Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself

infobox Book |
name = Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself


image_caption =
author = Judy Blume
country = United States
language = English
translator =
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genre = Young adult novel
publisher = Bradbury
release_date = 1977
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 298 pp
isbn = ISBN 0-87888-113-1
preceded_by =
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"Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself" is a 1977 novel by Judy Blume. The story is set in 1947 and follows the imaginative ten year old Sally (she likes to make up stories in her head) when her family moves from New Jersey to Miami Beach. While not as controversial as some of her other novels, Blume does manage to address racism, anti-Semitism and sibling rivalry. This novel is her most autobiographical, with many parallels between Blume's own life and that of Sally.

Plot

Sally J. Freedman is moving from New Jersey to Miami, Florida with her mother, grandmother and brother at the end of World War II. This is because of her brother Douglas's health, for he caught nephritis from staying in wet clothes in the cold. The novel first touches on racism when, on the train to Florida, Sally meets a black woman traveling with her young son about Sally's age and her infant daughter whom Sally gets to hold. The next day, Sally goes back to visit the black family and discovers that, because of segreation laws in the 40's in southern states, the family was forced to move to another car on the train. Sally is infuriated and does not understand why her mother isn't upset about as well. Before Sally can be admitted to her new school, she must undergo a physical examination in which the school nurse discovers nits (headlice eggs) in Sally's hair. There is a slight intimation by the author that the African-American family Sally met on the train is in some way responsible as the school nurse tries to calm Sally's mother, who is insulted and taking the news personally, by saying "Look Mrs. Freedman, don't take this personally. You've been traveling, she could have picked them up anywhere."

In her new school, she meets new friends, the first being Barbara, who teaches Sally all about the new school. Later, she meets Andrea, a sixth grader, and Shelby, a girl in a different class than Sally. She has a difficult first day at school, but after a while, she begins to make more friends. There, she meets Peter Hornstein, a so called 'Latin Lover', who seem to like Sally, but Peter ignores Sally when Jackie, a new girl, arrives at the school. It troubles Sally that Peter is going after a different girl, and she begins to like Peter back.

A central part in the story is when Sally meets a man named Mr. Zarvodsky, who lives in her building in Miami. He offers Andrea and her candy. Sally doesn't accept the candy even though Andrea always does, which makes Sally upset. Sally, who is Jewish, notices that Mr. Zarvodsky looks similar to Adolf Hitler, and comes to believe (because of her active imagination) that he is actually Hitler, in disguise and retiring in Miami.

Another important plotline is when Sally finds out that her father, who had just turned 42, was the exact same age as his 2 brothers had been when they died. Sally, who is superstitious, is worried that her father may die in his 42nd year, because of the well-known superstition 'all bad things happen in threes'.

Sally writes(but never mails) a lot of letters to Mr. Zadvodsky, always saying she will get him someday. She spies on him, secretly listens to their phone conversations on a four-way phone(where four parties share a line). She worries at one point Mr. Zadvodsky killed her friend Shelby, and she believes the rock candy he offers are actually poison. In the end Mr. Zadvodsky dies-of a heart attack.

In the one year Sally spends at Miami, she learns how babies are made, attends (but does not win) a contest, drinks whisky, kisses Peter at their teacher's wedding, and in the end, strengthens her relationship with her family members.

At the very end, Sally and her family return to New Jersey.

Themes

This historical novel focuses on a young adolescent growing up in the post World War II United States. Other themes include sibling rivalry, making friends, bigotry and antisemitism.

Great references to things that young people of today might not understand: party telephone lines and rotary phones, train travel instead of plane travel, and rationing.

Characters

*Sally J Freedman- the lead character in the story
*Peter Hornstein- a boy who likes Sally
*Andrea- One of Sally's best friends, even though she is a year older and in the 6th grade
*Barbra- Sally's first friend, who helps her adjust to the new school.
*Shelby- Sally's friend, a girl who goes to a different class then Sally and owns Sally's favorite game, Jolly Roger
*Christine- Sally's best friend from New Jersey who starts to go by the name 'Chrissy'
*Douglas- Sally's brother, a loner who is very smart
*Mr. Zadvosky- a man in Sally's building, who looks similar to and is assumed to be (by Sally) Adolf Hitler.
*Harriet Goodman- a girl in Sally's class who tells her she 'hates her' because she doesn't live in Miami all year round like her
*Darlene - Douglas' wealthy, amply-contoured new sweetheart
*Georgia Blue Eyes- Andrea's love interest who calls Sally 'Sally Nevermind'
*Vicki- The girlfriend (the story tells us she is not married to him) of Ted, a very pretty woman who looks like Rita Hayworth
*Ted- The boyfriend of Vicki, a tall man from New York who got rich through the stock market
*Ma Fanny- Sally's grandmother
*Aunt Bette and Uncle Jack- Sally's and Douglas's aunt and uncle from Sally's mother's side of the family
*Miss Swetnick- Sally's teacher, who is very pretty and wed to Peter Hornstein's older brother
*Tante Rose- Sally and Douglas's great aunt
*Lila- Sally and Douglas's cousin twice removed
*Louise- Sally and Douglas's mother, a housewife.
*Arnold- Sally and Douglas's father, called 'Doey Bird' by Sally, because he whistles all the time. He is a dentist.

Real people mentioned

*Esther Williams- Sally's favorite movie star
*Rita Hayworth- mentioned briefly in the book. It is noted that Vicki looks like her.
*Margaret O'Brien- Another one of Sally's favorite stars
*Adolf Hitler- German politician, leader of the Nazi party, turned dictator.