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Buffalo Brenda
Determined to make their mark on their high school, ninth graders India Ink and her zany best friend Brenda Tuna organize an underground newspaper and then provide a live buffalo as a mascot for the football team
203 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
1 person is currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Jill Pinkwater
47 books4 followersJill Pinkwater is an award-winning author and illustrator who has collaborated with her husband, Daniel Pinkwater, on many fine books, many of which feature polar bears and other noble creatures. They've also worked together on "Superpuppy," the world's best guide to owning and caring for a canine companion.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 7, 2022
This is most certainly a quirky read! So if you find yourself often liking humor that goes off the beaten path, than you'll enjoy this!
Brenda Tuna and India Ink Teidlebaum. Best friends. The main characters. And yup. Those are their names. But how about George Washington and Betsy Ross Tuna? They are Brenda's grandparents (duh!) who migrated from Eastern Europe and wanted to pick easier, all-American names to embrace their new nationality. George and Betsy were picked for obvious reasons, but why the last name "Tuna," you ask? Because everyone loves a tuna sandwich. Of course!
From start to finish, there's a whole lot that Brenda drags India into during their first year of high school. From costumes to bison, Brenda is out to challenge the peer pressure and status quo of her uppity, snobbish little town in New York and it's high school.
Age: 14+
Cleanliness: This is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek about adolescence, so there's some overly dramatic fighting with siblings/parents at times, a daughter who wants to be a rebellious teen but laments that she can't be because her mom is just too nice, etc. References pornography (in-passing comment). Mentions Zen and a girl is told to imagine herself as a tree one week to become in tune with it. A teen boy pretends to be a punk (he is to some degree) by having fake cigarettes. A boy and girl go on a date. There's a few nights where some teen boys and girls sleep in tents without any adult supervision. Most of the book is about several teens trying to push the boundaries without technically breaking any rules.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
Brenda Tuna and India Ink Teidlebaum. Best friends. The main characters. And yup. Those are their names. But how about George Washington and Betsy Ross Tuna? They are Brenda's grandparents (duh!) who migrated from Eastern Europe and wanted to pick easier, all-American names to embrace their new nationality. George and Betsy were picked for obvious reasons, but why the last name "Tuna," you ask? Because everyone loves a tuna sandwich. Of course!
From start to finish, there's a whole lot that Brenda drags India into during their first year of high school. From costumes to bison, Brenda is out to challenge the peer pressure and status quo of her uppity, snobbish little town in New York and it's high school.
Age: 14+
Cleanliness: This is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek about adolescence, so there's some overly dramatic fighting with siblings/parents at times, a daughter who wants to be a rebellious teen but laments that she can't be because her mom is just too nice, etc. References pornography (in-passing comment). Mentions Zen and a girl is told to imagine herself as a tree one week to become in tune with it. A teen boy pretends to be a punk (he is to some degree) by having fake cigarettes. A boy and girl go on a date. There's a few nights where some teen boys and girls sleep in tents without any adult supervision. Most of the book is about several teens trying to push the boundaries without technically breaking any rules.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
December 24, 2019
Buffalo Brenda by Jill Pinkwater is one of my all-time favorite books, as well as my family’s. It’s HILARIOUS. But it’s a book I never recommend to anyone, because only people with a very quirky, specific, unique, strange, unusual, and off-the-wall sense of humor will find it funny or enjoy, appreciate, and “get” it. For anyone else, it would just fall flat, and neither the reader nor the book deserves that!
But in case any of my followers would be interested, I’ll recommend Buffalo Brenda today--with the above disclaimer. If you think you might like it, it’s definitely worth a try! If you do have that certain sense of humor, it’s such an amazing and hilarious book. If anyone here has read Buffalo Brenda, or reads it in the future (whether you love or hate it), please let me know!
***
On India Ink Teidelbaum’s first day of seventh grade, a girl walks into the classroom whose exotic appearance and adult intelligence make India’s unusual family roots seem normal. The two girls bond over their unfortunate names and much more, and they quickly become lasting best friends.
Two years later, India is dreading starting her next year of school, as a freshman at a public high school in their snooty suburb neighborhood. At least she has a loyal best friend by her side.
But India doesn’t know what she’s in for. Being friends with Brenda Tuna is never boring. Brenda always has some eccentric scheme that she manages to pull off with sheer bravado, and she always drags India into it against her will. Brenda’s latest and greatest gambit is for the two least popular girls in school to conquer the social system of their cliquish high school.
A whirlwind of absurd events ensue as the girls expose school scandals and raise school spirit, with the help of a motley gang of student helpers and an ambitiously-acquired buffalo mascot.
