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Trudy
Trudy’s parents are older than other kids’ parents. As she enters middle school, Ma and Pop are in their sixties and seventies—so old, in fact, that most people mistake them for her grandparents. As if that isn’t complicated enough, Trudy’s also having a hard time at school. Math class isn’t going so well, and Ashley—who she pinky-swore she would always be best friends with—has ditched her for a new crowd. Life at Benavidez Middle School is certainly an adjustment. As the school year goes on, she finds a new best friend, the straight-talking Roshanda; has her first serious crush on a boy; and gets used to life with lockers and class schedules. But just when things are getting better at school, Trudy and Ma notice that Pop is acting funny—he forgets to pick Trudy up from school and starts to put groceries away in the bathroom. Soon, Trudy and her mother embark on a quest to find out what is wrong. Told in a voice that is honest and pure, Trudy tells the story of an eleven-year-old girl who is growing up while her beloved Pop, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, slips away.
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 24, 2005
3 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Lee Anderson
65 books32 followersI was born in Phoenix, Arizona, although my family didn't stay there long.
My father served in the Air Force and we soon moved to Texas. Honolulu,
Hawaii was our most exotic station. I'll never forget the excitement of
winning a hula competition. Those who know me now would never guess I
had that kind of coordination.
When we moved back to San Antonio, Texas, I missed the Aloha State, but
books served as a great distraction. Around that same time, I wrote my first
book, Fuzzy the Fox. I tried to write my first novel in high school. The
story had a strong beginning and a promising ending, but the middle of the
book ruined it all. Even though the book was not a success, the experience
taught me much about the writing process, especially about revision.
In college, I took a children's literature course that inspired me to write
books for children and teens I eventually went on to graduate from Hollins University with an M.A. in children's literature. In addition to my book publications, I've written magazine articles for Highlights for Children, Wee Ones Magazine, and Holiday Crafts 4 Kids. In addition to writing, I also teach at the Institute of Children's Literature.
I love to read, and some of my favorite authors are: Mildred Taylor, Han
Nolan, David LaRochelle, S.E. Hinton, Karen Hesse, Judy Blume, Avi, Eoin
Colfer, and Christopher Paul Curtis. The list could go on and on!
I live north of Austin with my supportive husband, Michael, and my dogs
Buster and JoJo. When not writing, Michael and I enjoy traveling and have
a goal to travel to as many national parks as possible.
My father served in the Air Force and we soon moved to Texas. Honolulu,
Hawaii was our most exotic station. I'll never forget the excitement of
winning a hula competition. Those who know me now would never guess I
had that kind of coordination.
When we moved back to San Antonio, Texas, I missed the Aloha State, but
books served as a great distraction. Around that same time, I wrote my first
book, Fuzzy the Fox. I tried to write my first novel in high school. The
story had a strong beginning and a promising ending, but the middle of the
book ruined it all. Even though the book was not a success, the experience
taught me much about the writing process, especially about revision.
In college, I took a children's literature course that inspired me to write
books for children and teens I eventually went on to graduate from Hollins University with an M.A. in children's literature. In addition to my book publications, I've written magazine articles for Highlights for Children, Wee Ones Magazine, and Holiday Crafts 4 Kids. In addition to writing, I also teach at the Institute of Children's Literature.
I love to read, and some of my favorite authors are: Mildred Taylor, Han
Nolan, David LaRochelle, S.E. Hinton, Karen Hesse, Judy Blume, Avi, Eoin
Colfer, and Christopher Paul Curtis. The list could go on and on!
I live north of Austin with my supportive husband, Michael, and my dogs
Buster and JoJo. When not writing, Michael and I enjoy traveling and have
a goal to travel to as many national parks as possible.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
January 2, 2008
Trudy is a miracle baby to her parents Ma and Pop, who had her at when Ma was 53 and Pop was 62. Now, Trudy’s parents are often called her grandparents. Her favorite teacher, Ms. Gwen, even makes the mistake. Math class only adds to the stress of her life, there seems to be no way to understand it. Just when Trudy makes her first friend, everything turns around. Pop starts to forget to pick Trudy up at school, and puts all the Christmas gifts behind the couch. Ma and Trudy can only avoid the truth for so long.
Anderson describes the life of a struggling middle schooler with accuracy. Trudy is easy to relate to, with her everyday problems as well as the unusual. I can imagine this book being very helpful for someone who is affected by Alzheimer’s. Even though I have not been directly affected in my family, many of my neighbors have had it. There’s a certain scene that I nearly cried because it felt so real.
