Cool Zone with the Pain & the Great One

The Pain and the Great One #3

by Judy Blume, James Stevenson (Illustrator)

THE PAIN AND the Great One hardly agree on anything. But deep down, they know they can count on each other, especially at school, where it often takes two to figure things out. Like when that first baby tooth falls out on the school bus. Or when an unwanted visitor on Bring Your Pet to School Day needs to be caught. Or worst of all, when a scary bully says you’re burnt toast. On days like these it can feel good not to go it alone. (And don’t forget Fluzzy the cat, who knows a thing or two himself.)

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Chapter Books, Juvenile, Middle Grade

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Judy Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, New Jersey, making up stories inside her head. She has spent her adult years in many places doing the same thing, only now she writes her stories down on paper. Adults as well as children will recognize such Blume titles as: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Blubber; Just as Long as We're Together; and the five book series about the irrepressible Fudge. She has also written three novels for adults, Summer Sisters; Smart Women; and Wifey, all of them New York Times bestsellers. More than 80 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into thirty-one languages. She receives thousands of letters a year from readers of all ages who share their feelings and concerns with her.
Judy received a B.S. in education from New York University in 1961, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 1996, the same year the American Library Association honored her with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. Other recognitions include the Library of Congress Living Legends Award and the 2004 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
She is the founder and trustee of The Kids Fund, a charitable and educational foundation. She serves on the boards of the Author's Guild; the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators; the Key West Literary Seminar; and the National Coalition Against Censorship.
Judy is a longtime advocate of intellectual freedom. Finding herself at the center of an organized book banning campaign in the 1980's she began to reach out to other writers, as well as teachers and librarians, who were under fire. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with the National Coalition Against Censorship to protect the freedom to read. She is the editor of Places I Never Meant To Be, Original Stories by Censored Writers.
Judy has completed a series of four chapter books -- The Pain & the Great One -- illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist James Stevenson. She has co-written and produced a film adaptation of her book Tiger Eyes, and is currently writing a new novel.
Judy and her husband George Cooper live on islands up and down the east coast. They have three grown children and one grandchild.

Reviews

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Julie M. Prince for TeensReadToo.com

Jake, also known as The Pain to his big sister, has plenty to deal with at school. From the bully who steals his magnifying glass to the disastrous Bring Your Pet to School Day, navigating the first grade is no simple matter. Luckily his big sister, Abigail The Great One, has been through it all before. When she's not too busy being great, she lends a helping hand, and in the process, she finds that even third graders need a little help now and then.

Judy Blume has the absolute greatest knack for illustrating real problems kids face every day -- the ones most adults blow off or overlook. Blume dissects and magnifies kid issues, bringing to light exactly why The Great One wants to change her name and why The Pain is so distraught about the loss of his toy elephant. No problem is too small to be important to the main characters.

Take real kid voices and real kid problems, add in Blume's classic humor and anecdotes, and you have a formula for success. What a fun companion to SOUPY SATURDAYS WITH THE PAIN & THE GREAT ONE.

With seven brand-new stories, this book has excellent read aloud or read alone appeal!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool Zone...is a fun chapter book. Narrated by 'the Pain' (younger brother, Jake, first grade) and 'the Great One' (older sister, Abigail, third grade), Cool Zone with the Pain & the Great One is family-and-school drama at its best. Each chapter is a self-contained story or adventure. Episodic. Both brother and sister were enjoyable. All the chapters were enjoyable. But if I had to pick a favorite, I'd have to admit that my favorite chapter is the last chapter which is narrated by the family cat, Fluzzy.

The book is family-friendly and would make a good read aloud.

Though I didn't know when I began reading it, it is the second book in a series.

[Chelsea Counsell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for school. The final POV with the cat was a sweet surprise.

[Sadie-Jane Huff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 135 of 300 ~ 2024

🌟🌟🌟🌟

Aww the Pain and the Great One have some sweet moments.

I recommend all parents to get these for their kids or borrow copies from the library. @judyblume4real can do no wrong.

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[Stef Rozitis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminiscent in a way of the Ramona series by Beverly Cleary. But this one is done by Judy Blume who is reasonably good at making relationships complex and showing the love/hate sibling thing believably. Some tendency to stereotyping (and the girls chase boys stuff) but not as much as I expected and more problematised (though gently) than I expected.

Quite a sweet loveable book for one that is essentially about conflict/insecurity. My son enjoyed it too when he was a bit younger!

