Around the World in 8 1/2 Days

Judy Moody #7

by Megan McDonald, Megan McDonald

A brand-new friend and a big class project put Judy in an international mood in this comical new adventure.

Judy Moody cannot believe her ears. There at the lunch table, a girl called Amy Namey is interviewing Judy's best friends, Rocky and Frank. Even worse, Amy is dressed like Nellie Bly, daredevil woman reporter, much like Judy's emulation of a certain woman doctor. Is this clipboard-carrying girl destined to be Judy's new best enemy? Or new best friend? Judy Moody finds some unexpected potholes on the path to friendship as Class 3T takes a whirlwind tour of the globe, investigating everything from tooth-brushing sticks in Yemen to an Italian "spider dance" along the way. Fans will cheer as Judy finally masters the challenge of making new friends and keeping the old -- for sure and absolute positive!

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

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

"Sometimes I think I am Judy Moody," says Megan McDonald, author of the Judy Moody series, the Stink series, and THE SISTERS CLUB. "I'm certainly moody, like she is. Judy has a strong voice and always speaks up for herself. I like that."

For Megan McDonald, being able to speak up for herself wasn't always easy. She grew up as the youngest of five sisters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her father, an ironworker, was known to his coworkers as "Little Johnny the Storyteller." Every evening at dinner the McDonalds would gather to talk and tell stories, but Megan McDonald was barely able to get a word in edgewise. "I'm told I began to stutter," she says, leading her mother to give her a notebook so she could start "writing things down."


Critically acclaimed, the Judy Moody books have won numerous awards, ranging from a PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the Year to an International Reading Association Children's Choice. "Judy has taken on a life of her own," the author notes, with nearly 3 million Judy Moody books in print. Interestingly, the feisty third-grader is highly popular with boys and girls, making for a strong base of fans who are among Megan McDonald's strongest incentives to keep writing, along with "too many ideas and a little chocolate." And now -- by popular demand -- Judy Moody's little brother, Stink, gets his chance to star in his own adventures! Beginning with STINK: THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING KID, three more stories, and his own encyclopedia, STINK-O-PEDIA, Stink's special style comes through loud and strong -- enhanced by a series of comic strips, drawn by Stink himself, which are sprinkled throughout the first book. About the need for a book all about Stink, Megan McDonald says, "Once, while I was visiting a class full of Judy Moody readers, the kids, many with spiked hair à la Judy's little brother, chanted, 'Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink! Stink!' as I entered the room. In that moment, I knew that Stink had to have a book all his own."


More recently, Megan McDonald has recalled some of her own childhood with the warmth, humor -- and squabbles -- of three spunky sisters in THE SISTERS CLUB.


Megan McDonald and her husband live in Sebastopol, California, with two dogs, two adopted horses, and fifteen wild turkeys that like to hang out on their back porch.

Reviews

[Clace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missed this so much that I had to reread it 🙂‍↔️🙂‍↕️

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judy Moody is going for a trip around the world. Inspired by historical figures like Nellie Bly, Class 3T and Class 3V will give reports about countries around the world and complete their trip in eight days.
After her group draws Italy, they start dreaming of pasta, the Tower of Pisa, and the Tarantella. Judy gets distracted by new friend Amy Namey and misses a meeting. How can she get their report back on track in time to finish the trip?

Reading this book with J was another 5-star experience. We both chose our favorite chapters after finishing the book. For J it was "Red-White-and-Green Machine" in which Judy frantically attempts to give an Italy report for her team with a leaning tower of pizza tables, a pasta matching game, and her own version of the Tarantella. Rare! For me it was a chapter called "Addresses and Messes" with Judy going to Amy Namey's house to learn about the My-Name-Is-a-Poem Club and attempt to make gum from a kit. Do not attempt at home. Gum is sticky and it gets stuck to everything! 🤣

To finish out our trip around the world we read A Race Around the World: The True Story of Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland about Nellie's trip.

