Grumble Bluff

by Karen Bessey Pease

Katherine Anne Kirby has a problem. In fact she has more than one! She doesn’t seem to connect with her family. She is picked on and bullied everyday at school. And if that’s not enough, Kathy is fat. All in all, Kathy is miserable, but there is one place in the world where she feels peace, and freedom and contentment. Grumble Bluff, a deep forested ravine with a rushing stream flowing through, is Kathy’s private sanctuary – a place that she has never shared with anyone. Then comes the day when Kathy feels compelled to intercede for a girl named Greta who is being picked on by the same kids who have made her own life a living nightmare and she rescues Greta from her tormentors. From that day on the girls are inseparable and Kathy realizes something – that she hasn’t had it so bad, all along. For her best friend is coping with a problem much bigger that anything Kathy has ever had to confront. Greta’s wonderful father is dying. In the serenity of Grumble Bluff the girls discover the power of their friendship, how to triumph over the tragedies of life, and how to laugh again. KAREN BESSEY PEASE is a native of the state of Maine. She lives with her family on a seventy acre homestead in the western mountains of the state. When she is not writing, Karen enjoys gardening, watching wildlife, and taking walks in the woods with her husband, children and their pets. Currently, Karen is working on a sequel to Grumble Bluff.

212 pages, Hardcover

First published October 20, 2008

Reviews

[Karl Kronlage · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect book for 7th graders. It deals with bullies - and when she writes those scenes, they're believable and suck you into the story. There's trying to cope with death and dying. You can't help but cheer for the main characters - and there are many moments when you do. She pulls the reader through a rollercoaster of emotions - you'll feel like laughing at times and crying at others. And the personality of the MC can make you laugh - even if it gets a touch sappy here and there. If I taught middle school, I'd try to get this on the reading list.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this before. I am reading this book again to refresh my memory. I have forgotten what it was about. Hopefully this won't be the last time I read this book. It has an amazing story that seems that it could be real, but some of it seems like it could be a fantasy.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot, and it's cool because Karen Pease is my friend's mom. I also liked it because it's based in Maine, in the area I live in. I'd recommend this book to all girls. I don't know if guys would like it.