Common Sense Media Review
By Common Sense Media
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny take on third grade life and friendships.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In JUDY MOODY WAS IN A MOOD, Judy is not happy about starting third grade. She's worried she'll have to sit next to Frank "Eats Paste" Pearl in a new classroom that won't have a porcupine named Roger. She's disappointed that she doesn't have a T-shirt with words on it like her classmates, because her family didn't go anywhere on vacation. And when Judy is not happy, she lets everyone know: "Roar!" But Judy is not one to take things at face value. She decorates her own T-shirt ("I Ate a Shark!") and heads off to school with her best friend, Rocky. She finds out that her new teacher, Mr. Todd (or as Judy calls him, Mr. Toad), has an assignment for everyone that's right up her alley: to create a Me-collage. As the first weeks of school progress, Judy has some entertaining ups and downs, and she makes a new friend. As she adds elements to her collage, she becomes more comfortable in third grade, and more excited about presenting her project to the class.
Is It Any Good?
Megan McDonald's aptly named, spunky, creative young hero will be as familiar as she is funny to middle graders. Judy is no Polyanna; she's a regular kid who gets angry when she has to do things she doesn't like and becomes resentful when her brother gets privileges that she wants. However, McDonald's age-appropriate humor and cartoon illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds in Judy Moody Was in a Mood show kids the way a bad mood can be turned around with a different perspective. Middle grade readers and their parents will also enjoy the way Judy loves science, makes friends with boys, and learns to make the best of things, even when her little brother (whom she calls "Stink," and who eventually gets his own spin-off series) annoys her.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Judy's bad moods in Judy Moody Was in a Mood. What makes Judy upset? What cheers her up?
Can you think of a time when you were in a bad mood and you were able to cheer yourself up? What happened?
If you made a "Me-collage" like Judy and her classmates, what would you put on yours?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Peter H. Reynolds
- Genre : School
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Candlewick Press
- Publication date : April 24, 2004
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 160
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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