[Essareh · Rating 5 out of 5]

توی این جلد، مسئلهٔ هویت و دوستی پررنگه.
حال ندارم بیشتر بنویسم. می‌خوام آدامس بجوم.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judy Moody is awesome! I love her character, and her interactions with her friends and her family. The books in this series will make you laugh and look at the world a little differently. This book is a little different from most in the series, as it really focuses more closely on just Judy. There is a little less interaction with her family and her friends than in the other 6 books I have read in this series. The chapters are as follows:

Rhyme Time
Heebie-Jeebies
Club Snub
Nellie Bly Says Goodbye
Bella Tarantella
Fratellino Bratellino
Addresses and Messes
Pickle Chicle
No-Talky Rocky vs. Judy Snooty
Elf Schmelf
Red-White-and-Green Machine
Eatsa Pizza

In this adventure, there is a new girl at school, Amy Namey. And she seems to be a lot like Judy Moody. At first Judy is jealous of Frank and Rocky's interactions with Amy, but soon the tables have turned and Judy upsets them by spending so much time with Amy. Judy upsets them so much, they stop talking to her and even refuse to help on a school group project. Judy works hard to make things up to them and help the two classes make it around the world in 8 and 1/2 days.

I really enjoyed what Megan McDonald and Peter H Reynolds did in this book. It was different from the others in the series and as such we saw more development in Judy. It was another great read in an absolutely wonderful series.

[Mia 🌱 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was re-organizing my shelf when I came across this old gem from my childhood. I decided to give it a re-read and was not the least bit let down! I remember now how big an influence it had on me when I was younger.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, Judy Moody is in the classroom and this girl appeared when she was sitting next to her best friends and she was a reporter and she said, "What would you like for lunch?" And two of Judy Moody's best friends chose pizza, but SHE chose French Toast. And so, she said, "Check!" And Judy Moody said to her friends, "You can't have pizza every day of the week," because they said they wanted pizza every day of the week! And the reporter said, "Why not? My mom knows the lunch ladies!" And so she said, "If you were the principal, what would you change the school rules to?" "Candy machines," said Frank. "A skate park," said Frank. "A swimming pool," said Rocky. "No school picture day," said Rocky. "No pizza reporters bugging us at lunchtime," said Judy. So Judy Moody said, "OK, I got an idea for REAL!" "Chew gum in school!"

So, at recess, Judy Moody finds the reporter and the reporter tells Judy about "My Name is a Poem" club. This isn't just a club for anybody. It's a club for people all over the world who have a name that rhymes. Judy Moody joins the club and they meet at the reporter's house. Judy Moody makes pickle flavored gum to trick her little brother.

They sent postcards to others in the club... one had ABC (Already Been Chewed)gum in it so it could get stuck on the Wall of Gum.

Judy's teacher gives them an assignment to go around the world in 8 1/2 days. Her team is Rocky and Frank and a girl named Isabella. But Rocky and Judy got in a big fight because they're not playing together that much and she is only playing with the reporter and so they can't really do it, but they are trying to. Judy says that they should do a dance and the teacher heard and told them that that was a good idea, but he told them it would also take a lot of work and so they kept practicing but Judy had to go to "My Name is a Poem" club and so they got mad at her and they wouldn't talk to each other.

I like this book because I like the reporter and I like how they go around the world and how at first Rocky and Frank liked Amy Namey, but then they didn't like her and they were jealous.

[Luke]

