Friend or Fiend? with the Pain and the Great One

The Pain and the Great One #5

by Judy Blume

This dynamic bestselling author/illustrator duo captures the ups and downs of everyday life in this chapter book offering fun and perfectly narrated short stories—for kids who can already read, like the Great One, or for kids who are learning to read, like the Pain. Friend or Fiend? is the fourth book in a quartet of hilarious and warm-hearted stories that showcase the joys, the fun, and the frustrations of sibling rivalry and devotion, as seen through the eyes of those sassy siblings, the Pain and the Great One.
 
What's the difference between a friend and a fiend? The Pain and the Great One are about to find out!

Jake is so embarrassed by a reading circle blunder, he vows never to speak in class again. Abigail believes she can no longer trust one of her best friends. And on the perfect snow day, who rescues Jake when someone jumps on him and washes his face in snow? Finally, Jake and Abigail decide to plan a birthday party to celebrate the date when their beloved cat Fluzzy first became part of their family. But only Fluzzy knows what really happened on that dark and stormy night a year ago. And he's not telling—or is he?

Genres: Childrens, Fiction, Juvenile, Realistic Fiction, Chapter Books, Young Adult, Humor

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

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

[Sophie Horne]

I’m feeling nostalgic and also just in the mood for lighter books so I’m rereading a ton of books I read when I was younger

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great short book to listen to in the car with the kids. It was just over an hour and the reader was very good. Parents and kids both enjoyed it. I will have to read more of Judy Blume's younger novels to the kids. (April 2011)

*Listened to this again - 4 years later and all 4 kids loved it. (June 2015) **

[Sadie-Jane Huff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 139 of 300 ~ 2024

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The last book in the series and I think this may be my favourite. I love how you can see the Great One and the Pain standing up for each other and showing support when others bully or mistreat either one.

@judyblume4real you really are a special one.

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[Susie]

This is a great "little brother/big sister" story. Jake,the Pain, and Abigail, the Great One share several fun adventures includng visiting their very strange relatives who live in New York and then celebrating their cat, Fluzzy's birthday. This book will keep you laughing and wanting to read more about the Pain and the Great One.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay.
* Jake reads the word 'friend' as 'fiend' at school and everybody laughs at him. Justin then dresses up as a 'fiend' for Halloween, and Jake isn't happy about it.
* The whole family goes to see Uncle Phil in New York. They go to a really busy deli with lots of queues, and Abigail's cousin lies about having 6 horses.
* Abigail tells her friend Sasha about what happened in New York, and Sasha then writes about it when the class has to write a story. Abigail gets really annoyed, and they have a big argument about it. Their teacher says they have to make up.
* It snows and Jake goes outside to play in his pyjamas. His mum makes him change, and the other neighbourhood kids come over to play. They have a snowfight, and Madison tells Jake that his cat looks like her cat that she lost.
* We get the tale of how the family found Fluzzy and how he got his name (they had to combine fluffy and fuzzy).
* They have a party for Fluzzy, jake ends up with chocolate ice cream on his head (which he eats!!!! even though its not white!) and then Fluzzy tells us how he ran away from Madison because she wanted him to wear a hat.

[Tim O'neill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uneven. The first half, which kept to the Friend/Fiend theme, was ⭐⭐⭐⭐, especially, in Blume’s inimitable way, presenting a pretty seriöus issue (divorce and the way kids get swept up in it) locked into the kids’s perspective while still letting the parental listening (as with previöus volumes, my 11yo read this to me). Alas, the book petered out of the Friend/Fiend theme in the second half and became, as I noted with earlier volumes, a book of short stories. The part about the cat (at the end) dragged for me and didn’t seem to overly entertain my children—hadn’t we all, yes even the kids—figured out that “Fluzzy” was a portemanteau of “fuzzy” and “fluffy” as soon as he was mentioned? The series ends here (she’s had almost two decades to add another, yet has not), perhaps because she realized with this one there just wasn’t that much more to say.

[Jane McCarville · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book uses humor and realistic dialogue to depict the ups and downs of sibling love and rivalry. Key lessons revolve around understanding different perspectives, managing conflict, and appreciating the complexities of family relationships. Jake experiences embarrassment in school, while Abigail feels betrayed by a friend. Through these experiences, they learn about friendship, trust, and the challenges of growing up.