Jessica Lee Anderson has not written any other books, but I am very eager to read another book by her. I don’t see a sequel to this book, because it ends so perfectly.
I liked this books mainly because it dealt with real people, and unusual situations. Trudy is your average middle schooler in several ways ( I still haven’t figured out her age) but has a family not so normal. I’d love to see more books that face problems hard to talk about.
Anderson describes the life of a struggling middle schooler with accuracy. Trudy is easy to relate to, with her everyday problems as well as the unusual. I can imagine this book being very helpful for someone who is affected by Alzheimer’s. Even though I have not been directly affected in my family, many of my neighbors have had it. There’s a certain scene that I nearly cried because it felt so real.
Jessica Lee Anderson has not written any other books, but I am very eager to read another book by her. I don’t see a sequel to this book, because it ends so perfectly.
I liked this books mainly because it dealt with real people, and unusual situations. Trudy is your average middle schooler in several ways ( I still haven’t figured out her age) but has a family not so normal. I’d love to see more books that face problems hard to talk about.
October 7, 2013
Title / Author / Publication Date: Trudy/Jessica Lee Anderson/2005
Genre: Fiction
Format: Hardcover
Plot summary: Trudy is the 2005 winner of the Milkweed Prize for Children’s Literature, dedicated to introducing “young readers to memorable characters struggling with the kinds of difficult decisions that young people of any era must face.” The book does just that, telling the story of a young girl named Trudy who was born to her mother late in life, at age 53. Often, Trudy’s parents are mistaken for her grandmother and grandfather. As Trudy starts middle school she becomes overwhelmed by math anxiety, the pressures of a friendship, and first crushes. With all those competing interests, Trudy tries to keep her head on straight, but soon another issue enters the picture. Her father, in his 70s, begins to forget things, spout odd sayings, and place items in odd places around the house. As the story progresses Trudy and her mother realize Pop has Alzheimer’s and must come to terms with his decreasing memory, his health scares that land him in the hospital, and his eventual placement in a care home.
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory: Deals with Alzheimer's disease and strained family relationships. Her father ends up in the hospital and eventually, a nursing home.
Review citation: Grant, Alison. (2005). Trudy. [Book Review]. School Library Journal. 51(12), 136.
Section source used to find the material: Novelist Plus
Recommended age: Grades 4-7
Genre: Fiction
Format: Hardcover
Plot summary: Trudy is the 2005 winner of the Milkweed Prize for Children’s Literature, dedicated to introducing “young readers to memorable characters struggling with the kinds of difficult decisions that young people of any era must face.” The book does just that, telling the story of a young girl named Trudy who was born to her mother late in life, at age 53. Often, Trudy’s parents are mistaken for her grandmother and grandfather. As Trudy starts middle school she becomes overwhelmed by math anxiety, the pressures of a friendship, and first crushes. With all those competing interests, Trudy tries to keep her head on straight, but soon another issue enters the picture. Her father, in his 70s, begins to forget things, spout odd sayings, and place items in odd places around the house. As the story progresses Trudy and her mother realize Pop has Alzheimer’s and must come to terms with his decreasing memory, his health scares that land him in the hospital, and his eventual placement in a care home.
Considerations or precautions for readers advisory: Deals with Alzheimer's disease and strained family relationships. Her father ends up in the hospital and eventually, a nursing home.
Review citation: Grant, Alison. (2005). Trudy. [Book Review]. School Library Journal. 51(12), 136.
Section source used to find the material: Novelist Plus
Recommended age: Grades 4-7
June 12, 2017
i wanted to love the story, i loved trudy and her aging parents. it was a sad and emotional. but so much felt left out. i wanted more details. i loved trudy and ro-ro. the unknown ending wasn't terrible, but perhaps a note about Alzheimers.
i was disappointed.
i was disappointed.
July 3, 2016
This book is a great read for middle schoolers, as they will find it very relatable and it will resonate with them for a long time.