Title: Judy Moody: Around the World in 8 ½ Days
Author: Megan McDonald
Illustrator: Peter H Reynolds
Genre: Transitional Chapter
Theme(s): Friendship
Brief Book Summary:
Judy Moody meets Amy Namey, and at first they don’t seem to get along too well. Gradually, Judy realizes that she has much in common with Amy, and starts hitting it off with her, even choosing to go to her club over her friends’ club. This leaves some of her older friends feeling left out, and they decide to stop talking to Judy completely. Judy learns much about making new friends and making time for old, eventually making up with her old friends while keeping her new one as well.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Carrie Hane Hung (Children's Literature)
Enter Amy, new girl in school, and suddenly Judy no longer feels unique as her friends, Rocky and Frank, comment on the similarities between the two girls. Although she is a bit resentful and hesitant at first, Judy Moody begins her friendship with Amy Namey because of their common interest in ABC (after been chewed) gum and their rhyming names. Amy invites Judy to join the My-Name-Is-a-Poem Club where members with rhyming names write to each other. As Judy and Amy s friendship grows, the old friendships become neglected. On Saturday, Judy opts not to join her friends at the Furs & Fangs pet store racing event in the morning. Instead she goes to Amy s house where the girls write postcards to members of the My-Name-Is-a-Poem Club and make chewing gum. Time passes by quickly and unfortunately, Judy forgets her scheduled afternoon meeting with Rocky, Frank, and Jessica to work on their class project about Italy, a part of the geography course, Around the World in 8 Days. A rift between Judy and her friends about the Italy project develops, seriously affecting their presentation. The teacher, Mr. Todd, gives the group the opportunity to work out their conflict, and the presentation is extended a day. Judy deals with making new friends and keeping the old friends in this fun and light story, which is a part of the Judy Moody series.
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Deborah Mervold and Kira Gerein (CM Magazine, September 28, 2012 (Vol. XIX, No. 4))
A new character has been added to the series. Amy Namey is confident and in the school's other Grade 3 class. Judy discovers that Amy has been to Bubble Gum Alley and that the two share a common interest in ABC gum collections. ABC stands for already been chewed. However, with the addition of Amy, Judy no longer feels unique and original; she feels like a clone. Judy changes Amy from an enemy into a friend when Amy invites Judy to join the rhyming name club with official name badges. Amy likes Nellie Bly, the famous reporter, just like Judy likes Elizabeth Blackwell, the famous doctor. Amy is invited to their Grade 3 class to tell the students about Nellie's race around the world. The students are then informed that they are going to do a group project with each group selecting a country similar to Nellie's route, and they have criteria which they research and then present to their class. Judy's group of her two friends, Frank and Rocky, plus Jessica, a girl in their class, get off to a great start but then runs into trouble when Judy's relationship with her new friend interrupts their group work time. The students learn what it means to work together and how to be successful and complete their project, although not how it was originally intended. The language provides colour and humour to the story. The 12 chapters have titles which add humour as well as develop the plot, with some examples being " Rhyme Time" , "Nellie Bly Says Goodbye" and "No-Talky Rocky vs Judy Snooty" . There is a "Who's Who" page at the beginning of the book with a picture of each character and a comment by Judy. This character gallery adds interest and humour to the text as do the pen and ink illustrations by Peter H. Reynolds. Although Judy Moody Around the World in 8½ Daysis a part of a series, this book also stands alone. The author includes pages about the author and illustrator at the end of the book, titled " Ten things you might not know about the author and illustrator" . Reference to a Judy Moody website is included. Judy Moody Around theWorld in 8½ Days would appeal to a variety of readers, including readers of humour, and realistic fiction. This book would be an excellent class novel for individual reading or as a read aloud choice. It would be an excellent addition for personal, class, school and public libraries.


Response to Two Professional Reviews:
The second review states that this is a book in a series, but that also stands alone and I would have to agree. I have never read anything else from this series, but I found that this book was very enjoyable. I agree with the reviews and think that the book established a sense of humor and lightness throughout the book, which made the reading all the more enjoyable. I think any child – who is able to read at this level – would enjoy this book thoroughly.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
The theme throughout the book is pertinent, especially for the younger children reading this book. The lesson of friendships, how they change, and how to maintain them is important for children to learn about. I know I had many different friendships that were always changing and I could have benefited from reading a book like this.
The use of illustrations throughout the book also adds an aspect of fun. I felt that the illustrations were simple, and didn’t take away from the story but added another dimension, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
I think one thing you could use this book for is to introduce the topic of studying places around the world. The children would see this activity in the book and then could try it on their own. In addition to this, I think I could use the book to start a conversation about friendship and how Judy could have handled both her new friends as well as her old to avoid conflict completely. I could have the children write their own versions where Judy was able to balance her time and keep her friends happy.

[suri (tay's version) · Rating 3 out of 5]

leer estos libros después de años de haberlos leído de chiquita (el primero que leí de judy fue cuando tenía como 8 años o algo, el 7 marzo) y leerlos ahora pleno 2021 (y en la secundaria también dude JAJAJ), me llena completamente mi corazoncito, leer libros infantiles siempre me ayuda a no caer en bloqueos lectores y mantener mis lecturas activas, así que, qué mejor.

btw este libro le hubiera gustado mucho a mini suri, ojalá lo hubiera leído <3

[Nil Deniz Tufekci · Rating 5 out of 5]

bu kitap da cok eglenceli idi. judy moody'nin filmi de var. tavsiye ederim.