Students can analyze the personalities of Jake and Abigail, identifying their strengths, weaknesses, and motivations. Explore how Jake and Abigail handle disagreements and whether their methods are effective. Discuss alternative strategies for resolving conflict. Create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the characters of Jake and Abigail, highlighting their similarities and differences.

[Ameena K.G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one book I'd definitely recommend for any fan of children's books or any kid under 10 looking for a light fun read.
The book begins with Jake ad his sister Abigail who are what I like to call frenemies. They'd fight each other tooth and nail but would defend each other against outsiders too. I found my self shivering with laughter right from the first chapter and that set the tone for the entire book for.

The only downside to the book is the alternating narrators which I think a young reader would find confusing.
Other than that, this would be a great choice for a fun family read.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can a friend be a fiend? Can a fiend be a friend?

It all starts when Jacob (the Pain) makes a mistake in reading group. He reads fiend rather than friend and the kids in class think it’s hysterically funny. Soon it’s a running gag. But the rest of the story circles back to this theme multiple times ... especially when Abigail (the Great One) who usually is more of a fiend toward the Pain stands up for him in front of a mean girl.

An oldie but a goodie ... fun family story for early readers.

[Pinky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judy Blume captures sibling relationships in a nutshell - a brother and sister constantly pecking at each other and knowing exactly which buttons to push yet defending each other fiercely when outside forces are involved. The main theme of this volume starts out with Jake’s first grade reading group. When it’s Jake’s turn to read aloud he misses the “r” in friend setting off a chain reaction that lasts throughout the book. We also find out how Fluzzy the cat came to live with Abigail and Jake. So so so so good.

[Shahrun · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series explores the relationship between siblings. Each chapter is from the perspective of either The Pain (little brother) or The Great One (big sister) with a surprise bonus end chapter from the cat. I feel this book flowed from one story to the next nicely. The other books in the series seemed more disjointed and unconnected. Love the illustrations.

[Vera Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friend or Fiend is about a boy named Jake (the pain) and a girl named Abigail (the great one). During class jake is reading a book in front of the class and says fiend instead of friend. Everybody in his class makes fun of for it. From then on Abigail and Jake called anyone that was mean a fiend. My favorite character is Abigail.😀

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kids enjoyed this story of sibling relationships, though at times this was hard to listen to because of the grating voice used for a couple of characters, especially in the chapter about the cousins. Judy Blume voices Fluzzy's chapter at the end, which was delightful.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book to my younger kids. They enjoyed it.

[Ada · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book like five times it is good.😎😁😛😝😜😍😎

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written, as you'd expect from Judy Blume. I sadly didn't find these as a kid, but kiddo is really loving them.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I don't understand why she wrote the book."

[Branden Markevich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the pain and the great one series, these books always give me a sense of warmth and family and honesty remind me of when I was growing up.

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the themes in this one and that the kids were... kids.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Love Judy Blume, but these characters are kind of non-entities. Just doesn't hold up the way some of her others do.

[Ashanti · Rating 3 out of 5]

so cute!!

[Kim Hampton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great series about the dynamics between siblings.

[Kendra McIntyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute end to the Pain and the Great One series. They realize they don't have it so bad being each other's siblings. You know Abigail and Jake will always have each other's back!

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judy Blume really knows how to write from a kid's perspective. This book would be good for early or middle elementary age. Perfect descriptions of sibling relationships and friendships at that age.

[Maximilian Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not like this book because I don't think friend or fiend is funny. I think it is very rude. The only thing that I liked about this book is that they have a pet.

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 5th book in The Pain and the Great One series by Judy Blume. A fun chapter book featuring a brother (the pain) and sister (the great one). Sibling drama with plenty of humor. Sweet and entertaining.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book I read it in 1 hour... I wish I got chocolate ice cream on my face!

[Fadhilatul · Rating 5 out of 5]

please visit: kilasbuku.blogspot.com

Ini adalah salah satu buku dari serial The Pain and the Great One. Siapa mereka? Tenang saja, di setiap buku serialnya akan selalu ada pengenalan mengenai yang mana yang disebut the Pain dan yang mana yang disebut the Great One. Jadi, jika kalian baru pertama kali membaca buku ini di pertengahan seri, tidak ada yang akan jadi masalah.

