Maudie and Me and the Dirty Book

by Betty Miles

To look at me, you'd probably think I was pretty ordinary - except for my feet, which are size 9½M. You wouldn't expect me to get into trouble at school, or wreck little children's minds with dirty books.

For Kate Harris, getting used to life in middle school means figuring out where to sit in the cafeteria, and avoiding kids like Maudie Schmidt. But then Kate and Maudie are thrown together in a school reading project, and a book that Kate reads to some first graders sparks an angry controversy. Kate finds herself in the middle as the whole town takes sides and demands for censorship grow. And in the midst of the uproar Kate discovers that Maudie is not only her stauncest ally, but a true friend.

Genres: Childrens, Young Adult, Fiction

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Betty Miles wrote more than thirty books for children, including easy readers, picture books, non-fiction books and nine novels for pre-adolescent readers. Her book HEY! I’M READING! is the first book about reading, written for new readers and their families.

Miles was an editor of the innovative Bank Street Readers. She has taught kindergarten children, graduate students, and volunteered as a visiting author in fourth grade classrooms at PS 291. Bronx, NY. She spoke and read workshops on reading and writing with children, parents, librarians, and teachers around the country. Betty Miles was a graduate of Antioch College. She taught children’s literature at Bank Street College of Education. Miles died on July 19, 2018 at her home in Shelburne, Vt. She was 90. She is survived by three children, Sara, David, and Ellen Miles (herself a middle grade author), and three grandchildren.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a really good read for a lot of reasons!
First off, although written in the 80’s, it deals with a timely subject of today’s society; book banning and censorship. When a young girl reads aloud a book about the birth of a puppy to a class of first-graders, they enthusiastically respond by asking questions, as six-year-olds do. As a result, some citizens in the town raise a protest against the picture book, claiming it as “smutty” and “dirty”. The furor takes some interesting twists and turns, as the town deals with the rights of free speech…
The nostalgia factor was also very prevalent! Kate and Maudie, the two main protagonists, are the same age I was in 1981, and in middle-school, with all its ups and downs. They read some of the same books and watched some of the same shows of the time as I did (remember the Coneheads on SNL, anyone?) No cell phones, social media, and they were allowed to walk to a different school campus, unsupervised. (Sigh.)
This is an excellent coming-of-age book for middle-grade readers. Although it could be considered “historical fiction” now, I think children would still find it enjoyable and relevant today.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

There aren't many books for children that address censorship, but this one does. The girl (in 6th grade) is invited to read a story to some first graders and chooses a picture book that includes a puppy being born. The children are curious, she explains where puppies come from, and some parents become concerned. While the reading level is way lower than 6th grade (it says "4.8," but I'm skeptical), the issues are relevant to everyone who assists children in reading.

I enjoyed the treatment of an important issue, but I did not enjoy the girl's "voice." I thought it was unrealistic, as she was aware of social issues I didn't even dream of until late high school (her connecting the town's issue of censorship and her parents' real estate client being reluctant to buy a home - seriously?). The false idea that "irony" is "something unpredictable" was also perpetuated ("It's ironic that at the time I thought the worst thing about the project would be doing it with Maudie." Not ironic. Unexpected).

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great middle-grade novel by Betty Miles. Kate is a sixth-grader who volunteers to read with some first graders. The only other student who raises her hand is Maudie, and no one wants to be friends with her. Of course Kate discovers that Maudie is a lovely friend, and all sorts of trouble ensues when the book Kate chooses to read to the young'uns gets labeled as smut, including a pretty realistic depiction of the possibility of censorship.

"[Mom] was getting very interested in teen-age novels. In a way, I sort of hated to have her read them. It spoils your privacy when parents begin to think they *understand* you. Mom kept recommending books to Josh that he probably wished she didn't even know about. The thing is, you can't censor your mother's reading" (142).

[Jennifer Worrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeping in mind this was written in 1980, the issues of information literacy are still relevant today. I read it again thanks to all the censorship bullshit constantly in the news, and it holds up. Included are arguments for and against the controversial book in question, so it's a great one to discuss with your kids.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a newer edition of this book in the book sale room at the library and the title instantly sparked my memories of reading this back in middle school. I remember wanting to find out what exactly was in the "dirty book"... I will have to re-read it to find out!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book when I was younger. But I do remember that I was dissapointed that the book they read wasn't a "true" dirty book.

