It's Not the End of the World
Encyclopedia
It's Not the End of the World is a young adult
novel
written by Judy Blume
, published in 1972
.
The lead character of the story is a 12-year-old girl named Karen Newman. Karen is the middle child in her family and is unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for her) not her parents' favorite. She has an older brother named Jeff (age 14; her mother's favorite) and a kid sister named Amy (age 6; her father's favorite).
, she was overjoyed that she was placed in the class of a very nice teacher that she desperately wanted to have; her hopes were shattered when she discovered that the teacher got married the summer before and has turned into a "witch." Her parents act like they do not love each other anymore; the only way that they communicate is by arguing and fighting over every possible situation. Eventually, her father moves out of the family's house. When he announces his plans to go to Las Vegas
to file for divorce, her mother is very happy. Karen's brother Jeff runs away after he finds out about his father going to Las Vegas. Their father stays home to find Jeff, so the father is unable to go to Las Vegas. Karen tries every possible way to stop the divorce from happening, including sending anniversary cards and feigning illness. Karen grades the days in her diary and only rarely does the day get an A+. At the end there is the possibility that things might be getting better even though she does not succeed in getting her parents to remarry. Next, Karen's older brother Jeff has a fight with his mother in a restaurant and runs away. Everyone including the police get involved, but after a little while Jeff comes back on his own. Then to make things worse Karen's mother announces that they are moving. Karen tries to see things in a better way and tries to make the best of things and finally has a B+ day.
Young adult literature
Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by Judy Blume
Judy Blume
Judy Blume is an American author. She has written many novels for children and young adults which have exceeded sales of 80 million and been translated into 31 languages...
, published in 1972
1972 in literature
The year 1972 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Fiction:*Richard Adams - Watership Down*Jorge Amado - Teresa Batista Cansada da Guerra *Martin Amis - The Rachel Papers...
.
The lead character of the story is a 12-year-old girl named Karen Newman. Karen is the middle child in her family and is unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for her) not her parents' favorite. She has an older brother named Jeff (age 14; her mother's favorite) and a kid sister named Amy (age 6; her father's favorite).
Plot summary
Karen's world seems to be crumbling before her eyes. She is led to believe that marriage only causes heartache and pain, and so she decides that she will never marry. Just before she entered sixth gradeSixth grade
Sixth grade is a year of education in the United States and some other nations. The sixth grade is the sixth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 11 – 12 years old...
, she was overjoyed that she was placed in the class of a very nice teacher that she desperately wanted to have; her hopes were shattered when she discovered that the teacher got married the summer before and has turned into a "witch." Her parents act like they do not love each other anymore; the only way that they communicate is by arguing and fighting over every possible situation. Eventually, her father moves out of the family's house. When he announces his plans to go to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
to file for divorce, her mother is very happy. Karen's brother Jeff runs away after he finds out about his father going to Las Vegas. Their father stays home to find Jeff, so the father is unable to go to Las Vegas. Karen tries every possible way to stop the divorce from happening, including sending anniversary cards and feigning illness. Karen grades the days in her diary and only rarely does the day get an A+. At the end there is the possibility that things might be getting better even though she does not succeed in getting her parents to remarry. Next, Karen's older brother Jeff has a fight with his mother in a restaurant and runs away. Everyone including the police get involved, but after a little while Jeff comes back on his own. Then to make things worse Karen's mother announces that they are moving. Karen tries to see things in a better way and tries to make the best of things and finally has a B+ day.
Characters
- Karen — the protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
. - Debbie — Karen's best friend. She is described as pretty. She is a funny, delightful person and is good at making monkey faces. She has a crushInfatuationInfatuation is the state of being completely carried away by unreasoned passion or love: 'expresses the headlong libidinal attraction' of addictive love...
on Karen's brother Jeff although he shows no interest in her. - Eleanor "Ellie" Newman — Karen's mother.
- William "Bill" Newman — Karen's father.
- Gary Owens — The boy Karen had a crush on until he goes to TexasTexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. Although not mentioned, Karen thinks he likes her best friend, Debbie. - Mrs. Singer — Karen's teacher. She is described by Karen as being really nice last year but after she got married, she became a witch.
- Jeff — Karen's older brother. He's fourteen and is described as handsome. He is interested in girls and weightlifting. He is liked by Debbie and teases her in a playful way. Near the end of the book, he runs away, but comes back.
- Amy — Karen's younger sister, six years old, described as being not all that pretty, who likes making up riddles.
- Valerie — a new friend of Karen whose parents are divorced and knows all about it (according to herself).
- Mary Louise — a girlfriend of Jeff's, kind of chubby
- Garfa — Karen's grandfather
- Petey Mansfield — Jeff's best friend
- Uncle Dan — Aunt Ruth's husband
- Aunt Ruth — Mrs. Newman's sister
- Mew — Karen's cat