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love Judy Blume. This collection of short stories featuring 1st grade Jake (the Pain) and his 3rd grade sister Abigail (the Great One) would be a perfect choice for a 1st grade read-aloud or 2nd grade independent reading. It is not a god choice for the MCBA program which is geared to students in grades 4-6. While the reading level is accessible, the content is too young and babyish. A fine book, but a disappointing choice for this year's MCBA list.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pain (a first grader) and the Great One (fifth grader, I think) are brother and sister. Chapters alternate as each tell stories that always end in one or the other helping the other out. Well, the Great One's stories usually have her little brother being a tease. Very cute and humorous stories from legend Judy Blume.

Middle elementary school.

[Jane McCarville · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Cool Zone" is a very entertaining chapter book by Judy Blume featuring siblings, "The Pain" (younger brother Jake) and "The Great One" (older sister Abigail), who have a typical sibling rivalry but also share a bond, especially when facing challenges at school. The book is told in alternating perspectives, highlighting their differing viewpoints and sibling dynamics, while also showcasing their reliance on each other during school events like a "Bring Your Pet to School Day" or dealing with a bully.

Important teachable moments in this story are the book's structure, with alternating chapters from each sibling's perspective, provides an excellent opportunity to discuss and analyze different viewpoints. Students can compare and contrast how Jake and Abigail perceive the same events. The book can spark discussions about sibling relationships, exploring both the positive and negative aspects of having a brother or sister. The book's focus on school events like "Bring Your Pet to School Day" can be used to discuss school-related issues and appropriate behavior. The bully incident can be a starting point for discussions about bullying, its effects, and how to deal with it.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay.
* Jake doesn't want to lose his tooth that just dropped out while at school, so Abigail agrees to look after it as long as she gets half of his money from the toothfairy. Jake get a 1 dollar bill, and cuts it in half with a pair of scissors to give Abigail her share 🤦
* Jake gets a magnifying glass from his grandma, which the school bully then steals and Abigail has to go running after him.
* Jake has a 'bring a pretend pet to school' day, only Lila brings her actual real pet dog Baby, and Baby runs off with Jake's elephant. - How he could bear to put it's ear back in his mouth after a dog had slobbered all over it is beyond me 🤢
* Abigail decided that she wanted to change her name to Violet Rose, but then all her friends renamed themselves too, and she couldn't remember everyone's name 🤦
* Jake's class are running a breakfast cafe at school, and mum, dad, and Abigail all have to go. Abigial is not happy when she finds a fly in her jam 🤦

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

What happens when the School Zone sign loses the letter S? Yep. You are now in the Cool Zone. All of the stories in this book focus on what happens for the Great One in the 3rd grade and for the Pain in the 1st grade. One chapter tells about the girls chasing the boys at recess. One 3rd grade boy named Lucas gets chased by all the girls. What happens when they catch him? You will have to read the book and find out. If you think back to your own days in elementary school, you might have a good idea. In another chapter it is Bring Your Pet to School Day in the 1st grade. Lila misses the instructions about not bringing in live pets. She brings her dog Baby to school and things get out of hand. Kids will love reading more about the Pain and the Great One. Fluzzy once again gets his own chapter at the end. 🐈

[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute - more fun and mischief from the Pain and the Great One. My favorite chapter was Pet Day at school when unexpected excitement takes over the first grade. Jake attracts a bully, Abigail toys with a new name and the “Breafkast Cafe” is open for business. The two siblings could not be more difficult with each other but when the going gets tough, they stick together and appreciate each other’s accomplishments like no one else.

[Joy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuzzy

I like this book because fuzzy is a really fun cat and I like that. She thought her new name was Isabel. It’s really cool that the great one in the first two chapters it actually seems like the great one is caring for her brother and it’s really funny too. I like the way that a lot of the creatures don’t get it and it’s really fun to read how they’re just like blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah and it’s so funny. I hope you really like this book.

[Vera Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cool Zone with the Pain and the Great One was about a brother and sister Abigail (the great one) and Jake ( the pain). In this book Jake gets a magnifying glass and a older kid takes it away. But Abigail jumps on him and gives the magnifying glass back to Jake. My favorite part was at the end when Jake and his class made a restaurant.

[Akari Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a story about two kids who really disagree about a lot of things like if one of the kids are old enough to use a magnifying glass or not. What I like about it is that there are stories about tough times with bullies and that sort of thing.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judy Blume writes the best characters. This story about a 3rd grade sister, "the Great one," and her little 1st grade brother, "the Pain," is fun and lighthearted. A quick read with your kids.

[Natalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy read stories for children up to 3rd grade or so. Nothing special.

[Shahrun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable collection of short stories featuring fairly typical sibling life. Love the surprise final chapter. Also the illustrations are brilliant.

