"Remember we decided to go away for a few weeks in August?"
"Yeah...so?"
"So we got a great deal on a house in Maine."
"And the Tubmans are going to be next door?"
I couldn't believe this.
"Sheila Tubman...next door...for two whole weeks?"
"Three," Mom said.
At first it seems that Peter Hatcher's summer vacation is going to be a scene from his worst nightmare. Peter's parents have decided to spend three weeks in Maine sharing a house with Cootie Queen Sheila Tubman and the rest of her family. To make matters worse, Peter's younger brother, Fudge, the five-year-old human dynamo, has decided to marry Sheila!
But things begin to look up once Peter discovers that Maine is full of surprises, and his best friend Jimmy Fargo joins him at the shore to share in the fun!
Who is better at presenting a Judy Blume story than the author herself? Blume effectively portrays each of her characters from the grandparents to the mynah bird ("Hello, Stupid"). Because she knows exactly what she intended, Blume enlivens this story of an extended family on vacation. Pace, timing and the lisp of the "little kids" make for a fun listening experience. The narrator adds the final flourish when she sings several times as the text demands. This delightful story is perfect for its audience and ends with Blume promoting reading. S.G.B. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