[Tom Leveen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably one of my top three favorite novels of all time.
I wish so badly I could have met Miles to say thank you. While the driving plot of the story centers around issues of censorship and sex education, which she handles wonderfully, the real gem of the story is the organic friendship between Kate and Maudie. I did not realize until just recently how much this book influenced my own novels, particularly in how Maudie starts as an obstacle (in literary terms), but once that obstacle is cleared, she becomes an ally for the remainder of the book.
I own two copies of this book; one for reading and one for keeping. I must have read it at least fifty times by now.
And it's time to read again. This is one of those warm-blanket books, one I turn to when I need escape and a smile.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

review coming soon

[Sisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would defintiely recommend this book to parents as well as young adult readers. It talks about censorship as well as sex education, both in which I believe are important to talk about. The question is, When is the right time to talk about sex? What age should a child be when they first learn about it? If parents are afraid and embarrassed to talk about it at home, should they trust schools to cover the "sex" topic for them? Maudie, Me and The Dirty Book, presents all the questions in ones mind. Young adults as well as adults will definitely enjoy this book because it explains both sides in a way everyone can understand. Overall it was a good read.

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read. It is perfect for our class because we are future teachers and need to be careful picking out books for our students. This book sends a positive message to kids. The message it sends is don't judge a book by its cover. This message connects to both conflicts in the story. It connects to the first conflict because kate has a preconceived notion of who she thinks maudie is, but Maudie turns out to be nothing like Kate had expected. It connects to the second conflict because when Kate is asked to read a book to kids, she chooses a book that has a cute picture of a dog on the cover, little did she know that her choice would cause such an outrage.

[Michael Malver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued with the concept of a book written for junior high students which discusses the topic of censorship. I enjoyed the book, as it covered the topic from all of the viewpoints one would expect. There is also enough side plot action to keep people interested during parts that might otherwise go somewhat slowly. There are some interesting little side comments in the book about junior high social structure, which hopefully will cause attentive readers to draw parallels between their actions, and the actions of the books' protagonist.

[Zombaby Cera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first time I really learned about censorsip and its effects in regard to parent/child/teacher relationships in a community. A really good children's book! My aunt - who's a librarian - gave me this book to read while spending a week with her one summer.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A favorite from my childhood, still good as an adult. Lack of mention of any technology whatsoever kept this book from aging, I think, and the topics of bullying and censorship are still fully relevant.

[Amanda B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A favorite from childhood

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humorous YA novel about censorship.... what? Yep

[Jamie Bright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good concept, but not particularly well-written.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

reread!

[Tracy Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

All earnest and 70s too, but this one has a good message :)

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This solid story is streamlined and smoothly written with solid characters and thoughtful exploration of an important subject.

[begemot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up from one of those free Little Library nooks, because of the funny title. I found the book extremely well written for something that’s targeted at children (younger teens from what I gather). Sure, the language is a bit dated, and everything is a bit too clean and neat, especially for modern children, and the story might feel a bit didactic at times, but I still found it both interesting and educational. I was, in fact, surprised that it didn’t just go with a straight-up “good guys win and villains get crushed” type of ending, but tried to introduce some nuance, both in terms of the points made about the need or lack thereof for book censorship and in terms of who gets to make such decisions and how. The best line was probably: “I wouldn’t like it if _I_ were the minority and Mrs. Bergen’s side won” - no one likes _that_.

The book also provides an interesting glimpse into the everyday life in the US in the 80s. I didn’t get a lot of the cultural references (whatever characters and shows the girls were discussing, A & P grocery stores), but learned about such practices as “selling chances for charities”.

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recently re-read Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of '80s and '90s Teen Fiction and added a ton of books to my to-read list, and this was one of them!

This is a book about censorship, and while I don't agree with the outcry over the book she read, I do think the conversation afterwards was maybe a little much for kids that young. I'd be curious how this book would be rewritten for today's standards, because kids are exposed to a lot worse now even younger.

[Leisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-reading books from my childhood collection. Book #10. Rating based on my past affection for the book and warm fuzziness of memory. BUT there's a lot of fat-bashing towards Maudie (and the casual acceptance of it from the narrator). It's treated as matter-of-fact: others don't like Maudie because she's "fat," but later, once they are friends, Kate remarks that "she no longer thinks of Maudie as fat." Problematic. I love the book's candid take on censorship, though, and it's sad that a book published in 1980 is still so relevant.

[Stay · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, I picked this book up because of the title. With a title like that it should have a lot more reviews.

But I won’t lie, I was a tad disappointed by this. When they said dirty book, I was expecting a playboy/girl magazine or something similar. Like when someone dropped off a bunch of Penthouses at the library I work at. Now that is dirty but a picture-book about a dog giving birth? Give me a break.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for my literature and ethics class and it was pretty simple but it would be a good way to introduce and talk to kids about censorship

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still relevant.

[Dru · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading books on my shelves and have come across some kids books. This one was interesting. Don't know if I totally agree with the subject matter. But it was a fast read.