Ellen Tebbits facts for kids
First edition
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| Author | Beverly Cleary |
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| Illustrator | Louis Darling |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's Realistic Fiction |
| Publisher | William Morrow and Co. |
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Publication date
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1951 |
| Pages | 160 |
Ellen Tebbits is a fun children's book written by Beverly Cleary in 1951. It was her second book, coming after Henry Huggins. This funny and real-life story shares the adventures of a young girl named Ellen and her new friend, Austine Allen.
Contents
What's the Story About?
Ellen's Secret and a New Friend
The story begins with Ellen Tebbits, a third-grader living in Portland, Oregon. She goes to dance class. Ellen has a big secret: she wears scratchy woolen underwear. She tries to hide it from the other girls. She even changes in a broom closet!
One day, she meets a new girl named Austine Allen. Austine is also wearing the same kind of underwear. This shared secret quickly makes them best friends.
Fun Times and Tricky Moments
The book follows Ellen and Austine through many adventures. They try horseback riding for the first time. Ellen also tries to bring a giant beet to school for show-and-tell.
A boy named Otis Spofford often teases Ellen. He is in her dance class and her school. Ellen and Austine often have to deal with his tricks.
A Friendship Test
During summer break, Ellen and Austine plan to dress as twins for the first day of school. Their moms are supposed to make matching dresses. Austine's mom is not good at sewing, so Austine's dress doesn't look quite right.
At school, Austine starts pulling on Ellen's dress sash. Ellen gets annoyed. She finally slaps Austine in the lunch line. Ellen later finds out that Otis was actually the one pulling her sash. Austine was innocent.
Making Up and Moving On
After the slap, Austine starts spending time with other girls. She ignores Ellen. Ellen feels sad and thinks everyone is judging her.
In the last chapter, their teacher asks Ellen and Austine to clean chalkboard erasers outside. Austine still ignores Ellen. Ellen gets so angry that she pulls Austine's dress sash and rips it. Both girls start to cry.
They soon learn that Otis was the one who caused the trouble in the lunch line. They also find out that both their mothers made them wear the dreaded woolen underwear that day. With these new facts, Ellen and Austine mend their friendship.
