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

“‘ROAR!’ said Judy. She would have to get used to a new desk and a new classroom. Her new desk would not have an armadillo sticker with her name on it, like her old one last year. Her new classroom would not have a porcupine named Roger.”

Judy’s rude response to her mother shows how she is struggling to manage and articulate her feelings. McDonald’s description of her inner worries shows that Judy is in a grouchy mood due to her fears and insecurities about beginning third grade. This passage helps to establish Learning to Manage Emotions and introduces Judy as a passionate and assertive character.

“She wore her tiger-striped pajama pants on the bottom and a plain old no-words T-shirt on top. ‘She’s wearing pajamas!’ said her brother, Stink, when she came downstairs. ‘You can’t wear pajamas to school!’ Stink thought he knew everything now that he was starting second grade. Judy glared at him with one of her famous troll-eyes stares.”

Judy struggles to put together an outfit for her first day of third grade, knowing that many children will wear special t-shirts they bought on vacation. Stink’s exuberant reaction to her pajamas adds to The Ups and Downs of Siblinghood. Judy and Stink’s bickering introduces the challenging aspects of their relationship that Judy will have to learn to navigate.

“Guess Who sat across the aisle from her. Frank Eats-Paste Pearl. He glanced at Judy sideways, then bent his thumb all the way back, touching his wrist. […] Ever since they had danced the Maypole together in kindergarten, this boy would not leave her alone.”

Judy is disappointed with her new desk-mate, Frank Pearl, who she has always found strange and annoying. This passage establishes Frank as a difficulty in Judy’s life, adding to the author’s exploration of Navigating School and Relationships. By establishing Frank as an unwelcome classmate, evident in her describing him based on a mean-spirited nickname (“Frank Eats-Paste Pearl”), the author sets the scene for Judy to become more open-minded as she learns more about Frank and his interests beyond rumors.