• Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

  • By: Judy Blume
  • Narrated by: Judy Blume
  • Length: 2 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (455 ratings)

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Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great  By  cover art

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

By: Judy Blume
Narrated by: Judy Blume
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Publisher's summary

Sheila Tubman sometimes wonders who she really is: the outgoing, witty, and capable Sheila the Great, or the secret Sheila, who's afraid of the dark, spiders, swimming, and dogs?

When her family spends the summer in Tarrytown, Sheila has to face some of her worst fears. Not only does a dog come with the rented house, but her parents expect Sheila to take swimming lessons! Sheila does her best to pretend she's an expert at everything, but she knows she isn't fooling her new best friend, Mouse Ellis, who happens to be a crackerjack swimmer and a dog lover.

What will it take for Sheila to admit to the Tarrytown kids and to herself that she's only human?

©1972 Judy Blume (P)2000 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"Author Judy Blume reads this lively recording of her novel...and her voice perfectly personifies Sheila's scrappiness and bravado." ( School Library Journal)
"Every bit of the warmth, humor and insightfulness of [Blume's] writing comes across in her reading. Blume's fans read her books over and over; they'll listen to this audiobook again and again." ( Audiofile)

Featured Article: On the Enduring Legacy of Judy Blume


Judy Blume's middle grade and young adult novels have helped raise generations of kids, reshaping the literary landscape for young listeners. Since the 1970s, Blume's writing has contributed to destigmatizing taboo topics like puberty, teen sexuality, masturbation, menstruation, bullying, disability, and more. And now, rather than her books being deemed outdated or no longer relevant to today's kids, we're experiencing a "Blume-aissance."

What listeners say about Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    330
  • 4 Stars
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    33
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    11
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Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 3 Stars
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    11

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not my fave Judy Blume book

The protagonist, Sheila, was a tedious character. She lied, whined & complained for over 2 hours. Not super likable. I'm sure my kids enjoyed it better than I did!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Outdated and irritating

If you have ever been on a long road trip with two ten-year-olds bickering in the back seat, then you can imagine the narration of this book. Writers should not insist on reading their own works---they should really hire professionals. The main character is always irritated and complaining about how "unfair" life is, how she hates dogs, swimming, Peter Hatcher, and many other parts of her life. If you overhear your kids listening to this, don't be surprised if they get irritable and argumentative after a while. You might. too.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I

You're book is so amazing! B.T.W this is totally for kids of all ages(just saying)

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Bv
  • 10-08-17

Greatest book ever

I love this book it's so great and I really love the chapter where Sheila has to take swim lessons😃😃😃😃😸😸😸😸💖

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

I love this book 👍😻

It was very fun because shelila goes from mean to nice and I love mouse 🐭 so much 🌈from😈to😍

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Six year old loved it

Only draw back was she didn't like that she pretended to have hives around dogs. Everything else was considered "awesome".

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

It’s ok 😐

It’s not the best one in the series but I guess it is ok
I didn’t like the headless horseman’s stuff but as soon as I skipped past that stuff I loved It

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Did not like story or performance

This book was way too whiny and bossy. I know Shelia’s only 8, but I wasn’t this bossy at her age, and I’m 10! Decent story, but not Blume’s best.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

She’s a little bossy

I would say I really like this story but she’s a little bossy not to say I don’t like it I love mouse and her swimming teacher I’m glad she has a story because if she didn’t it be weird because like everybody has a story I’d say you should get this book but just do you know Mouse is a girl not a real Mouse!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Meh

The book itself is an old favorite, but the performance wasn't what I had expected out hoped for. Many sounds affects that made the book so magical were just not there for me.

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1 person found this helpful