Trudy stars a young girl named Trudy. Her life is anything but ordinary- as she faces the difficulties of losing her friends and transitioning from elementary school to middle school, there is something that is somehow making it all worse: her parents. Ma and Pa are into their late 60’s and 70’s, and Trudy hates how people assume they are her grandparents. Trudy never thought of their age as a life changing issue until Pa is constantly forgetting small things and acting strange. Soon, Ma and Trudy discover that Pa has Alzheimer’s disease. This novel tells the story of Trudy facing normal middle school issues, like developing crushes on boys and handling flaky friends. But more importantly, it shows Tracy and her family somehow successfully coming together and living through the deep stages of a deadly disease, and living through a remarkably emotional rollercoaster.
I really liked this book. When I bought the book I was expecting to read a book about a girl and her life filled with unnecessary drama, but it was so much more than that. It was about a teenage girl, but it was more about the unconditional love that is found within a family, and I thought that was a breath of fresh air. All in all I think the themes and writing of this book is mature for the average middle schooler, but I feel like they will enjoy it either way. Trudy is very bright and compassionate, and I think she has a lot of great thoughts. Her parents made me giggle at times and they actually reminded me a lot of my own parents. Both Ma and Pa were happy, humble and kind to others. All of the characters had their own distinctive voice, which is really important in a story like this one.
Anderson’s writing captures the middle schooler’s emotions (happiness, disgust, teenage angst,) quite wonderfully. Although this story was touching, I did feel that at time’s Anderson went a little off topic and that she had a hard time keeping up her own writing style. But all together I thought she did great on this story, and if I read it in middle school, I know it would of been a book that stuck with me. I give it 4/5 stars.
Trudy stars a young girl named Trudy. Her life is anything but ordinary- as she faces the difficulties of losing her friends and transitioning from elementary school to middle school, there is something that is somehow making it all worse: her parents. Ma and Pa are into their late 60’s and 70’s, and Trudy hates how people assume they are her grandparents. Trudy never thought of their age as a life changing issue until Pa is constantly forgetting small things and acting strange. Soon, Ma and Trudy discover that Pa has Alzheimer’s disease. This novel tells the story of Trudy facing normal middle school issues, like developing crushes on boys and handling flaky friends. But more importantly, it shows Tracy and her family somehow successfully coming together and living through the deep stages of a deadly disease, and living through a remarkably emotional rollercoaster.
I really liked this book. When I bought the book I was expecting to read a book about a girl and her life filled with unnecessary drama, but it was so much more than that. It was about a teenage girl, but it was more about the unconditional love that is found within a family, and I thought that was a breath of fresh air. All in all I think the themes and writing of this book is mature for the average middle schooler, but I feel like they will enjoy it either way. Trudy is very bright and compassionate, and I think she has a lot of great thoughts. Her parents made me giggle at times and they actually reminded me a lot of my own parents. Both Ma and Pa were happy, humble and kind to others. All of the characters had their own distinctive voice, which is really important in a story like this one.
Anderson’s writing captures the middle schooler’s emotions (happiness, disgust, teenage angst,) quite wonderfully. Although this story was touching, I did feel that at time’s Anderson went a little off topic and that she had a hard time keeping up her own writing style. But all together I thought she did great on this story, and if I read it in middle school, I know it would of been a book that stuck with me. I give it 4/5 stars.
August 13, 2016
Trudy, a touching novel written by Jessica Lee Anderson, tells the story of a young middle school girl who faces the challenges of her parents getting older. When she was born, her parents were already in their fifties, and were not expecting to have a child at their age. As she begins a new grade, she faces the challenges of making new friends and watching as her parents grow older each and every day.
As soon as I picked up this book, I couldn't stop reading. I was instantly enveloped into the story and loved all of the characters from the moment they were mentioned. Having to read about her father and what he was going through was simply heartbreaking, and even worse to see what happened to his family around him as he dealt with the disease that he was diagnosed with.
My favorite thing about this book was how realistic it was. The emotions of the characters were so deep, and so powerful. It was exactly the kind of narration that I was expecting from a young girl like Trudy. For a sixth grader beginning to transition into a young woman, you don't expect her to be as mature and wiise as her parents, which is why I found it refreshing to see that her thoughts, her dialogue, and her actions were not as mature as one would see in an adult who knows more about the world. They were just as a sixth grader would think and feel and act.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. While I was a little disappointed at the end, hoping that there would be more, I felt like it ended perfectly, without really telling the reader what exactly was going to happen to their family. It's always fun and exciting to have to wonder what happens after the book actually ends.
As soon as I picked up this book, I couldn't stop reading. I was instantly enveloped into the story and loved all of the characters from the moment they were mentioned. Having to read about her father and what he was going through was simply heartbreaking, and even worse to see what happened to his family around him as he dealt with the disease that he was diagnosed with.
