Status
Available
Local notes
Fic Rod
Collection
Series
Genres
Publication
Harper & Row (1972), Edition: First Edition, 145 pages.
Description
A thirteen-year-old girl gains a much more sympathetic understanding of her relationship with her mother when she has to spend a day in her mother's body.
Awards
Young Hoosier Book Award (Nominee — 1976)
Georgia Children's Book Award (Winner — Grades 4-8 — 1978)
Mark Twain Readers Award (Nominee)
Nēnē Award (Nominee — 1977)
Christopher Award (1973)
Original publication date
1972
Physical description
145 p.; 8.3 inches
User reviews
LibraryThing member regularguy5mb
I've seen just about every version of the movie adaptations of this book, but have never had the opportunity to read the original story until now. This particular copy was left in my Little Free Library, where it will return now that I've read it so another reader can find and enjoy this fantastic
Minus the more fantastical elements of the 1976 movie version (no water-skiing/driving mishaps here), the story is similar, Annabelle wakes up one Friday morning to find herself in her mother's body. Amongst the general confusion of this sudden body swap, Annabelle must deal with her mother's daily activities, which turn out to be much more tedious than she would have expected. She is also granted a great deal of insight into herself through her mother's eyes as she sees just how the people who engage with "mom" talk about Annabelle, from the housekeeper with the nasty attitude to her teachers and principal.
A great read for anyone and everyone.
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story.Minus the more fantastical elements of the 1976 movie version (no water-skiing/driving mishaps here), the story is similar, Annabelle wakes up one Friday morning to find herself in her mother's body. Amongst the general confusion of this sudden body swap, Annabelle must deal with her mother's daily activities, which turn out to be much more tedious than she would have expected. She is also granted a great deal of insight into herself through her mother's eyes as she sees just how the people who engage with "mom" talk about Annabelle, from the housekeeper with the nasty attitude to her teachers and principal.
A great read for anyone and everyone.
Show Less
LibraryThing member HarlequinTwilight
I don’t know about anyone else, but whenever I hear the words Freaky and Friday, I automatically think back to Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis circa 2003. But this is a different Freaky Friday, the original, the better of the two in my opinion (I know there was another movie version in the
I will tell you now, don’t expect the same exact story as the movie that you’ve probably seen at some point in your life; expect the same premise, but a better story. Annabel is the stereotypical 13 year old girl she’s loud, bossy and negative, hates her family and teachers, but loves her friends and annoying her brother. Annabel is a highly amusing narrator and she sees things like most kids do, i.e. better than adults give them credit for.
Annabel wakes up as her mother, gets dressed, fixes breakfast, sends Ben, aka Ape Face, and Annabel off to school, and then goes through her day in her mother’s body. Dealing with all kinds of issues throughout the day, from the neighbor boy saying he loves her, losing both the kids, the police thinking she’s crazy, and husband’s unexpected clients as guests, she handles it well…at first. Not only does she have a wild ride, dealing with things her mother normally would have to deal with she also has a school meeting to attend…about herself. She finds things that she probably needed to hear, but things that hurt to hear, and that’s where the lesson really starts to set in.
The majority of the story is told from Annabel’s perspective, while she is in her mother’s body and that actually helps the humor even more, take this little gem for instance: “Well in case you’re interested, a mouthful of heart is something like a mouthful of captured frog, and a mind in turmoil simply means all the blood un your body rushes around in your head, leaving you icy cold from the neck down. As for “butterflies in the stomach,” there is no such thing. They are June bugs.” You’ll have to read the book to find out the context there, but there are plenty more humorous moments between the 175 pages that make up this book.
This is a quick read, but one I definitely recommend. It’s funny and somewhat realistic, not in the whole switching bodies with your mother aspect, but in the way this family interacts with one another. I know that despite the length and the material that make up this adorable story, even I learned something about myself and I think everyone could take something away from this book, kids and parents alike. The whole 1972 copyright may throw some people off, but don’t let it; it’s a story that is still relevant today and probably will continue to be for as long as there are 13 year old girls with mothers and little brothers especially.
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70s, but I’ve not seen it in years, and don’t remember much about it besides Jodie Foster). This is the story of Annabel and Ellen Andrews, and Annabel needing to learn her lesson.I will tell you now, don’t expect the same exact story as the movie that you’ve probably seen at some point in your life; expect the same premise, but a better story. Annabel is the stereotypical 13 year old girl she’s loud, bossy and negative, hates her family and teachers, but loves her friends and annoying her brother. Annabel is a highly amusing narrator and she sees things like most kids do, i.e. better than adults give them credit for.
Annabel wakes up as her mother, gets dressed, fixes breakfast, sends Ben, aka Ape Face, and Annabel off to school, and then goes through her day in her mother’s body. Dealing with all kinds of issues throughout the day, from the neighbor boy saying he loves her, losing both the kids, the police thinking she’s crazy, and husband’s unexpected clients as guests, she handles it well…at first. Not only does she have a wild ride, dealing with things her mother normally would have to deal with she also has a school meeting to attend…about herself. She finds things that she probably needed to hear, but things that hurt to hear, and that’s where the lesson really starts to set in.