[Yassin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice book, I really enjoyed reading it

[Hania · Rating 5 out of 5]

hania humorek jest moją ulubioną bohaterką literacką also she is just a girl and has her humorki 🎀🌷

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Judy Moody mets her enemy-nemisis turned best-friend, Amy Namey. She joins the My name is a poem club, with a membership card and all. Amy Namey is a girl reporter, and comes to their class to tell them about Nellie Bly, a female reporter who went around the world in 72 days. Their two third grade classes go around the world in 8 days, each group having a different country to present. Judy’s team has Italy, but her teammates get angry at her after she doesn’t show up to the Italian dance practice. She ends up doing the project herself, but since it doesn’t go down very well, her teacher gives her teammates/best friends an extra half day to complete their part (hence the 8 ½ in the title). Her friends also are mad at her because she starts to ignore them to hang out with Amy Namey – a problem I am sure that a third grader can relate to.

[Steven R. McEvoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jody Moody is awesome! I love her character, and her interactions with her friends and her family. The books in this series will make you laugh and look at the world a little differently. This book is a little different from most in the series, as it really focuses more closely on just Judy. There is a little less interaction with her family and her friends than in the other 6 books I have read in this series.

Read the whole review on my blog Book Reviews and More.

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dnes robím poriadky a pozerám, že čo to má Evka strčené v zošite matematiky. A áno, dnes sme robili úlohy! Som matka roka, vydržala som to skoro až do konca prázdnin, aj keď malá si ich chcela robiť už na Štedrý deň. Inak, aké príhodné. Doma máme ďalšiu Dadu Náladu! Tá moja sa volá Eva Nálada, lebo už začína skúšať pubertálne odúvanie sa...
Takže, či to nemá z tejto knihy. Dnes si ju prečítam aj ja. Heh.
Nadšená z nej vraj až tak nebola, ale tvrdí, že to nebolo najhoršie, len strašne krátke. 17 riadkov na stranu. (Bože, ona to aj počítala!!! To sa až tak veľmi nudí?!)

[Randall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book.I think that Megan McDonald is a really good author.She knows how to talk in "Kid Language".In the book the main character named Judy Moody meets a girl named Amy Namey,and they become friends.At first Judy's friends like her but then they feel that she stole her.I recommend this book to people who like childish or and playful books.This book also has a series.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judy Moody Around the World in 8 1/2 Days is a fantastic book that takes you on an exciting journey around the world. The story is all about Judy Moody and her classmates, who are each assigned a project related to a different part of the world. They must learn and research their assigned countries and present their findings in class.

Judy's friends won't listen to her, and they mess everything up. But things change when they decide to make the biggest pizza ever. The book is full of adventure, humor, and excitement. The author has done an excellent job of bringing each country to life and making it an exciting experience for readers.

One of the things I loved about this book is how it teaches us about different countries and their cultures. It's fascinating to learn about the different customs, traditions, and landmarks of each country. The author has made it fun and enjoyable for kids to learn about other parts of the world. It's an excellent way to broaden their horizons and encourage them to explore different cultures.

Another great thing about this book is the humor. The author has done an excellent job of adding humor to the story without taking away from the educational value. The characters are well-developed, and readers can easily relate to them.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to kids who love adventure and learning about other cultures. It's a fantastic way to broaden their horizons and learn about the world in an exciting and engaging way. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and it has left me wanting to go on my own adventure around the world.

If you're as excited about this book as I am, be sure to click the link to purchase your own copy. It's a great way to support the author and dive into an amazing story.
https://amzn.to/43sjEK7

If you're a fan of this book, you won't want to miss my full review on my YouTube channel.
https://youtu.be/9VCXpvlzo-s

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more reviews, check out my blog: Craft-Cycle

Another wonderful Judy Moody adventure. I loved these books growing up and I still love them today. They are nice, easy reads that still incorporate great messages and entertaining stories. This one focuses on balancing new friends and old friends, a topic that is very relatable. The story does a good job presenting the excitement of forming relationships with new people and the resulting struggle of keeping previous friendships in your life with very good messages along the way.

There is also bonus content at the end including "10 Things You May Not Know About Megan McDonald" (which includes a little anecdote about the real-life inspiration to that traumatic newt storyline from Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid) and "10 Things You May Not Know About Peter H. Reynolds" as well as how to say "Hello" and "Later" in various languages as featured in Judy Moody's Way Wacky Uber Awesome Book of More Fun Stuff to Do.

