Freckle Juice

( 34 )

Overview

More than anything in the world, Andrew wants freckles. His classmate Nicky has freckles -- they cover his face, his ears, and the whole back of his neck. (Once sitting behind him in class, Andrew counted eighty-six of them, and that was just a start!

One day after school, Andrew screws up enough courage to ask Nicky where he got his freckles. And, as luck would have it, who should overhear him but giggling, ...

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More About This Book

Overview

More than anything in the world, Andrew wants freckles. His classmate Nicky has freckles -- they cover his face, his ears, and the whole back of his neck. (Once sitting behind him in class, Andrew counted eighty-six of them, and that was just a start!

One day after school, Andrew screws up enough courage to ask Nicky where he got his freckles. And, as luck would have it, who should overhear him but giggling, teasing Sharon (who makes frog faces at everybody!)

Sharon offers Andrew her secret freckle juice recipe -- for fifty cents.

That's a lot of money to Andrew -- five whole weeks allowance! He spends a sleepless night, torn between his desire for freckles and his reluctance to part with such a substantial sum of money. Finally, the freckles win, and Andrew decides to accept Sharon's offer.

After school, Andrew rushes home (with the recipe tucked into his shoe for safekeeping). He carefully begins to mix the strange combination of ingredients -- and immediately runs into some unforeseen problems.

How Andrew finally manages to achieve a temporary set of freckles -- and then isn't sure he really wants them -- makes a warm and hilarious story.

Andrew wants freckles so badly that he buys Sharon's freckle recipe for fifty cents.

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780440428138
  • Publisher: Random House Children's Books
  • Publication date: 7/28/1978
  • Edition description: REISSUE
  • Pages: 48
  • Sales rank: 400
  • Age range: 7 - 9 Years
  • Lexile: 370L (what's this?)
  • Product dimensions: 5.19 (w) x 7.75 (h) x 0.14 (d)

Meet the Author

Judy Blume

Judy Blume, one of America's most popular authors, is the recipient of the 2004 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of beloved books for young people including Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, and novels for adult readers including Wifey, Smart Women, and Summer Sisters. Her work has been translated into twenty-eight languages, and she receives thousands of letters a month from readers of all ages who share their feelings and concerns with her.

Biography

Before Judy Blume, there may have been a handful of books that spoke to issues teens could identify with; but very few were getting down to nitty-gritty stuff like menstruation, masturbation, parents divorcing, being half-Jewish, or deciding to have sex. Now, these were some issues that adolescents could dig into, and Blume’s ability to address them realistically and responsibly has made her one of the most popular – and most banned – authors for young adults.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, published in 1970, was Blume’s third book and the one that established her fan base. Drawing on some of the same things she faced as a sixth grader growing up in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Blume created a sympathetic, first-person portrait of a girl whose family moves to the suburbs as she struggles with puberty and religion. In subsequent classics such as Then Again, Maybe I Won’t, Deenie, Blubber, and Tiger Eyes, Blume wrote about the pain of being different, falling in love, and figuring out one's identity. Usually written in a confessional/diary style, Blume’s books feel like letters from friends who just happen to be going through a very interesting version of the same tortures suffered by their audience.

Blume has also accumulated a great following among the 12-and-under set with her Fudge series, centering on the lives of preteen Peter Hatcher and his hilariously troublesome younger brother, Farley (a.k.a. Fudge). Blume’s books in this category are particularly adept at portraying the travails of siblings, making both sides sympathetic. Her 2002 entry, Double Fudge, takes a somewhat surreal turn, providing the Hatchers with a doppelganger of Fudge when they meet some distant relatives on a trip.

Blume has also had success writing for adults, again applying her ability to turn some of her own sensations into compelling stories. Wifey in 1978 was the raunchy chronicle of a bored suburban housewife’s infidelities, both real and imagined. She followed this up five years later with Smart Women, a novel about friendship between two divorced women living in Colorado; and 1998’s Summer Sisters, also about two female friends.

Blume has said she continually struggles with her writing, often sure that each book will be the last, that she’ll never get another idea. She keeps proving herself wrong with more than 20 books to her credit; hopefully she will continue to do so.

Good To Know

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing was inspired by an article given to Blume by her babysitter about a toddler who swallowed a small pet turtle. She wrote a picture book introducing Fudge (based on her own then-toddler son), the turtle, and older brother Peter; but it was rejected. A few years later, E. P. Dutton editor Ann Durell suggested that Blume turn the story into a longer book about the Hatcher family. Blume did, and the Fudge legacy was born.