My favorite thing about this book was how realistic it was. The emotions of the characters were so deep, and so powerful. It was exactly the kind of narration that I was expecting from a young girl like Trudy. For a sixth grader beginning to transition into a young woman, you don't expect her to be as mature and wiise as her parents, which is why I found it refreshing to see that her thoughts, her dialogue, and her actions were not as mature as one would see in an adult who knows more about the world. They were just as a sixth grader would think and feel and act.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book. While I was a little disappointed at the end, hoping that there would be more, I felt like it ended perfectly, without really telling the reader what exactly was going to happen to their family. It's always fun and exciting to have to wonder what happens after the book actually ends.
March 26, 2009
Gertrude (Trudy) White encounters the typical middle school emotional roller coaster of cliques, boys, and grades. However, unlike most girls her age, Trudy's parents are in their late 60s and early 70s and much older than other parents at school. This seems to have little affect on Trudy until it becomes apparent that something is wrong with Pop: he's more and more forgetful, very sleepy, and he says odd things, sometimes repeatedly. Pop's Alzheimer's disease changes him -- amid all the huge changes that Trudy is already facing. Author Jessica Lee Anderson doesn't show us how it changes Trudy internally, except for mild regret and a commitment to help her mother more. The book's middle-grade format presents a chapter every two to three pages, and it's clear that Anderson's sparse verbiage and fast-paced progression through time are targeted to tween readers. Yet her dialogue and narrative perspectives are often more adult-oriented than that of middle-graders. The book struck an emotional chord with me on an adult level and because of my own losses. A tween reader will relate to Trudy and gain insights to the White family's experience with Alzheimer's disease, but perhaps without the emotionally engagement of an older reader. Notably, Anderson brings a sense of hope to the conclusion of the story and, given the devastation Alzheimer's disease causes, this is a mighty accomplishment.
September 20, 2009
Trudy's life is, complicated. She is just getting into middle school and has to adjust to life with lockers and schedules. Also her former bff has decide not to hang out with Trudy any more. Not only this but her parents are starting to act weirder then normal, but of course Trudy knows why. When most people were thinking about what they would do after retirement Trudy's parents were thinking about what color to paint the nursery walls, and Trudy is unfortunately aware of the age thing. Every where she goes her parents are mistaken for Trudy's grandparents. So as Trudy tries to make it through this hard adventure you can read along right next to her.
February 25, 2010
Trudy is about a middle-school aged girl with elderly parents; her father is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. The book is refreshingly different from your typical MG contemporary fiction. The characters aren't snarky, the middle school drama is small yet desperately important and real, and the overall story is told with a quiet restraint. I have a great admiration for Milkweed press and the fine literary fiction they publish. Trudy is the type of MG book that will resonate with young readers.
February 5, 2009
Fast paced story of a girl with elderly parents. Dad is coming down with Alzheimer's Disease and Trudy doesn't know how to deal. The book is short and sweet, but nothing is really solved by the end of the book. Mom and dad are still old and Trudy just needs to live with it. This was an okay book.
February 27, 2010
A touching story about a young girl with aging parents. Transitions are occurring in all facets of Trudy's life. From bras to dad's dementia, she is quickly learning what is important in life. Anderson's writing lacks a bit of style but she seems to capture middle school angst quite well. Looking forward to our book club discussion!
March 17, 2009
12-year old Trudy’s parents are old enough to be mistaken for grandparents. When Pop gets forgetful, it looks like things are going to change. The love of family and friends helps them face his illness. It was okay, the two page chapters too jumpy for me
June 15, 2009
It didn't have a complete storyline. Things happened, but I didn't know why.It felt like it wasn't fully edited.I couldn't connect with it
October 16, 2009
book 64 for 2009
January 3, 2010
Not really my favorite, but sweet and a quick read.
Read
March 12, 2012No plot; no clear setting in time; so many little details that were confusing and unnecessary. Makes me wonder about the publisher.
December 26, 2015
A touching middle grade novel of family and loss, Trudy will take you on the up-and-down life of a teenage girl.
February 10, 2013
I enjoyed the story only slightly and feel my students would enjoy even less. Overall sad book with little hope for characters.
December 4, 2012
It was sad but good.
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March 12, 2013Milkweed Prize for Children's Literature
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews