Guest Review: Judy Moody Predicts the Future by Megan McDonald

Judy Moody Predicts the Future, by Megan McDonald, 
2003, 143p, Brooke's Rating=5 stars, Middle-grade fiction

With the help of a mood ring, a Magic 8 Ball, and some old-fashioned intuition, Judy Moody is convinced that she can foretell the future in a new episode that's funnier than ever.
 
Judy Moody ate one, two, three bowls of cereal. No prize. She poured four, five, six bowls of cereal. Nothing. Seven. Out fell the Mystery Prize. . . .

Judy definitely has a mood for every occasion. And now she has a mood ring to prove it The mood ring's Extra Special Powers have put Judy in a predicting mood, and her outrageous predictions have everyone wondering if Judy really is psychic. According to "Madame M" (for Moody), the Toad Pee Club's long-lost mascot will reappear, Judy will earn the coveted Thomas Jefferson tricorn-hat sticker for Great Job, Good Thinking--and love may be the real reason behind her teacher's new eyeglasses. Will Judy's latest adventures put kids in a very Judy Moody mood? (Signs point to yes )

My daughter is currently obsessed with all things Judy Moody. Some friends moved a couple of months ago and were selling some of their possessions so we went to check it out. She had three Judy Moody books so we bought one. Brooke devoured it and begged for the other books but they only had one left. She devoured that one, too, and begged for more. Her birthday was coming up so I bought her the set of books 1-9 and she also now has the 10th one. She gave the two books we bought previously to her best friend and she's now interested in Judy Moody, too! We have the movie and she's made posters and games based on events she's read about in Judy Moody. Basically, if Judy Moody talks about it, Brooke is interested in it (good thing she's not wild or anything). Here's Brooke's review of one of her favorite books:

Judy Moody ate seven bowls of cereal before her prize came out. "It's a mood ring!" yelled Judy. Judy put on the ring and it changed to light blue. That meant happy/glad. So she went around the house trying to put herself in a bad mood. When she got to Stink (her brother), she tried to get him to put her in a bad mood, but it didn't work. Judy throws her mood ring in the trash can and Stink picked up the ring and put it on and it turned a different color. So Judy wanted her mood ring back but Stink wouldn't give it back. Judy goes outside and finds a toad that looks just like Toady. Toady is Stink's pet toad that Judy let go (in an earlier book). She tells Stink she has super powers and showed him Toady. Stink gave her back the mood ring for finding Toady.

The next day at school, she showed off her mood ring to everybody and said she can predict the future. When Judy sent the mood ring flying at Mr. Todd by accident, it fell at his feet and he picked it up and kept it for the rest of the day. So before he puts in in his desk, he tries it on and it turns red for in love. Mr. Todd is not married. 

Frank and Judy go to the library and find a sleeping speller book because Judy lost her spelling test. She put a dictionary under her pillow and went to sleep.The next day at class she predicts that she will get 100% on her spelling test but instead she goes to Antarctica which is the shame desk behind Mr. Todd's desk (she got caught focusing on her mood ring more than her spelling test). At recess, Jessica tells her about the happy 8 ball. Jessica brings her happy 8 ball the next day. Judy asks it some questions and all it will give her is happy answers. The next day, she went to the store and bought the magic 8 ball.

Judy goes to the library the next day to check out a book on how you know you're in love. The next day, Judy put a bowl of water on Mr. Todd's desk with the letters of the alphabet face down in the bowl. So by the time class was over, the letters that turned over were faded. So the next day, Judy brought an apple seed to school and told Mr. Todd to put the seed on his head and sing the alphabet. When the seed fell off, the letter was T. The next day, the crayon lady came to school and talked about crayons. Judy handed Mr. Todd and the crayon lady the candle and the wax dripped to both sides. That meant they were in love. You have to read the book to find out what happens next.

Mom Note: Brooke also now has a mood ring, but is not currently trying to play matchmaker with it!