Here's to You, Rachel Robinson

Best Friends

by Judy Blume

Trouble in Rachel's family is spelled with a capital C—for Charles.

From the outside, Rachel looks like the perfect daughter in the perfect family. She’s a straight-A student, a gifted musician, and a good friend. But her older brother, Charles, seems determined to ruin everything. Rachel feels as if it’s all falling apart. Her best friends, Stephanie and Alison, find Charles funny. They urge Rachel to lighten up and enjoy the end of seventh grade. Easy for them to say. Not so easy for Rachel. Not even when Jeremy Dragon, the coolest boy in ninth grade, notices her. Is it possible that perfection isn’t the key to an exciting life?

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grade, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Contemporary, Coming Of Age

196 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1993

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

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad I had a copy of this so I could go straight to it after finishing, 'Just As Long As We're Together'. This would have been a perfect book for me to read as a kid -- while I wasn't a gifted child, I would have related to Rachel in so many ways, in particular her worrying and her inability to express that worry. Even now I have to say this book about a thirteen year old was surprisingly cathartic!
I really liked the way Rachel's older sisters acne was discussed so openly and frankly, how it was genetic, and the arguments for and against taking Accutane. I understood why her parents wanted her to wait, but also why she wanted to try it.

It's a shame there isn't a third one from Alison's point of view, to round out a trilogy of three very different personality types.

[Manybooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

So yes, Judy Blume's Here's to You, Rachel Robinson is the sequel to her Just as Long as We're Together and does, in fact and of course feature many of the same characters, except that while in Just as Long as We're Together, it is Stephanie Hirsch who narrates and whose story is for the most part being told, Here's to You, Rachel Robinson is narrated by Stephanie's best friend Rachel (or rather by one of Stephanie's best friends, as Alison Monceau is of course also part of the team now). And therefore, Here's to You, Rachel Robinson first and foremost shows the Robinson family, their dynamics, but especially and in particular the multitude of serious issues Rachel and her family are continuously experiencing with wayward and troubled son Charles, which indeed, certainly does make for an interesting enough storyline with regard to Here's to You, Rachel Robinson, with Judy Blume presenting and in a way also analysing themes and scenarios that feel not only much frustrating and often rather irritating but also and appreciatively also very true to life, very painfully realistic (and while I love Rachel's voice, her narration and how close she is to her older sister Jessica, when I read about Charles and how ineffectively especially Rachel's parents deal with his outbursts, his verbally abusive nastiness towards his two sisters and so on and so on, it really does make me cringe and want to shake some common sense into both the father and the mother, as in many ways, thirteen year old Rachel seems both more mature and more thoughtful than her parents and certainly seemingly more willing to actually tackle Charles and be critical of him to his face, something that is NOT her job though, something that her teacher father and lawyer/judge mother should be the ones to handle and engage in).

However and the above all having all been said, and while I certainly have much enjoyed reading Here's to You, Rachel Robinson (even with my frustrations regarding Charles, for let's face it, these types of family scenarios are not all that uncommon and I do applaud Judy Blume for portraying such a painful yet realistic picture of a family that clearly needs help and is obviously being both ruined by and run by their troubled and in need of serious help and perhaps even therapy teenaged son) I cannot say that I have in any way liked Here's to You, Rachel Robinson nearly as much as Just as Long as We're Together. For in my opinion, although Rachel and her family are strongly depicted and represented, especially Rachel's two best friends Stephanie and Alison are totally and utterly one dimensional and basically just cardboard like add-ons (and thus not at all like in Just as Long as We're Together, where although it is Stephanie's story to tell, both Rachel and Allison are equally nuanced and interesting, and we find out, we discover almost as much about Alison Monceau's family and her being adopted from Vietnam and Rachel Robinson's nearest and dearest, including the fact that Charles is considered a major family problem, as we do about the Hirsch family and that Stephanie's parents' marriage is on the rocks, is in serious trouble). And thus, and because after reading about not only Stephanie Hirsch but also quite substantially about both Rachel Robinson and Alison Monceau in Just as Long as We're Together, I do indeed find that both Stephanie and Alison are at best rather one line minor and cardboardy characters throughout Here's to You, Rachel Robinson, I can and will only consider a two star rating for Here's to You, Rachel Robinson, as in my opinion, there is more than a bit missing, and that in a novel that supposedly deals with three best friends, all three should be adequately and interestingly enough depicted and shown (even if, even when, the main focus is clearly on one of the three).

[Helena (helenareadsxx) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this series

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to my all time favorite Judy Blume book Just as Long as Were Together . Jeremy Dragon returns and Rachel says the F*word. Yep, I was totally shocked and could not believe it. I think it made me love it more. :)

[Tatevik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the first book better, but still this was a very enjoyable read. I wish there was a sequel. Where were you Judy Blume, when I was struggling with Jules Verne and returning the books unfinished to library?

