Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (1972) is the second book in the beloved Fudge series by American author Judy Blume. While the first book, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (1972), follows Peter Hatcher and his mischievous brother Fudge, the second novel in the series focuses on Peter’s classmate and neighbor Sheila Tubman, with whom he shares a mutual dislike.

Blume’s books have sold over 90 million copies worldwide and have been translated into 32 languages, making her one of the best-selling children’s authors of all time. She is the recipient of over 90 awards, and her works are considered a cornerstone fixture in the world of children’s literature.

This guide is based on the eBook edition of the Puffin Books imprint of Puffin Young Readers Group.

Plot Summary

Ten-year-old Sheila Tubman lives in New York City with her mother, father, and 13-year-old sister Libby. Sheila is afraid of many things, including dogs, swimming, ghosts, spiders, the dark, and above all, being embarrassed. She adopts a confident persona to hide her fears and consequently comes across as a know-it-all.

As summer vacation approaches, Sheila’s father comes home one night and tells the family they will be spending the summer in Tarrytown, an idyllic, quiet country town. The Tubmans will be staying in the home of one of Mr. Tubman’s colleagues, Professor Egran, who will be in England for the summer with his family. Sheila learns she will have her very own room, which excites her until she arrives in Tarrytown a week later and discovers the house isn’t anything like she expected. The bedroom belongs to a 12-year-old boy and is filled with model airplanes, and the Egrans’ dog Jennifer was left at the house. Although Jennifer will stay outside all summer long, Sheila is terrified of getting too close to the dog.

Sheila befriends Mouse Ellis, a fearless girl on her street who excels at yo-yo tricks. Mouse and Sheila have little in common, but as the only two girls their age on the street, they bond quickly. However, Sheila tries to hide her fear of dogs and her inability to swim because she doesn’t want Mouse to think she is a baby or a coward.

Although Mr. and Mrs. Tubman often indulge Sheila’s fears, Sheila’s mother announces one day that she has signed Sheila up for swimming lessons. Sheila is resistant, but when her swim instructor Marty explains Sheila will be able to save herself from drowning if she learns to swim, Sheila reluctantly agrees to take the lessons. Throughout the summer, Sheila divides her time between learning to swim at the Tarrytown pool, playing with Mouse, and attending day camp, where she takes pottery lessons and tries to start her own newspaper. She also befriends Jane and Sondra, two other girls who join Sheila and Mouse on their misadventures.

In the middle of the summer, a male dog turns up unexpectedly and frightens Sheila. Later, the Tubmans learn Jennifer is pregnant and will have puppies after they leave in September. The Egrans promise the Tubmans their pick of the litter, and although Libby is thrilled at the thought of having a puppy, Sheila is horrified and declares the Tubmans will never have a dog as long as she’s around.

Mouse tells Sheila about “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” a Gothic horror story set in a village near Tarrytown, and insists one of its characters—the Headless Horseman—is a real ghost who haunts Tarrytown at night. This scares Sheila throughout the summer.

One night, Sheila has a sleepover with Mouse, Jane, and Sondra, and the girls fill out a Slam Book—a notebook in which they all write their thoughts on one another. They all write insulting things, which causes a huge fight and lots of name-calling. Amid the ruckus, they break some of Bobby Egran’s model airplanes. When Libby tries to tattle on them, the girls put aside their differences and come together to attempt a prank on Libby, which backfires but still brings the girls closer together.

As summer ends, Sheila takes her swimming test. Although she is terrified at the thought of drowning—or worse, people watching her drown—she passes the test with flying colors as her friends cheer her on. During their last week in town, the Tubmans host a farewell barbecue and invite all their friends from Tarrytown. When the male dog returns to the yard to see Jennifer, Sheila has to remind herself she is afraid of dogs, and she makes a big show of running into the house. Still, she starts to think it might be nice to have a puppy after all.