Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great
Sheila Tubman spends a summer presenting herself as fearless while dogs, swimming and spiders expose the gap between her public story and private worries.
- First published
- 1972
- Reading stage
- For older children
Reading this with your child
Notice when Sheila performs confidence
Sheila's self-description is not always the same as what her choices reveal. Ask when she is protecting her pride, when she is persuading someone else and when she begins to admit what she actually fears.
Fear changes through exposure and friendship
The country setting repeatedly brings Sheila near dogs, swimming lessons and unfamiliar situations. Avoid reducing the story to 'she conquers everything'; look instead at which fears shift, which remain and who makes honesty easier.
Related to Fudge without being Peter's sequel
Penguin Random House includes the book in the Fudge series, but Sheila rather than Peter narrates this summer. It can stand alone, though readers of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing will recognize the social world.
Compare before choosing: Read Tales first for Sheila's role in Peter's world, or choose Sheila directly for a girl-centered story about image, fear and a summer away from home. View the comparison title →
Where the Sidewalk Ends
The Missing Piece
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
How to Eat Fried Worms