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75th out of 502 books
—
804 voters
Then Again, Maybe I Won't
by
Judy Blume
Ever since his dad got rich from an invention and his family moved to a wealthy neighborhood on Long Island, Tony Miglione's life has been tumed upside down. For starters, there's his new friend Joel, who shoplifts. Then there's Joel's sixteen-year-old sister, Lisa, who gets undressed every night without pulling down her shades. And there's Grandma, who won't come down fro...more
Paperback, 164 pages
Published
July 1st 1986
by Yearling
(first published January 1st 1971)
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Aug 16, 2007
Recynd
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
young-adult-kids,
fiction
I think I was about ten years old when I read this book (one of a Judy Blume box set); I suspect my mother has yet to recover from my ensuing questions: "Mommy, the book I'm reading has a boy in it who keeps saying that 'it went up'. Why would he be embarrassed if his ZIPPER went up? Was it written wrong?"
After my mother's commendable (and surprisingly unflappable)explanation, I had some serious thinkin' to do...I mean, I grew up without brothers, so the nitty-gritty of the workings of male anat...more
After my mother's commendable (and surprisingly unflappable)explanation, I had some serious thinkin' to do...I mean, I grew up without brothers, so the nitty-gritty of the workings of male anat...more
Us kids all needed SOMEBODY to give us the lowdown on periods and boners back in the '80s, and Judy Blume tended to be a bit more reliable than that weird kid on the bus. This one's kinda the boy version of "Are You There God...", demystifying for pre-adolescent readers that unfamiliar new stain in their undy-dundypants.
Can you imagine being Judy Blume's child? You'd have been the most well-informed kid on the playground. I bet parents never let their kids go to sleepovers at the Blumes, though...more
Can you imagine being Judy Blume's child? You'd have been the most well-informed kid on the playground. I bet parents never let their kids go to sleepovers at the Blumes, though...more
Mar 23, 2009
Richard
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to Richard by:
San Francisco Books & Booze Bookclub
I read this for a real-world book club; it took about two hours to breeze through. Strangely, it was published in 1971 when I would have been twelve years old, just like the boy in the story, but I never heard of it then and was only vaguely aware of the author's name until now.
It struck me as a strange book. The prose was pretty juvenile, with short and uncomplicated sentences. Is it intended for 'tweens? I don't know, it seems a nice "I guess I'm not a freak after all" message might be good ab...more
It struck me as a strange book. The prose was pretty juvenile, with short and uncomplicated sentences. Is it intended for 'tweens? I don't know, it seems a nice "I guess I'm not a freak after all" message might be good ab...more
This was one of the few Judy Blume books I didn't read when I was younger. I guess it always seemed like a boy's book to me but a friend was going on and on about reading it when she was younger and I felt like I was missing out so I got if from the library. Wasn't there an After School Special about the book too? I know I'm dating myself but I think Leif Garret was in it and he just always seemed like bad news-maybe that was why I stayed away from the book back then too.
The book is kind of like...more
The book is kind of like...more
May 27, 2008
Ola
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Preteen boys
Shelves:
light-read,
nostalgia
I think I read this back in fourth grade (maybe not the most appropriate book for a 10 year old girl). Recently reread it for nostalgia's sake.
Then Again, Maybe I Won't is a nice read. A comfy read.
Tony Miglione is a kid whose father makes the family rich. They move to a nicer neighborhood (at least on the surface).Tony's neighbor is a shoplifting creep (although his sister is really hot), his mother's starting to become a phony bitch (there's no other way of putting it). This and other problem...more
Then Again, Maybe I Won't is a nice read. A comfy read.
Tony Miglione is a kid whose father makes the family rich. They move to a nicer neighborhood (at least on the surface).Tony's neighbor is a shoplifting creep (although his sister is really hot), his mother's starting to become a phony bitch (there's no other way of putting it). This and other problem...more
I know I keep gushing about Judy Blume but once again she proves to be one of the best young adult novelists ever. I loved that this story--told from the POV of the male lead Tony--is just a strong a reflection of the juinior high years as "Are There God---It's Me Margaret."
