Judy Moody Was in a Mood. Not a Good Mood. A Bad Mood.

In these chapters, McDonald continues to develop The Ups and Downs of Siblinghood by showing how Judy’s little brother both annoys and delights her. For instance, when Judy is trying to concentrate on her collage work, Stink continues to pester her about it and wants to know how he fits into her collage: “‘Where’s me? Don’t they need to know about brothers?’ ‘You mean bothers?’ asked Judy. She pointed to some dirt glued in the lower left-hand corner. ‘I’m dirt?’ asked Stink” (53). Stink’s interest in Judy’s collage shows that he likes spending time with her and wants to be involved in her interests: “‘Where’d you get glitter glue? Can I come in here and glitter glue my bat wings?’ Her little brother, the bat freak, was becoming a regular Frank Pearl” (53). Despite his enthusiasm, Judy persists in resisting her brother’s desires. For example, Stink is also jealous of her new “club” and wants to join. Judy’s hesitation to allow Stink into her club shows that she wants to have her own interests and identity apart from him: “‘Oh, well,’ said Judy. ‘Put the toad back. There. See? You can’t be in the club.’ Stink started to cry” (58). Judy’s willingness to change her mind and admit Stink to the club, however, shows that she is learning to be gentler and more open with her little brother.

In these chapters, Judy also continues to Navigate School and Relationships as she continues third grade in Mr. Todd’s classroom. Judy’s excitement to share her Venus flytrap with her classmates shows that she is adjusting well to her new class and feels confident enough to share parts of her life with them: “On the bus, Judy showed Rocky her new pet. ‘I couldn’t wait to show everybody how it eats’” (41). Judy’s attitude toward school has also improved, as she is diligently working on her Me Collage and trying to faithfully fill all of Mr. Todd’s categories.

At school, Judy continues to tolerate Frank, her desk-mate. When she has to attend his party, Judy is upset but tries to make the best of her experience. This development thematically connects to Learning to Manage Emotions, as Judy initially finds Frank’s party to be “the worst thing that had ever happened to her” but manages to end up enjoying her experience (64). At the party, Judy politely agrees to see Frank’s collections and finds herself enjoying his company and his interesting hobbies: “Frank had a killer comic-book collection, with really old ones like the Green Hornet, Richie Rich, and Captain Marvel. To top it off, he even had a miniature soap collection with fancy hotel names on the wrappers. Judy forgot all about wanting to leave” (67). Judy’s willingness to be more open-minded shows her burgeoning maturity and ability to transform her nemesis into a new friend.

Judy’s growing patience is also evident in her care of the Hedda-Gets-Betta doll. When Stink wrecks the doll’s settings and gets her stuck on chicken pox, Judy is upset but does not fight with him. Instead, she finds a different solution and heals the doll in her own way, even including Stink in the solution: “Stink and Judy put fancy Band-Aids on Hedda-Get-Betta’s face, one for every chicken pock” (50). Judy’s moods of frustration and annoyance, and her growing ability to manage them, add to the author’s exploration of learning to manage emotions and support the protagonist’s character arc.