A great book about friendship, class projects, and problem solving told in perfect Judy Moody fashion.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a new girl in Judy’s life, Amy Namey. She is just like Judy, and at first Judy is jealous about all the attention she is getting. Once they become friends, Judy can’t be separated from Amy and this makes her friends upset that they have been forgotten. This leaves Judy to do her project on Italy all by herself. This novel shows the meaning of friends, and just because you meet new people, doesn’t mean you forget about the old. The plot was done well, as it teaches kids how to have friends. There was never a moment during the novel where the action wavered; it was engaging and fun to read. The characters were done well, there wasn’t too much development, but they did learn some valuable lessons, which makes this worth reading.

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first full chapter book read with my daughter! She's 3.5 and definitely didn't grasp everything in this book but she was SO excited to read it every nap and bedtime, I LOVED it for that. However, this book isn't very good. There is a lot of brattiness between the kids and while it was probably realistic, I'd rather read about a little less of that. This is about Judy Moody and the new girl Amy Namey. They have a school project with their other friends to research other countries. Judy and Amy are in separate classes and at first Judy feels threatened but then they become friends and she starts to try to be like Amy Namey, but will it cost her her friends?!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judy Moody is sometimes a quite bratty and unpleasant kid. She’s not as bad as Junie B. Jones, but still not the type of character you really want your kids to emulate. While the friends make up in the end it was just sort of like now we are friends again with no modeling of how to work out your differences. Otherwise Judy Moody: Around the World in 8 1/2 Days is a good book. There are some facts about other countries and some amusing dialogue. It’s not my first choice of book for a mid-elementary kid, but it’s not my last choice either.

[Gracelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a great book. It was a chapter book and it also had pictures. The around the world in 8 days project was due and they were not working together as a team. They were fighting, not working together, and making music go faster during their dance routine. Mr. Todd had a talk with them and they understood. They decided to go around the world in 8 1/2 days. They made a huge pizza with the symbols of Italy. It was the biggest pizza ever. Amy even got a pic for her newspaper.

[Gmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A trip around the world inspired by a female reporter's wild ride, taken in next to no time by the kids of 3T...only problem is, a new friend is introduced and although she may be same-same with Judy, she's not a member of their group. Judy initially has a hard time balancing the new and old friendships, but our girl pulls through in the end...and dances a fairly interesting tarantula!



**copy received for review

[Allie Pitcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book because it was funny and very interesting to learn about other places in the world. I liked how Judy Moody tried to do the final project by herself and her friends forgave her for taking the spotlight. I would recommend this book for 3rd graders and could be used as a whole class reading book.

[Samilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Judy Moody Around the World in 81/2 days

Judy's school project to go around the world teaches her about countries and she meets a new girl named Amy. At first, she is jealous but the she finds their similarities and they become best friends. Judy's friends liked Amy at first, but later felt that Amy stole their best friend.

I like Judy Moody because she is free and adventurous.

[Morning Dew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story does a good job presenting the excitement of forming relationship with new people and the resulting struggle of keeping old friendships in your life with very good messages along the way.

This book is a little different from most in the series. This one focuses on balancing new friends and old friends.

[Abigail Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book with my first graders. The students weren't as keen on this book because they weren't really aware of the countries mentioned in this book. But I was in a second grade class who was learning about countries, so this book would be perfect for them. I liked the sillyness and playfulness of this book. I also think it taught a good lesson about friendship.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Judy Moody and her friends meet a girl from class 3V: Amy Namey. But when Judy forgets about her old friends, will their group be able to pull off their presentation on Italy as 3T and 3V go around the world in 8 days? I really enjoy reading these books with my daughter, and there are good life lessons.

[Karine Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is talking about a girl who name Judy , she is currently learning about Italy with her best friends rocky and frank . They have to finish their Around-the-world class project. She has been researching a lot of different things in it and I think this is quite interesting .

[Emad Mosaddegh · Rating 5 out of 5]

این کتاب در ۱۲ فصل نوشته شده است . ایمی نیمی دوست جدید جودی است و او کسی است که او را در انجمن اسم - من - یک - شعر - است عضو میکند . جودی جوری با او دوست صمیمی میشود که نمی تواند از او جدا شود . لاکی و فرانک هم به مقدار زیادی حسودی میکنند .

[Indah Threez Lestari · Rating 4 out of 5]

206 - 2017