The story is a simple one--a poor Italian kid's family becomes successful and moves from Jersey City to a toney neighborhood and exactly how this changes the entire mores of the each person. It's about being the new kid in sc...more
The story is a simple one--a poor Italian kid's family becomes successful and moves from Jersey City to a toney neighborhood and exactly how this changes the entire mores of the each person. It's about being the new kid in sc...more
Then Again Maybe I Won’t
Review by Margaret Gregovich
This book is about a boy named Tony who lives in an apartment in New Jersey with his parents and grandmother. His older brother Ralph lives upstairs with his girlfriend, Angie. They aren’t very wealthy but they are happy. Tony’s dad makes a ton of money on an invention and the family is suddenly extremely wealthy. So Ralph and Angie stay in the city and the rest of the family moves to a town in Long Island called Rosemont. Tony soon discovers t...more
Review by Margaret Gregovich
This book is about a boy named Tony who lives in an apartment in New Jersey with his parents and grandmother. His older brother Ralph lives upstairs with his girlfriend, Angie. They aren’t very wealthy but they are happy. Tony’s dad makes a ton of money on an invention and the family is suddenly extremely wealthy. So Ralph and Angie stay in the city and the rest of the family moves to a town in Long Island called Rosemont. Tony soon discovers t...more
This book made me feel uncomfortable. But then I realized that was part of what made Judy Blume as an author successful during the 1970s. She wrote about issues that tended to be swept under the rug by the culture (and in fact, still are a bit). Then Again, Maybe I Won't is a realistic fiction novel that tells the story of Tony Miglione as his family goes from lower middle class to more upper class. I thought some of the issues it brought up (selling out, girls, friendship,and shoplifting) are r...more
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Apr 17, 2012
Ratonhnhaké:ton
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone
Recommended to Ratonhnhaké:ton by:
myself
This book talks about a boy named Tony who lived a good life in Jersey City. Soon though because they needed more money, his father had sold an invention and has created a lot of money and soon they all moved to Rosemont because Tony's father's company was closer to Rosemont than Jersey City. But it isn't going to well for Tony, his new friend Joel is a shoplifter and she likes this girl named Lisa. Will Tony be able to adjust his new life.
I picked up this book because I couldn't find anything...more
I picked up this book because I couldn't find anything...more
This book is about a boy whose life just got weirder. He had to move to a richer environment because his dad got a new job. When he makes a new friend it makes his life very different. His friend’s sister undresses with the blinds open. If that doesn’t say weird then what does?
I can make a text-to-self connection. My connection is that when new people come it my school they are very different. Some are weird different and some are good different. There is one person who is weird different. This...more
I can make a text-to-self connection. My connection is that when new people come it my school they are very different. Some are weird different and some are good different. There is one person who is weird different. This...more
Ah yes, my introduction to hard-ons and semen. I had no idea what either of them were, and they're not really explained in the book, so I was in the dark for some time. Why does this guy get to masturbate while Margaret simply waits to need a bra and get her period! Unfair! At least Deenie got to get off in the midst of having scholiosis, I suppose...
Dec 06, 2012
Kayla Satterly
added it
The book Then Again, Maybe I Won’t is about a boy named Tony who is going through adolescents. He lives with his family and when his brother Ralph says that his wife is expecting, the family begins to worry about the financial aspect of having a child. His parents say that they will work extra shifts to save and help out with the baby. Tony’s father invents things in his spare time and when he patents an invention they begin to become very wealthy and move to a more expensive, nicer part of New...more
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wat i lerned was tat a boys life is not easy
This book was extremely awesome. I love the way Judy Blume writes; so blunt; so clear; so real! Her characters speak as if they were real, therefore coming to life in your mind. Her books reassure you that you are normal, that the thoughts you have are normal, that the questions you don't feel like you can ask a parent are normal questions, and then she answers those questions. All of her books are so real, so inspiring, so incredible. I highly recommend Then Again, Maybe I Won't, to anyone who...more
Mar 07, 2009
C
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
people who are thinking of reading Fruit by David Francis - Don't - Read this one instead!
I originally got this book because I heard a news piece on CBC radio that said this book was banned - not exactly sure where, but it made me want to read it.
It's a great story about a young boy whose live changes when his Dad's invention pays off and he has to move, make new friends, deal with changes in his family life and with his growing body. Judy Blume writes as though she once was a boy, but I'm a girl so I don't really know this for 100%, but it sounds pretty accurate, and in such an ende...more
It's a great story about a young boy whose live changes when his Dad's invention pays off and he has to move, make new friends, deal with changes in his family life and with his growing body. Judy Blume writes as though she once was a boy, but I'm a girl so I don't really know this for 100%, but it sounds pretty accurate, and in such an ende...more
Oy. Short, quick, but kinda heavy. I suppose it was groundbreaking in its time, but do 12 year old boys still need something so very 'helpful?' Neat touch to have the boy go to church youth group - I wonder if that protected this book of Blume's from the censors / book banners at all. Too preachy for my taste.
Not really all that engaging - it was more like the author had a checklist of issues she wanted to address and she put as many as she could in each book. I had the same stomach-ache from...more
Not really all that engaging - it was more like the author had a checklist of issues she wanted to address and she put as many as she could in each book. I had the same stomach-ache from...more
This seems to be the boy's version of "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret"--a book that I read (and learned a lot from) when I was in 5th or 6th grade. Judy Blume is a tried-and-true "tween" author because she just seems to "get it"--that is, what kids' brains are really thinking during those weird years when their bodies seem to be going all out of control and their hormones are kicking into overdrive.
All of this "straight talk" was woven into a story of a poor kid whose family is "moving up,...more
All of this "straight talk" was woven into a story of a poor kid whose family is "moving up,...more
I read this when I was about 8 or 9--so yeah, it scared the heck out of me. There I was, a fourth grader, reading about a boy who watched a naked girl through her windows. I don't think I really grasped the whole thing back then--I think I'll go back and reread it. I remember, at the time, one of my best friends was also reading this book, and we found it dirty and scandalous. We giggled, and read the pages like we were about to get yelled at by our teachers.
This book was sure different than th...more
This book was sure different than th...more
Read this as a preteen and loved it. Or at least that's how I remembered it. Read it as an adult, partly just because we came across it, and partly to decide when I can share it with my 6yo reading addict, and I only sort of liked it.
It's much more class-oriented than I had realized (or remembered, hard to say which), and frankly little of the class "stuff" seemed to resonate for me today--it's still a little sad how rising class changes/breaks down the family, but I didn't find myself caring m...more
It's much more class-oriented than I had realized (or remembered, hard to say which), and frankly little of the class "stuff" seemed to resonate for me today--it's still a little sad how rising class changes/breaks down the family, but I didn't find myself caring m...more
I read this when I was 10 or 11. I remember my mom handing me the book and suggesting that I read it. It was enlightening at the time for sure and I was disappointed to find out that the rest of Judy's books were all from a girls perspective so I listened to Dr. Ruth Westheimer instead :)
A great book to address some of the questions your boy might have that he is too uncomfortable to talk about with you. I imagine it's not a bad idea to consider having your daughters read as well. Although, mayb...more
A great book to address some of the questions your boy might have that he is too uncomfortable to talk about with you. I imagine it's not a bad idea to consider having your daughters read as well. Although, mayb...more
I got this book for my son but ending up reading it myself so we could talk about it. It is a very well written book. My son is enjoying it a lot too. I wish Judy Blume would write more boy books. My son loved the Fudge books when he was younger, but most of her YA books are for girls. Her characters are real and believable. So many children’s and teen books nowadays are fantasy which is fine, but not all children like it. My son often does not, so it was great to find a book that takes place i...more
I was probably about 10 or 11 when I read this book, which I borrowed simply because I had read other Judy Blume books before. I was completely unprepared -- being a mere 5th grader -- for what I considered to be something that girls shouldn't read about.
