Judy Moody Saves the World!

Judy Moody Saves the World. McDonald, Megan (author). Reynolds, Peter H. (illustrator). (2002). Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. 145 pages. ISBN: 0-7636-1446-7.

Fiction: Beginning Chapter Book: Ages 6 to 9

Setting:
The setting of Judy Moody Saves the World could be in any town and any school in the USA.  This makes the story relatable to elementary school kids everywhere.
Plot:
Judy's class in school is doing a science unit on the rain forest.  Part of the discussion the class has concerns all of the things they use that come from the rain forest and how the waste of these items is causing deforestation and loss of habitat.  This inspires Judy to look for various ways she can get her family to conserve.  She tries to implement a recycling program at home, releases her brother's pet frog back into the wild, and hides her classmates pencils to save trees.  Her most successful idea is a class wide recycling program that will raise money to plant trees to replace those that are being cut down.  The program is a big success and Judy gets an award at school that is usually reserved for older students.
Author/Illustrator:
The illustrations that pepper the book are in black and white and add to the text.  Judy's expressions are priceless and you can see how important the subject of saving the world is to her.  They add to the tone of the overall story and give the reader a better sense of the emotions of the characters.  Megan McDonald's writing style is humorous and direct.  She gives enough details to engage the reader, but keeps the text simple enough that a wide range of reading levels can enjoy the book.  Lynn Burke from Reading Today writes that the third installment of the series has the "snappy dialogue, spunky characters, and Peter Reynold's amusing black and white illustrations" that chapter book fans are looking for.  The overall theme of this book is being environmentally friendly, and how kids can make a difference.  The characters are memorable and are incorporated throughout the series.
Classroom Tie-ins:
The Reading Rockets website states that the Judy Moody series "does a great job of captivating unmotivated readers who are making the transition into chapter books," according to Virginia-based reading specialist Jennifer Thompson.  This book could also be used in the classroom to supplement a science unit on rain forests, to get the students thinking of things they can do in their daily lives to reduce the amount of waste in their homes and communities.  The school I worked at had a recycling program, and the classes competed with each other, this book could be used as a read aloud to motivate students to participate.
Personal Response:
This was my first Judy Moody book, and I really enjoyed it.  They are popular with young readers, and I can see why.  The lessons are incorporated into the writing and don't come across as didactic.  The main character has personality, and is relatable.  If I had time for leisure reading, I would definitely read the rest of the books in the series!

Resources:
Burke, L.T. (2003). Ecofriendly Books For Kids. Reading Today, April/May 2003: pg. 32.
Retrieved from: http://web.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&sid=d4b94208-3a33-49ba-a45c-a56986f1ce58%40sessionmgr12&hid=12

 Judy Moody's Mentor is Just a Big Kid Herself. Kansas City Star. Retrieved from:
 http://www.readingrockets.org/news/42145/ (original article not retrievable)