Blume is not an author without conflict about her station in life. She says on her web site that, as part of her "fantasy about having a regular job," she has a morning routine that involves getting fully dressed and starting at 9 a.m. She has also getting out of writing altogether."After I had written more than ten books I thought seriously about quitting," she writes. "I felt I couldn't take the loneliness anymore. I thought I would rather be anything but a writer. But I've finally come to appreciate the freedom of writing. I accept the fact that it's hard and solitary work."

Blume's book about divorce, It's Not the End of the World, proved ultimately to be closer to her own experience than she originally imagined. Her own marriage was in trouble at the time, but she couldn't quite face it. "In the hope that it would get better I dedicated this book to my husband," she writes in an essay. "But a few years later, we, too, divorced. It was hard on all of us, more painful than I could have imagined, but somehow we muddled through and it wasn't the end of any of our worlds, though on some days it might have felt like it."

Her most autobiographical book is Starring Sally J. Friedman as Herself, says Blume. "Sally is the kind of kid I was at ten," Blume says on her web site.

Blume keeps setting Fudge aside, readers keep bringing him back. The sequel Superfudge was written after tons of fans wrote in asking for more of Farley Hatcher; again more begging led to Fudge-a-Mania ten years later. Blume planned never to write about Fudge again, but grandson Elliott was a persistent pesterer (just like Fudge), and got his way with 2002's Double Fudge.

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    1. Hometown:
      New York's Upper East Side, Key West, and Martha's Vineyard
    1. Date of Birth:
      February 12, 1938
    2. Place of Birth:
      Elizabeth, New Jersey
    1. Education:
      B.S. in education, New York University, 1961
    2. Website:
      http://www.judyblume.com/

Read an Excerpt

1

Andrew Marcus wanted freckles. Nicky lane had freckles. He had about a million of them. They covered his face, his ears and the back of his neck. Andrew didn’t have any freckles. He had two warts on his finger. But they didn’t do him any good at all. If he had freckles like Nicky, his mother would never know if his neck was dirty. So he wouldn’t have to wash. And then he’d never be late for school.
Andrew had plenty of time to look at Nicky’s freckles. He sat right behind him in class. Once he even tried to count them. But when he got to eighty-six Miss Kelly called, “Andrew… are you paying attention?”
“Yes, Miss Kelly,” Andrew said.
“Good, Andrew. I’m glad to hear that. Now will you please pick up your chair and your reading goup? We’re all waiting for you.”
Andrew stood up in a hurry. His reading group giggled. Especially Sharon. He couldn’t stand that Sharon. She thought she knew everything! He picked up his chair and carried it to the corner where his reading group sat.
“You may begin, Andrew,” Miss Kelly said. “Page sixty-four.”
Andrew turned the pages in his book. Sixty-four…sixty-four. He couldn’t find it. The pages stuck together. Why did Miss Kelly have to pick him?
Everybody else already had their books opened to the right page.
Sharon kept giggling. She covered her mouth to keep in the noise, but Andrew knew what was going on. He finally found page sixty-four. Right where it was supposed to be…between pages sixty-three and sixty-five. If he had his own freckles he wouldn’t have to count Nicky Lane’s. Then he’d here Miss Kelly when she called reading groups. And nobody would laugh at him.
Later, when the bell rang, Andrew poked Nicky Lane.
“What do you want?” Nicky asked, turning around. “I was wondering about your freckles,” Andrew said.
“Oh yeah? What about them?”
Andrew felt pretty stupid. “Well, how did you get them?”
“What do you mean how? You get born with them. That’s how!”
Andrew thought that’s what Nicky would say.
Some help he was!
“Line up, boys and girls,” Miss Kelly said. “Time to go home now. Sharon, you may lead the girls. Andrew, you may lead the boys.”
Some luck! Just when he got to be leader he had to stand next to Sharon!
When they were in line Sharon whispered to Andrew. “Psst… I know how to get them.”
“How to get what?” Andrew asked.
“Freckles,” Sharon said.
“Who asked you?”
“I heard you ask Nicky about his.” Sharon ran her tongue along her teeth. She was always doing that.
“Do you want to know how to get them?” Sharon asked.
“Maybe,” Andrew told her.
“It’ll cost you fifty cents. I have a secret recipe for freckle juice,” Sharon whispered.
“A secret recipe?”
“Uh-huh.”
Sharon’s tongue reminded Andrew of a frog catching flies. He wondered if Sharon ever got a mouthful of bugs the way she opened her mouth and wiggled her tongue around. Andrew inspected Sharon’s face.
“You don’t even have freckles!” he said.
“Look close,” Sharon said. “I’ve got six on my nose.”
“Big deal! A lot of good six will do.”
“You can get as many as you want. Six was enough for me. It all depend on how much freckle juice you drink.”
Andrew didn’t believe Sharon for a minute. Not one minute! There was no such thing as freckle juice. Andrew had never heard of it before!
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3.5
( 34 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(12)