***
Buffalo Brenda is a young adult contemporary novel that’s zany, hilarious, and full of heart. It centers around two relatable teen girls, their crazy misadventures in public high school, and their awesome, loyal, sweet friendship.
Everything about Buffalo Brenda is mildly or wildly entertaining to me, and it keeps me laughing--especially Brenda’s escapades and philosophical ruminations, India’s witty and humorous narration and perspective, the wacky situations they get into, and the interesting people they meet. The character development is fabulous--both girls have unique, fun personalities, and so do the rest of the novel’s cast. I love how India’s loyalty to Brenda forces her into trouble against her will--and how Brenda boldly extricates them. The plot moves along briskly, with hilarity and surprises at every turn. The story, setting, and characters are timeless and relatable, but it was written in the 1980s, so it’s very clean and wholesome, even though it’s YA.
As I said earlier, if this description and the premise above appeal to you, the book is totally worth reading on the off chance you might like it. If you like any book by the author’s husband, Daniel Pinkwater, you might love Buffalo Brenda. But the disclaimer above still applies--outside my family, all of whom love it, I know no one who I’m sure would even like it, and with the few people who might, I’m totally unsure. So decide for yourself! And if you do read, it, whether or not you like it, I want to know! *grins*
But in case any of my followers would be interested, I’ll recommend Buffalo Brenda today--with the above disclaimer. If you think you might like it, it’s definitely worth a try! If you do have that certain sense of humor, it’s such an amazing and hilarious book. If anyone here has read Buffalo Brenda, or reads it in the future (whether you love or hate it), please let me know!
***
On India Ink Teidelbaum’s first day of seventh grade, a girl walks into the classroom whose exotic appearance and adult intelligence make India’s unusual family roots seem normal. The two girls bond over their unfortunate names and much more, and they quickly become lasting best friends.
Two years later, India is dreading starting her next year of school, as a freshman at a public high school in their snooty suburb neighborhood. At least she has a loyal best friend by her side.
But India doesn’t know what she’s in for. Being friends with Brenda Tuna is never boring. Brenda always has some eccentric scheme that she manages to pull off with sheer bravado, and she always drags India into it against her will. Brenda’s latest and greatest gambit is for the two least popular girls in school to conquer the social system of their cliquish high school.
A whirlwind of absurd events ensue as the girls expose school scandals and raise school spirit, with the help of a motley gang of student helpers and an ambitiously-acquired buffalo mascot.
***
Buffalo Brenda is a young adult contemporary novel that’s zany, hilarious, and full of heart. It centers around two relatable teen girls, their crazy misadventures in public high school, and their awesome, loyal, sweet friendship.
Everything about Buffalo Brenda is mildly or wildly entertaining to me, and it keeps me laughing--especially Brenda’s escapades and philosophical ruminations, India’s witty and humorous narration and perspective, the wacky situations they get into, and the interesting people they meet. The character development is fabulous--both girls have unique, fun personalities, and so do the rest of the novel’s cast. I love how India’s loyalty to Brenda forces her into trouble against her will--and how Brenda boldly extricates them. The plot moves along briskly, with hilarity and surprises at every turn. The story, setting, and characters are timeless and relatable, but it was written in the 1980s, so it’s very clean and wholesome, even though it’s YA.
As I said earlier, if this description and the premise above appeal to you, the book is totally worth reading on the off chance you might like it. If you like any book by the author’s husband, Daniel Pinkwater, you might love Buffalo Brenda. But the disclaimer above still applies--outside my family, all of whom love it, I know no one who I’m sure would even like it, and with the few people who might, I’m totally unsure. So decide for yourself! And if you do read, it, whether or not you like it, I want to know! *grins*
March 22, 2007
There are a lot of YA novels about young women finding themselves while overthrowing the school principal, but you really only need to read this one. It's pretty much perfect, or at least I thought so when I was 14.
November 25, 2011
I have whole passages of this book memorized.
March 20, 2023
This book was pure fun. I enjoyed all the quirky characters and their misadventures.
July 9, 2016
I loved this story so much! Found in the library when I was in junior high, this book made me wish for a Glee Club at my school. And this was before Glee was on TV! Brenda is the new kid and she totally shakes up the normal suburbs. There really is a buffalo. Funny and fast-paced and colourful.
May 25, 2009
Watch two episodes of Saved By the Bell in sequential order and you'll have some idea of what you can expect from this book. That cover, though? Hilarious. I'd like a blow-up of it to hang in my room, please.
August 12, 2009
A fun teen novel about a non-conformist and her best friend and how they stir up their school. What I like best about it is that it's about smart, high achieving kids still acting like teenagers.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews