Getting to know the kids at her new school in Miami, making up stories about starring in movies, and finding the evidence needed to convince the chief of police that Hitler is alive keep ten-year-old Sally busy during the winter of 1948 ( )

I remember reading this multiple times as a kid (for some reason I was fascinated at the part where Sally is stung by the Man O' War jellyfish) but over the years I guess I forgot a lot of the details because rereading this now was a bit of a surprise...like I totally forgot Sally thought her neighbor was Hitler...
Reading this as an adult I definitely didn't enjoy it as much, especially because of the erratic, jumpy narrative that skims over major events/time in a matter of sentences, yet as a 9-year-old this was, for some reason, a staple book on my shelf. I don't think I'll ever read it again but I'm glad I revisited it one more time. ( )

At the end of the audio book, Judy Blume confessed that this is her most autobiographical book, which explains why it felt so authentic, why the details really sang. Blume's Sally is a naive but very curious 5th grader who fantasizes about capturing Hitler (who, in her imagination, is her elderly neighbor in disguise). The story takes place in 1947-48. Sally's family moves from New Jersey to Florida for the winter because her older brother Douglas is recovering from a serious illness. The story doesn't really have much of a plot--I'd say it's carried by the characters who are all interesting and funny.

P.S. I have to admit that before I read this, I didn't know Judy Blume was Jewish, but it plays a big part in the story. ( )

This is my all-time favorite Judy Blume. I relate so very much to Sally, despite, or possibly especially because of the time period. ( )

I am on a Judy Blume kick as of late. I didn't have time to read a lot of the popular YA when I was young, due to overwhelming amounts of school work. So I am taking a trip back in time and re-reading a lot of the older YA classics from the 60's-80's, (thanks to Shelf Discovery by By Lizzie Skurnick for many suggestions).

This was a cute story, I loved the voice of Sally J., a curious little girl with lots of spunk. She has lots of questions and a great imagination. ( )