[Allison Renner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Still on a quest to read all Judy Blume books. Still not a huge fan of the Pain and the Great One, but what can I say - I’m a Fudge stan.

[Randy Tramp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read, taking me into the world of kids. I loved it! With a lesson of love.

[Athena Schepmoes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this aloud to my 2nd grade son. I swear the interactions between the Pain and the Great One pretty much sum up the relationship between him and his 5th grade sister.

[Kim Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute book about sibling rivalry.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars

typical sibling rivalry and bickering, but funnier especially if homegirl Judy Blume wrote the story.

[Melodie Ferrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was more interesting, funny, and kind than the last one. Also, an extra star for Horace, the class guinea pig.

[Kendra McIntyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

More stories with the Pain and the Great One. This is a great middle grade series and a quick read.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third book in The Pain and the Great One series by Judy Blume. A fun chapter book featuring a brother (the pain) and sister (the great one). Entertaining, humorous, and sweet.

[Tim O'neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a fun book of short stories. As I mentioned with the previous volume in the series, it dœsn’t live up to the highs of Superfudge and others in that series, but particularly in this one, it seemed an incredibly authentic portrait of life from a first or third graders’ perspective. My third-grader (same age as “The Great One”) read this to me and my Kindergartner (just one year younger than “The Pain”) and both reäcted as if the book reflected their experiënce. I particularly appreciäted how the chapter about the girls all chasing after the one boy on the playground was presented in all its problematic glory (including holding a boy down unless he kisses one of the girls!), but with full disapproval from the stories’ parents. My rating here, then, is based more on the authenticity of the presentation than the content itself: like, altho Goodreads says ⭐⭐⭐⭐ is “really liked it,” in this case, I’d label it more as “really appreciäted it.” I’m glad I stumbled upon this series looking for more Fudge-antics without having to get into the Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Blume subgenre. Looking forward to the next two!

[eRin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jake is known by his name to everyone except his older sister, Abibgail. She calls him the pain. Jake has his own name for Abigail as well: the great one. These siblings have a classic case of sibling rivalry and each are convinced that his parents loves the other more than him. In Cool Zone we see more of the family's adventures narrated in turn by the pain and the great one. School life and home life play prominently in the first and third graders lives. Each chapter is a different story that demonstrates just how horrible the other sibling is.

Another fun and dead-on accurate juvenile book by Blume. She has a gift for understanding the way children think and this one, like Soupy Saturdays, is full of more adventures of the Porter family. I think my favorite chapter was the one about Bruno, as my the same thing once happened to my own version of Bruno and I could really feel Jake's pain.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a funny and sweet story about sibling relationships at the ages of 6 and 8. That's perfect for our girls, and although the dynamic is different in our house (with two girls instead of a girl and a boy), the love, the fights, the encouragements and the competitiveness are still very much the same in many respects.

I liked that the two children dealt with a bully situation in an appropriate way, by getting the help of teachers, especially when it was beyond their ability to discuss the situation with the individual. And we loved the last chapter, told from the perspective of the family cat.

We really enjoyed reading this book together and will look for more books in this series. I loved reading Judy Blume's stories when I was a child and I am thrilled to be able to share them with our girls.

[Maria Antonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHAT'S COOL...

1) I love the sibling rivalry, but I'm glad that there's more to it than that. Even if the kids don't quite admit it, they love each other. :)

2) I don't mind the episodic nature of this book. Not many books get published nowadays that are basically a collection of short stories. Judy Blume does a great job with this one. Each story is self-contained and fun.

3) Judy Blume's characterization of the kids is perfect. Reminds me of her Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing series. I love how she starts out each of these books with how the Pain thinks their parents prefer the Great One, and the Great One thinks the Pain gets all the breaks in their family. Isn't that how it always is?

4) This book is a quick read. I think my favourite story was the one about the lost tooth. (I could feel Abigail's frustration!)


FINAL THOUGHTS

I enjoyed this book. Not sure whose POV I liked better. The POV of the Pain? Or that of the Great One? :)

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so after the last kids series bust I was so hoping this would work out.

Judy Blume didn't disappoint. We enjoyed reading this story and I didn't have to do any editing while reading. Each chapter was different, one story by the Great one (the older sister) then one by the Pain (the younger brother). There is the standard brother and sister love/hate relationship but there are also good moments when they both stand up for each other.

It reminded me of all the Judy Blume books I loved as a kid so I have them on order with the upcoming book club..we are going back to some classics to read together. Looking forward to it. Though now with MB learning to read we spend just as much time listening to her read to us as we read to her.

I love continuing to see her love to read!

My little bookworm.