4 Star

(7)

3 Star

(9)

2 Star

(3)

1 Star

(3)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 34 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 27, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    Superfudge
    Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
    Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
    Judy Blume's Fudge Box Set

    its awesome

    its a very nice book about a boy freddie he wants freckles and everyone tells him some kind of way to get them you will love this book for a big laugh.please try.....there is even more judy blumes fudges are best.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted April 24, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    Judy Blume's Fudge Box Set

    Freckle Juice-A classic

    I remember reading this when I was younger, so I wanted to have my son read it as well. Perfect book to teach a lesson with humor and to have it read within one to two sittings. Also introduces them to the "wonderful world" of Judy Blume. Although it is considerably "dated" and there may be some events, etc (hence 3 stars rather than 4 stars). that would be handled differently today, it can still serve as an enjoyable discussion starter for you and your young reader.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted July 2, 2008

    It is a good book

    It is a good book. Just not for me. I am sure little kids would love it.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 12, 2001

    IMAGINITIVE!

    Are your kids bored? How about a fun book that is easy to read, not too long, and funny?<p> Do you want freckles as much as Andrew does? What happens when he buys a freckle recipe from a girl in his class? Will Andrew have as many freckles as Nicky? They cover his face, ears, and back of his neck. After mixing the ingredients at home and drinking the juice, Andrew gets a big surprise!<p> Freckle Juice is also a good choice to read aloud to kids, as with a number of other Judy Blume books.<p> As a children's book author, I highly recommend 'Freckle Juice' to kids and grown-ups. It's a wonderful book that will be read over and over for many years!<p> Richard W. Carlson Jr., Children's Book Author

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 15, 2001

    Sweet And Very Funny!

    Wonderful story about a grade school boy who desperately wants to look like someone else, and in the end learns to love himself just the way he is. Wonderful way for children to learn respect and self-esteem. Should be required reading for grades K-3.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted May 18, 2010

    Freckle Juice

    I like this book because it was interesting. The character, Andrew, wanted freckles but the freckles were fake. It was interesting because he drank nasty freckle juice. He drank something no one would ever drink. The freckle juice got him sick. The teacher gave Andrew a recipe to
    take off the freckles. This was a funny, interesting book.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 11, 2007

    Very funny tale

    A book that hits close to home for me because I remember how gullible we boys were in school as opposed to the girls.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 9, 2005

    GREAT!!!!!!

    I HAVE READ THIS BOOK SINCE I WAS IN THE 2ND GRADE.I LOVE THIS BOOK VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY MUCH. GREAT 4 ALL AGES. I THINK YOU SHOULD READ IT 4 YOURSELF.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 18, 2003

    About this great book

    I have never read it before ,but when i read the 'About The Publiser' I loved it!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 11, 2003

    Good Book For all Ages!

    H..mm I 1st read this book when I was nine years old Good Book For all Ages! I gave this book 4 Stars because I diddn't really get it. I don't care if your 60 or 7 this book is good!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 13, 2003

    I Love this Book!!

    I am a little old to read this book but I read it when I was younger. It was a great book! I Love it! At school my class is aloud to write a report on our favorite book, this one is mine!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 14, 2002

    Childhood Memories

    I remember my fourth grade teacher, Mrs.Gordon, reading Judy Blume's books to our class on rainy days in the winter. That was some 23 years ago! Now that my 10 year old is reading Judy's books, it has brought back all my memories of reading them as well. I forgot how funny they were and had to keep my mouth shut every time my daughter gave me a briefing on each chapter she read! I wanted so bad to blurt out the next thing that would happen. Freckle Juice is a cute little story and I loved being able to talk about this book with my daughter and neice.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 8, 2002

    I Could Read This Book Over And Over Again

    Freckel Juice is about a boy and he has a friend that has a hole face of freckles. So one day a girl said that if he gave her a quarter then she would give him the recipe for freckle juice. So she gave him the recipe, and wait till you find out what she wrote. Well I will just tell you that it didn't work out as he planned it would. He didn't want to go to school without freckels so he colored dots on his face with a brown marker.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 1, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 25, 2009

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  • Anonymous

    Posted June 29, 2009

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 14, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 27, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 3, 2010

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  • Anonymous

    Posted November 18, 2009

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