The majority of the story is told from Annabel’s perspective, while she is in her mother’s body and that actually helps the humor even more, take this little gem for instance: “Well in case you’re interested, a mouthful of heart is something like a mouthful of captured frog, and a mind in turmoil simply means all the blood un your body rushes around in your head, leaving you icy cold from the neck down. As for “butterflies in the stomach,” there is no such thing. They are June bugs.” You’ll have to read the book to find out the context there, but there are plenty more humorous moments between the 175 pages that make up this book.
This is a quick read, but one I definitely recommend. It’s funny and somewhat realistic, not in the whole switching bodies with your mother aspect, but in the way this family interacts with one another. I know that despite the length and the material that make up this adorable story, even I learned something about myself and I think everyone could take something away from this book, kids and parents alike. The whole 1972 copyright may throw some people off, but don’t let it; it’s a story that is still relevant today and probably will continue to be for as long as there are 13 year old girls with mothers and little brothers especially.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bibliophile26
I doubt this needs much of a synopsis, but here's a short one...Mom and bitchy teenage daughter switch places. I read this book for nostalgic reasons, and my biggest observation is that it is very dated. It was published in 1972 and some of the ways they refer to African Americans made me cringe,
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especially since the book is in my school library. Show Less
LibraryThing member kdangleis
Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers could be classified as a science fiction novel. When Annabel wakes up one Friday morning, she’s not in her own bed, she doesn’t feel like herself, she’s not in her own sleepwear…the impossible has occurred, she’s become her mother! Anabel is tomboyish, sloppy
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teenager and thinks adults have it made. She wakes one morning to find herself in her mother’s body and tries frantically to figure the situation out while she struggles through her mother’s day. From having to kiss her father, fix the family breakfast, wake herself (who is really her mother trapped in Anabel’s body) up for school, doing laundry, taking to her mother (grandmother) on the phone, preparing for some unexpected dinner guests, etc. Anabel begins to realize that being an adult isn’t all that she thought it would be. Through this experience she comes to realize that her little brother, who completely annoys her and she calls Ape Face, actually adores her. The transformation of Anabel’s character shows the simple truth that it is not always easy to walk in someone’s shoes. An appreciation develops for her mother through this experience as the story unfolds. Rodgers immediately draws the reader in and shows how a teenage girl would cope with such a challenge, if only for one day. Show Less
LibraryThing member sedelia
I am sad that I never realized the movies were based on a book, because had I not watched the movies beforehand, I think I would have liked this book more. Yes, this is one of those rare books where I like the movies better than the book. For one thing, in the book the switch is caused by the
Despite that, I thought it was a funny book. There were times I laughed out loud because everything was so ridiculous. It's a fun, quick read that keeps you interested the entire time. It is somewhat dated, but I think it's still very relevant to teens and moms today. If anything, it's interesting to see where this famous story originated.
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mother, and only Anna learns a lesson. I thought this was completely unfair, because a lot of times adults forget what it's like to be a kid and they don't realize what kids have to go through. I love how the movies show this. Unfortunately, the book does not go into that. Another thing I didn't like was how unrealistic it was. It may be because of a generational difference (after all, it was first published in 1972), but I was surprised how Anna could ditch school, go shopping all around town, and not once be stopped or questioned by an adult. Despite that, I thought it was a funny book. There were times I laughed out loud because everything was so ridiculous. It's a fun, quick read that keeps you interested the entire time. It is somewhat dated, but I think it's still very relevant to teens and moms today. If anything, it's interesting to see where this famous story originated.
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LibraryThing member tealightful
Just a cute little read from my childhood that I decided to read again for fun.
The only part I found strange was a moment when the narrator [still in her Mother's body] talks about finding a letter-opener and slitting her throat.
I don't remember that portion from my youth and found it a tad bit
The only part I found strange was a moment when the narrator [still in her Mother's body] talks about finding a letter-opener and slitting her throat.
I don't remember that portion from my youth and found it a tad bit
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inappropriate for the age group of this book. Show Less
LibraryThing member atreic
Loved this when I was a kid, and it always makes me smile. By dame is Boris and I’b cub to bake you a beetloaf! Annabel is an ungrateful teenager, and her mum magically switches their bodies for the day, with the expected mix of hi-jinx, cringe comedy, and coming of age realisations. Reading this
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as a grown up, there are some subtle and uncomfortable insights on grown-up life (her mum lying to her dad about how it is the cleaning lady who can’t iron his shirts right, when in fact the cleaning lady is a drunkard who can’t iron shirts at all but who her mother doesn’t have the grip to sack, and she’s ironing all the shirts herself, and the shopping list which is mostly gin), and the ethics is all a little bit more uncomfortable (if she wanted Annabel to have a hair cut, it would be better to take her for one than take over her body and just have it done! And the ‘you can magically be attractive if you get a hair cut and new clothes’ meme isn’t great). But it’s lots of fun, and Annabel is a great balance between irritating teenager and sympathetic narrator. Show Less
LibraryThing member JCLHeatherM
A thoughtful YA that doesn't gloss over the angsty mother-daughter relationship but rather turns it on its head and has teen and mom switch places in order to understand the other better. This book serves as the inspiration for the 'Freaky Friday' movies and still holds up remarkably well.
Other editions
Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers (Paperback)
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Pages
145