Welp, gotta learn about hard-ons at SOME point in your life, right?
In other news, this is a well-written novel, intended for preteens. It does tackle some coming-of-age problems and discovering about the body. Generally, it was fun to read thro...more
Welp, gotta learn about hard-ons at SOME point in your life, right?
In other news, this is a well-written novel, intended for preteens. It does tackle some coming-of-age problems and discovering about the body. Generally, it was fun to read thro...more
Tony Miglione enjoys his life - good friends and lots of basketball. But then his father gets a new job in a different city and his family moves. Now Tony has to deal with making new friends. And there's also the matter of the girl next door...
The thing about Judy Blume is that her books are still relevant today. The only way this story dates itself is that Tony's older brother died in Vietnam. But otherwise, the story could be pretty much anytime. Enjoyable. The issues are the same that many ki...more
The thing about Judy Blume is that her books are still relevant today. The only way this story dates itself is that Tony's older brother died in Vietnam. But otherwise, the story could be pretty much anytime. Enjoyable. The issues are the same that many ki...more
Like many readers, I stumbled on this as part of a boxed set, bought for me buy my nice Grandma after I convinced her to read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. I suspect she would have been a little nonplussed to learn the story dealt with topics like wet dreams, voyeurism and intricate planning of how to hide erections. Most of that of course went completely over my head (although I did have the sense or lack of courage to not inquire from the nearest adult what those things might be) and I ther...more
Tony Miglione is a thirteen-year-old boy who's life just got turned upside down. His father recently sold an invention, and the family now has money, something they didn't have before. They move from comfortable Jersey City to a wealthy neighborhood on Long Island. Tony finds that his family starts to act differently than they did before, and it confuses him more than his new surroundings. The only one who seems to long for the past is Tony's Grandma, who spends her time locked in her room with...more
(I now maintain a blog just for my kid-lit reviews. Find it at http://kidlit4adults.blogspot.com .)
A friend has convinced me to try my hand this year for the first time at writing children's literature; but I don't actually know anything about children's literature, so am starting the process among other ways by first re-reading a selection of books I myself enjoyed as a kid, to see if I can figure out as an adult why I liked them so much. And being a child of the '70s, of course my favorite aut...more
A friend has convinced me to try my hand this year for the first time at writing children's literature; but I don't actually know anything about children's literature, so am starting the process among other ways by first re-reading a selection of books I myself enjoyed as a kid, to see if I can figure out as an adult why I liked them so much. And being a child of the '70s, of course my favorite aut...more
Judy Blume has been one of my favorite authors growing up. The text allows me to enter a world where the protagonist faces problems instead of me. Blume is also humorous in conveying her stories.
An excerpt I like:
Tony: We were just an ordinary family living in Jersey City. I was happy. My family was happy. I played with my friends’ everyday, I got a job as delivering the daily news to everyone, and my life was perfect.
Then it came. My brother, Ralph had a kid. Our family was too poor to support...more
An excerpt I like:
Tony: We were just an ordinary family living in Jersey City. I was happy. My family was happy. I played with my friends’ everyday, I got a job as delivering the daily news to everyone, and my life was perfect.
Then it came. My brother, Ralph had a kid. Our family was too poor to support...more
Tony Miglione was born into a family that was not very poor or rich. But when he was 12, his father got rich from an invention. From then on he moved to Long Island and live like the rich. But he doesn't like it at all, he wish to have the old life back because her mother is trying to look down at poors, his brothers give up his signicant teacher job to join the business like his father. His grandmother who can't speak were told to rest and no need to cook for the family no more but she loves t...more
When Tony’s family moves to a city in New York, his whole life changes with new friends and a mother trying to climb the social ladder. Other than their new home, other things are changing too as he experiences puberty, spies a girl next door, and battles whether or not to keep the secrets of his new best friend. In the class: This book could be used in older classrooms when learning when it is best to tell an adult about something a friend is doing that you know is wrong.
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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 Fu...more
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Mar 06, 2009 07:29am
Jul 03, 2011 05:52am