'sgoing to remind me how many people the elevatorcan hold?"

Henry and I laughed together. "And did I tell youabout the rug on my bedroom floor?" I asked.

"No," Henry said. "You didn't mention that."

"Well, it's very soft and fluffy and it's all yellow exceptfor a big red rose right in the center. It feels sogood on your feet you never have to wear slippers.Not all summer long."

"That sounds mighty nice, Sheila."

I thought so too. The more I talked about it thebetter is sounded. Spending the summer in the country.Spending the summer in Tarrytown. Spending thesummer in a house. Spending the summer in my ownbeautiful bedroom!

It started to sound almost as good as going toDisneyland. I didn't even mind the packing and theride to Tarrytown. I couldn't wait to see the house. Icouldn't wait to see my bedroom.

And then I found out about Jennifer.

Chapter Two

Jennifer is small with brown and white spots and longears. When Libby saw her she cried, "Oh, what anadorable dog!"

"She comes with the house," Daddy said. "Shebelongs to Professor Egran and she's ours for thesummer."

"I'm going back to the car," I said.

Daddy held my arm. "She can't hurt you."

"Oh sure," I said, pulling away from him. "But I'lljust wait in the car until you decide what to do withher. Because I'm not staying here if she does!" I randown the road, jumped into our car, and started toshake. How could they do this to me? Their own child.Their own younger daughter. Didn't they understand?Didn't they care?

Daddy and Mom hurried to the car. Mom stuck herhead in the open window. "Sheila," she said, "Jenniferis very small. She's more afraid of you than you areof her."

"Did she tell you that?" I asked.

Daddy said, "She's got a doghouse and a fenced-in area. She's chained up. You don't have to go near her."

"Suppose she gets away?" I asked. "Suppose herchain breaks?"

"That won't happen," Daddy said. "But even if itdid, someone would catch her."

"You're just saying that!" I told Daddy. "But youdon't mean it."

"Have we ever lied to you?" Mom asked.

"Well ... no."

"Then trust us," Daddy said.

I looked out the car window. Libby was cuddlingJennifer. "You promise she'll never come into thehouse?"

"I promise," Daddy said. "She's got everything sheneeds outside."

"And you won't make me go near her?"

"Of course not," Mom said. "You can even pretendshe's not there if you want."

"And you won't make fun of me?"

"Do we ever make fun of you?" Daddy asked.

"Libby does," I said.

"We'll see that she doesn't," Mom promised.

"Now, don't you want to come into the house andsee your very own bedroom?" Daddy asked.

"Well ... I guess so," I said, getting out of the car.

We walked up the front lawn to the house. Libbywas still holding Jennifer. When Jennifer saw mecoming she jumped off Libby's lap. She barked andbarked.

"You see!" I cried, turning around, ready to runback to the car. "She hates me already!"

"Don't be silly," Daddy said. He took my hand.

"I'm not being silly. Why else would she bark likethat?"

"Because she doesn't know you," Mom said, puttingan arm around me.

"And she's never going to, either. I'll tell you that!"

We went into the house. The downstairs lookedpretty nice, but I wanted to see my bedroom. SoDaddy and I went upstairs while Libby and Mompoked around in the kitchen.

Daddy turned right at the top of the stairs andwalked down the hall. "Two of the bedrooms are thisway and the other two are that way," Daddy said,pointing. "Since you wanted to be far away fromLibby I thought you might like this one." Daddypushed open a door and smiled.

I went in. The first thing I saw was the dresser. Itwas piled with models of planes, boats, and cars. Andthe walls were full of team pennants. There wasn'teven a bedspread on the bed. Just an ugly old grayblanket with CAMP KENABEC printed across it. Iopened the closet door. The shelves were loaded withsports equipment. And where was my soft, fluffy, yellowrug with the big rose in the middle? No place. Thefloor was bare!

Daddy said, "Well...."

"I hate it!" I shouted, running out of the room,past Daddy, and down the hall. I looked into the otherbedrooms. But they were all the same.

"They're all boys' rooms!" I cried.



Continues...

Excerpted from Otherwise Known as Sheila the Greatby Judy Blume Copyright © 2002 by Judy Blume. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0525469281
• ISBN 13: 9780525469285
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144