[Heather McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel Robinson, a wise beyond her years tween, still has plenty of life lessons to learn. Often described as being 'mature for her age' (according to her mother, she was born 35), and a prodigy, Rachel feels herself starting to crumble under high expectations and family pressure. This high achiever will need her best friends, Stephanie and Alison, to navigate another year of firsts. A companion to 'Just as Long As We're Together', Rachel is a kindred spirit for anyone who's ever tried a little too hard.

[Nora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decades late but finally catching up on Judy Blume books.

[grier t · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so I love Judy Blume and the way she writes that most relatable books and characters. This one was 4.5 stars. Some areas were a bit meh but others were so good and so relatable.

[HeavyReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Judy Blume must have written this book after I quit reading young adult fiction, because I had never heard of it until I started looking for books to read for this "challenge" I am participating in.

In many Judy Blume books, there seems to be some physical condition that is an obstacle. In this one, the main character is not the one with the physical condition, it's the older sister, and she has cystic acne.

Don't worry, the protagonist has plenty of problems of her own. She is an overachieving child prodigy who worries incessantly and grinds her teeth. The big family problem is her older brother, a mean 15 year old with a bad attitude.

Are all of Judy Blume's characters so poorly developed? These characters are like paper dolls...cardboard and flat! I do not care about these people and probably won't remember them by the end of the week.

Also, this book is written to the Judy Blume formula, which may have thrilled me in 1981, but now it's just boring.

[jacky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Just as Long as We're Together. I read it when I was a little older than when I read the first one. I didn't like it anywhere near as much. This one follows the character of Rachel and doesn't deal with the friend issues as much as family.

[Samantha Jennings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good companion to Just as Long as We’re Together. I kinda liked how there isn’t a cut and dry explanation to her brothers behavior, because sometimes we just don’t understand other people and that’s just how it is. I also appreciated the ways we saw anxiety represented in Rachel’s life. I’m curious if Judy ever intended to write an Allison book!

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This came out in the 90s; I’ve never read it before. I wish I’d read it when I was younger; I would have appreciated this so very realistic story about a girl dealing with anxiety and a dysfunctional family. I also appreciated that things got a bit better at the end, but not unrealistically.

[Diana Welsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know how she does it, but Judy Blume really nails what it's like to be a kid/teen. I recently reread Just as Long as We're Together, which really stuck with me from my childhood even though I only read it once, and when I found out about this sequel, I knew I had to read it.

Here's to You, Rachel Robinson was just as good as Just as Long as We're Together. It's from Rachel's perspective instead of Stephanie's. Rachel is the super-achiever who is pushed by her parents, friends, and school to participate in all these programs and activities to the point where she's so stressed she grinds her teeth. To make things harder, her attention-seeking older brother got expelled from his boarding school and is home making life hard for the whole family. There's also drama with Stephanie's mom dating a younger man, Rachel's sister looking for a job, sexy classmate Jeremy Dragon, Rachel's college-age cousin Tarren getting involved with her professor, and Rachel's crush on her brother's tutor.

This book is incredibly realistic. It doesn't bludgeon you with morals and values. Not every detail mentioned gets worked into its own thread, which is nice: sometimes things just happen and that's that. For instance, Rachel's sister sneaks her mom's too-sexy black dress to wear to prom and doesn't get caught. Even though this book is pretty old, I could see young people today wanting to read it. The voices ring true, it's not riddled with cliches or dated references, and the plot makes you want to keep reading. I was only disappointed how quickly it was over.

[Megan Uy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just watched the Judy Blume documentary on Amazon Prime last night, so I suddenly HAD to read/reread a Judy Blume book. Of course when I went to the library, the Judy Blume section was CLEARED OUT what with the doc and the film release of “Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.” Except for this one, which I somehow never read, even though I adored its companion “Just As Long As We’re Together” when I was a kid. This one focuses on the character of Rachel Robinson, a gifted and talented seventh-grader with a perfectionistic streak and (naturally) anxiety. This book doesn’t break new ground or anything, but it did remind me why I loved Judy Blume books: her characters, whether kids or adults, are so well-drawn even with the bare minimum of description. And she allows her readers to find the characters both sympathetic and infuriating; as a kid, I was sometimes horrified by how bratty her characters could be and yet…that was part of what made them so real. That’s the thing about Judy Blume: she remembers that childhood and adolescence are not and never were “carefree” or “easy.” She doesn’t romanticize them; she keeps it real.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, the sibling dynamic in this book was PERFECT. Especially between Charles, Jess, and Rachel. Judy Blume completely nailed just how siblings get under your skin (in a way only siblings can). I couldn't help laughing at how mad Rachel would get at her friends for not sharing her hate for her big brother. I also felt slightly bad for Charles, he was just trying to find himself in a family that paid little attention to him. I hope they get things figured out, I did like that towards the end Rachel and Charles seemed to understand each other slightly better. He just likes picking on her (like all big brothers).