Jake, anak laki-laki kelas 1 SD, biasa dipanggil the Pain (Yang Menyedihkan) oleh kakak perempuannya yang 2 tahun lebih tua darinya, Abigail. Sementara Abigail sendiri biasa dipanggil the Great One (Yang Paling Hebat) oleh Jake karena memang Abigail adalah anak (yang menurut Jake) serba tahu. Kata-kata Abigail yang menjadi favorit Jake adalah;

"I don't think it, I know it!" (p.1)

Nah, serial kali ini berjudul Friend or Fiend (Teman atau Iblis?). Buku ini terdiri atas beberapa eerita yang ditulis dengan baik oleh si pengarang melalu sudut pandang Jake dan Abigail (bahkan dari sudut pandang kucing mereka, Fluzzy, sebagai summary akhir buku). Seperti judulnya, cerita-cerita dalam buku ini terkait dengan tema persahabatan dan pertengkaran kecil antar teman, yang tentu saja dari sudut pandang anak kelas 1 dan 3 SD. Seringkali saya tertawa hanya karena membaca ungkapan-ungkapan mereka yang polos dan benar.

Seperti cerita Jake yang mendapat urutan pertama dalam buku ini, dan itulah awal mula perkenalan kata-kata 'fiend' kepada para pembaca yang pastinya anak-anak juga. Kata 'friend' dan 'fiend' hanya berbeda tipis dan orang seringkali salah menyebut 'friend' dengan 'fiend'. Dan itulah yang terjadi pada Jake ketika ia membaca cerita di hadapan teman-teman sekelasnya. Jake yang tidak mengerti dengan kata 'fiend', bingung ketika seluruh temannya tertawa ketika ia salah ucap. Bermula darisanalah Jake paham dengan arti 'fiend' yang bukan sekedar berarti 'friend tanpa r' namun lebih kepada 'lawan kata dari friend'.

Buku ini sangat menyenangkan dan easy-going, khususnya buat para pemula. Saya senang dengan cara Blume menjelaskan bagaimana arti kata yang tidak familiar bagi mereka. Bukan hanya itu saja, Blume juga menggambarkan masalah-masalah yang sangat biasa terjadi pada anak-anak dan bagaimana harus diselesaikan. Tentunya dengan begitu anak-anak akan merasa get-along.

Buku ini cocok dibaca oleh anak-anak usia 6/7 tahun, pun cocok dibaca oleh para orang tua agar mereka lebih memahami apa saja yang kira-kira anak-anak pikirkan ketika menghadapi masalah.

***

This book is included of the Pain and the Great One Series. Who are they though? Well, the introduction about the Pain and the Great One is discoverable in every books of this series. So don't worry about it.

Jake, or used to be called with the Pain by her sister Abigail, is the first grade in the same school with her sister. Then why the Pain? According to Abigail, she calls him the Pain because that's what he is. And the Great One is used by Jake to call her sister. Why then? According to him, it's because she thinks she's so great and likes to say; "I don't think it, I know it" (P.1).

This book's titled Friend or Fiend. And as the title, the stories perform the same idea (about friend and fiend as well though hehe). This book has various stories that written in the Pain and the Great One point of view. It opens with the Pain's story, when he has blunder in reading a story in front of his friends. He reads the word 'friend' with 'fiend' instead. Then all of his friends laugh so badly and it makes him so sad. Then what is the difference between a friend and a fiend?

Blume knows how to introduce unfamiliar words to children through an easy-going stories. I often laugh to read some funny expression from the Pain point of view here. It's so plain and telling the truth. Well, then I very recommend this story to young reader aged 6 years old.

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of four books in a series about the siblings, Jake, (6), and Abigail, (8), featuring 7 stories of their joys and squabbles in a solid, middle class family. This book focuses on friendship: what it means, what can go wrong, etc.

Enjoyable, especially if you read all four books and get to know all the characters, including Fluzzy the cat.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a funny and sweet story (actually, it's a collection of short stories) about sibling relationships at the ages of 6 and 8. That's perfect for our girls, and although the dynamic is different in our house (with two girls instead of a girl and a boy), the love, the fights, the protectiveness, the encouragements and the competitiveness are still very much the same in many respects.

We enjoyed reading this book together and we really liked the whole series. I loved reading Judy Blume's stories when I was a child and I am thrilled to be able to share them with our girls.