I loved Beverly Cleary's books.
She didn't write about sex.
But she captured being age 8 like no one else.
So I preferred Bev.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | April 29, 2023 5:16 PM |
I know Datalounge loves to pit women against each other but can’t we just agree we love them both?
| by Anonymous | reply 1 | April 29, 2023 2:45 AM |
I love Doritos and Cheetos.
But I still prefer one to the other.
| by Anonymous | reply 2 | April 29, 2023 2:46 AM |
It's like asking if you prefer the Berenstain Bears or Sweet Valley High. They're about two different stages of development. Cleary was better at chronicling childhood, Blume adolescence. And don't forget Lois Lowry's Anastasia Krupnik, perfect for those in-between years. And, like Lowry, Paula Danziger was perfect for weirdos.
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | April 29, 2023 2:54 AM |
Aren’t their books aimed at different age groups?
In any case I loved Beverly Cleary’s books. I was past Judy Blume’s books when they first appeared so I’ve never read them and I don’t know if I would have if I’d been the right age… the God thing kinda puts me off.
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | April 29, 2023 2:58 AM |
R3, I remember Paula Danziger!
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | April 29, 2023 2:58 AM |
I’m not allowed to read either yet.
| by Anonymous | reply 6 | April 29, 2023 2:59 AM |
Young Ramona occupied the same space as Fudge or Blubber (at least as I recall).
Beezus and older Ramona (and Dear Mr. Henshaw) were much more in Judy Blume's "Are you there, God" wheelhouse (Margaret was 11?).
| by Anonymous | reply 7 | April 29, 2023 3:01 AM |
[quote]who did you prefer?
Oh, dear!
| by Anonymous | reply 8 | April 29, 2023 3:18 AM |
"Who did you prefer" is correct.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | April 29, 2023 3:25 AM |
Cleary was funny and had a distinct style. Blume’s prose is flat.
| by Anonymous | reply 10 | April 29, 2023 3:26 AM |
My favorite Judy Blume character was Ralph.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | April 29, 2023 3:30 AM |
I felt there was a prescriptive about Judy Blume’s books that didn’t exist in Beverley Cleary’s, although that may be an extension of Blume writing for an older audience at a time when “problem” books for tweens and teens were really popular. Judy also tended to give most of her narrators the same voice, even though some of them had problems like scoliosis and cheating parents and fat classmates and things like that.
In Judy’s defense, her writing for younger readers was much livelier. The semi-autobiographical “Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself” is one of the most interesting books written for middle grade readers: a little Jewish girl growing up in New Jersey and Florida just after WWII, trying to wrap her head around stories of family members killed in the Holocaust and making up elaborate scenarios in while she is always the widely-lauded heroine. If I had to pick Ramona or Sally, Sally might win.
| by Anonymous | reply 13 | April 29, 2023 3:42 AM |
Beverly Cleary, but that may be because the only Judy Blume books I read were the ones with Fudge.
[quote]she captured being age 8 like no one else.
Ramona named her doll Chevrolet.
[quote]I love Doritos and Cheetos. But I still prefer one to the other.
Doritos.
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | April 29, 2023 3:43 AM |
I read both, but I got more enjoyment from Beverly Cleary's books. Her characters were more relatable for me.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | April 29, 2023 3:48 AM |
No, it's "whom." Answer the question in the 3rd person singular masculine pronoun or third person plural. The answer "I prefer him" or "I prefer them." The "m" is the clue. Whom
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | April 29, 2023 3:54 AM |
Tales of a 4th grade nothing< Judy Blume.
Beverly Cleary seemed like she was writing for the dimwitted.
E. L. Konigsburg for Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenwiler.
Lois Lowry for the depressive tween.
Roald Dahl
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | April 29, 2023 4:11 AM |
R13 you're smart. Like a lawyer or something. I like the way you write. I'm going to check out that book because you sold me on it
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | April 29, 2023 4:19 AM |
R17: “No, it's "whom."”
No, it’s not. Grammar is not a thing subject to a gravitational constant like 9.81 m/s squared. It’s what we choose to use to convey our meaning to those who will understand. It is as malleable as we want it to be.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | April 29, 2023 4:43 AM |
There's good grammar and bad grammar. You can choose to use bad grammar, but this is Datalounge. It is not malleable.
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | April 29, 2023 5:36 AM |
Beverly Cleary is more timeless. Judy Blume is very '70s (even her books written much later).
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | April 29, 2023 7:03 AM |
I think I hate Beverly Clearly books because of my teacher. I remember being forced to stop at page one of a book about Ramona and Beezus and the teacher forcing us to analyze some ridiculous concept. I remember just wanting to move on and get into the goddamn story, but the teacher made us stay on that goddamn page, analyzing, and it really made me hate it.
To this day I hate the Beatrice. Forcing reading on kids is an evil thing to do. I would have read it on my own just fine if I have been left alone.
Fuck that teacher.
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | April 29, 2023 4:32 PM |
I just want to know what kind of a name Ole Golly is.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | April 29, 2023 5:16 PM |