Can I just say THANK THE LORD Paul did not make a move on Rachel? I loved that she had this major crush on the cute college tutor, but there were too many times where I truly thought he was going to make a move...all I could think was SHE IS IN SEVENTH GRADE. PHEW. Close call, but we made it to the end! This is another win from Miss Judy Blume!

[Rena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read as of 7/8/2025: I didn't realize it had been almost 10 years since I read Rachel's story. I didn't remember that much from my previous read, so while I enjoyed this book, it truly doesn't hold up as well as its predecessor. But a good summer read.

Not as good as its predecessor, Just as Long as We're Together, but engaging in that Judy Blume way.

[Carina · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good reminder of how real anxieties are at age 13. I also love how Judy Blume's books capture the concerns and flaws of both kids and the adults in their lives. Unfortunately, this book didn't feel like a complete story.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this in fifth grade and absolutely hated the inclusion of the f-word.

[Terese · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this book.

On the one hand, I did think it was pretty fun and felt very much like the voice of a 13 year old, but then Blume usually nails that.

One the other, it felt incomplete. Nothing really happens and nothing really is resolved.

Charles gets in a few points about how the family is too competitive, but mostly he is just an obnoxious little shit whose parents are ineffectual twits.

Rachel is not only overachieving but compulsive in ways that seems to disrupt her enjoyment of life, and so high strung that I am not sure why she has friends at all.

The parents are a mess all together.



Nothing much happens, except for a veeeery questionable date So, Paul is 22 and Rachel is 13 and no one blinks an eye when he asks her to a concert? They didn’t know how that would end. They just let their 13 year old go to a college concert with a 22 year old... I mean, that was the age difference between me and my first boyfriend, so sure, it happens, but my parents were NOT ok with it and thank God, because in hindsight it is really creepy for a 20-something to want to date a 13 year old, no matter how mature

Then it just ends.

Not everything needs to be neatly wrapped up, but this is like a sneak peak into a bigger story that never happens. Basically, what was the point of this book? Maybe I would get it if I had read the one that was about Rachel’s friend.


What I did like was that all families were dysfunctional or embarrassing in their own way.

[Yazlina Saduri · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Judy Blume experience, not bad. Interesting to know what's going on in the head of a prodigy-material thirteen-year old daughter of a lawyer-later-turned-to judge Mom especially with regards her family, her troubled brother, her pals and happenings. Tarren and her romantic obstacle, ughhhh gross.

Charles, two-three older than Rachel suffers the middle child syndrome? From the observation and accusation from Rachel and her elder sister Jessica, Charles is chronically attention seeking. He's got the looks, the balls, the brain and just the right words to disrupt the peace of mind of everybody in the family any time.

I'll read another book by Judy Blume shortly, It's not the end of the world.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story begins when "Just As Long As We're Together" ends but told from Rachel's perspective. The story takes place at the end of her 7th grade year. Rachel, much like Stephanie, has problems at home. She exhibits signs of anxiety. It's a nice story, I have always liked Judy Blume books for younger readers.

[Eliza]

all i remember is not as good as its prequel and a cover with a photo of an annoyed brunette in a cardigan holding like a recorder. and i’m only now getting the simon and garfunkel pun.

ok it was a flute. she looks murderous and badly photoshopped. seriously google it though how was this a book cover.

[Jemily · Rating 4 out of 5]

My fav Judy Blume book as a kid was Just As Long As We’re Together, and I finally just now read this book from Rachel’s perspective! I related the most to Rachel back in the day, so I absolutely enjoyed this one.

[Rae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel Robinson getting real again! This wasn’t one of my favorites, but that smart Judy dialogue and the realness of teen life has all the feels of Blume!

[Gina Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect light read! Transplanted me back to junior high in the 70’s!

[Sarah Kapp Lopez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a companion to Just as Long as We’re Together (which was my favorite book as a kid).. I remember reading this one (though not with the same fervor) so I figured might as well complete the journey! It’s good.. it’s a treat to be back with my friends in their world. But the characters didn’t feel quite true to themselves. It feels so insular to Rachel that I missed the other characters.

[Emma Coubeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lecture du travail bien cool

[Kiely · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is really good and I really enjoyed it on reread, but not QUITE as good as Just As Long As We're Together. I relate to Rachel a bit too much! I still really wish we had gotten a book from Allison's POV...
(4.5 stars)

[Lauren Elkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely not my favourite Judy Blume book…maybe it was because it was aimed at a slightly younger teen demographic, however a nice easy ready, and I liked the main protagonist’s character!

[Jessiah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light and quick read, was better than what I expected! Nothing out of this world, but amazing especially for middle schoolers.