Judy Blume! Yes, good ol' Judy. Writing about childhood and adolescence with such cringing and humorous narrative.

I think Sheila the Great was one of her better childrens' books. I could totally identify with Sheila. Being misunderstood by her family, and even her friends. She goes away with her family to the country for the summer, if I remember correctly.

One scene was where she and her friends get into a huge fight at a slumber party when they write "anonymously" about how they all really feel about each other. I thought that was a hoot. Plus, the situations she gets herself in are full of mischief, She lies a lot, is kind of a know-it-all, and is also afraid of things like spiders and swimming, but she is able to overcome those things throughout the course of the story.

In the end she learns a lot from her trip, and becomes better person and more self-aware as a result of her experiences. I think pre-adolescent girls could learn a lot from Sheila. I know I did when I was growing up. :-)