Judy Moody Gets Famous! Part 1 Study Guide

What Happens in Part 1

Meet Judy Moody, a girl with a very big personality and a great many moods. One day at school, her classmate (and rival) Jessica Finch wins the third-grade spelling bee — and the very next morning, there is Jessica’s picture, smiling out from the front page of the newspaper for the whole town to see. Suddenly everyone is making a fuss over Jessica Finch. Judy is not happy about this. In fact, she turns positively green with jealousy. Why should Jessica Finch be famous and not her? Right then and there, Judy makes up her mind: she is going to get famous too — even more famous than Jessica Finch! She does not yet know how, but once Judy Moody sets her heart on something, watch out. The great quest for fame has begun.

What We Will Learn

Focus	What It Means
Characterization	Judy’s big personality and many moods
Inciting Incident	How jealousy sparks the quest for fame
Theme (Fame & Envy)	Wanting the spotlight someone else is in

Chapter Summary

Pages	Key Events
pp. 1–15	Jessica Finch wins the spelling bee and lands on the front page of the newspaper; green with jealousy, Judy Moody decides she is going to get famous too — even more famous than Jessica Finch

💭 Before You Read · Warm-Up (not scored)

There are no wrong answers here — just think, guess, and talk:

Judy feels jealous when Jessica gets all the attention. Why do we sometimes feel jealous of other people’s success?
Judy decides she wants to be famous. What do you think being ‘famous’ really means — and is it always a good thing to want?
Predict: once Judy sets her mind on getting famous, what wild schemes do you think she might try?

Copyright Notice

This is an independent study guide created by Garden Heights Academy to support reading comprehension and literary analysis. It contains original analysis questions and does not reproduce any text from the novel. Judy Moody Gets Famous! is a work by Megan McDonald. This guide is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by the author or any associated rights holder.

Part 1

Vocabulary

Study 10 key words from pages 1–15, then answer each question.

🧠Knowledge Bank · Words of Fame & Feelings

Media · Newspapers & HeadlinesA newspaper is full of true stories about real people and real events. A reporter hears about something worth telling, asks questions, takes a photo, and writes an article. Then an editor decides where each story belongs, and the biggest, most eye-catching one of the day earns the front page — the very first page, under a large headline. Long ago, seeing your name and face printed there meant the whole town noticed you, a real taste of being famous. That is why a classmate’s front-page picture stings Judy so much. She has just learned that the front page is a very public, very envied spot.

The front page of an 1878 weekly newspaper, printed in Urdu script inside a decorated border, with a large ornamental title panel across the top — Photograph of the front page of Aftab-i-Punjab, a weekly newspaper printed on 4 February 1878. The *Knowledge Bank* explains that a reporter hears about something worth telling, asks questions, takes a photo and writes an article, and that an editor then decides where each story belongs, with the biggest earning the front page under a large headline. Look at the top of the sheet: the title panel is the largest thing on the page, exactly as it is on a newspaper today. This is a Sikh weekly from India, printed long before the story, and it shows that the shape of a front page is very old.
Front page of Aftab-i-Punjab, a weekly Sikh newspaper, 4 February 1878; founded by Diwan Buta Singh. Source: Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

famousadj.p.2

Known and talked about by many people

“Judy wanted to be famous like the people in the news.”

jealousadj.p.4

Unhappy because you want what someone else has

“Judy felt jealous of all the attention Jessica got.”

envyn.p.5

A jealous longing for what another person has

“Green with envy, Judy scowled at the newspaper.”

moodn.p.1

The way you are feeling at a certain time

“Judy Moody was in a very bad mood.”

headlinen.p.3

The big title at the top of a news story

“The headline announced Jessica’s spelling win.”

reportern.p.3

A person who gathers and writes the news

“A reporter had written all about the spelling bee.”

spotlightn.p.6

Public attention; being noticed by everyone

“Judy longed to be in the spotlight herself.”

ordinaryadj.p.7

Normal; not special or unusual

“Judy did not want to feel ordinary.”

contestn.p.2

A competition people try to win

“The spelling bee was a contest of tricky words.”

grumpyadj.p.1

Bad-tempered and cross

“Judy felt grumpy about the whole thing.”

🧠Knowledge Bank question

1According to the Knowledge Bank, the person who decides where each story belongs in a newspaper is the ___.Pages 1–15

2A ‘headline’ is —Pages 1–15

3Fill in each blank with the correct word.Pages 1–15

Word choices:jealousenvyproudcalm- some words will not be used

Judy feels bitterly

Watching Jessica shine fills Judy with .

4A ‘reporter’ is —Pages 1–15

5To ‘admire’ someone is to look up to them.Pages 1–15

6The ‘spotlight’ is —Pages 1–15

7Fill in each blank with the correct word.Pages 1–15

Word choices:moodordinaryspecialfamous- some words will not be used

Judy is often in a grumpy

She hates feeling plain and .

8A ‘contest’ is —Pages 1–15

9‘Grumpy’ means —Pages 1–15

10To ‘boast’ is to stay humble and quiet.Pages 1–15

Part 2

Comprehension

How well do you understand pages 1–15?

🧠Knowledge Bank · Getting to Know a Big Character

Reading Skill · CharacterizationWhen we meet a new person in a book, we get to know them little by little. Watch what a character says, does, and thinks — these are clues to who they are. Judy Moody has big feelings and big ideas. We can tell she is bold, funny, and easily bothered, not because the author tells us, but because she shows us. Naming what a character is like is called finding their traits. As you read, collect the clues and build a picture in your mind. Good readers know a character by watching how she acts.

Visual AidThree kinds of clue to a character

Diagram for the Knowledge Bank on characterization. The three numbered cards are the clues the Knowledge Bank tells a reader to watch — what a character says, does and thinks — and the arrows carry all three into the picture they build together. The drawing does not name anything Judy actually says or does. Notice that no single card reaches the bottom on its own: one clue is never enough.

The clues to a character, as listed in the Knowledge Bank. Drawn for Garden Heights Academy.

🧠Knowledge Bank question

1The Knowledge Bank says we get to know a character by watching what she ___.Pages 1–15

2What happens the next morning because of it?Pages 1–15

3How do people treat Jessica after her win?Pages 1–15

4Judy feels jealous of Jessica’s fame.Pages 1–15

5Write the numbers 1–5 in the boxes to show the correct order across Part 1. Number 1 = what happens first.Pages 1–15

The next morning, Jessica’s picture is in the newspaper.
Judy decides that she, too, will become famous.
Jessica Finch wins the school spelling bee.
People all over town treat Jessica like a star.
Judy grows jealous and grumpy.

6Judy decides she wants to be famous too.Pages 1–15

7What does Judy decide to do?Pages 1–15

8Does Judy know HOW she will get famous yet?Pages 1–15

9Judy is genuinely happy for Jessica.Pages 1–15

10What is Judy’s personality like?Pages 1–15

Part 3

Literary Elements

Understanding HOW and WHY Megan McDonald tells the story across pages 1–15.

🧠Knowledge Bank · McDonald’s Word-Craft: Judy’s Big Voice

Language · Voice & Exclamation SpotlightEvery writer has a voice, a special way of putting words together. Megan McDonald gives Judy a loud, bouncy one, full of invented words and exclamation points. Judy does not simply say she is angry; she announces that she is in a mood, and the short, snappy sentences let us hear the feeling. Notice, too, how warmly that voice treats her. A wish to be noticed could easily be made to look silly, but McDonald plays it with humor and affection instead, so we laugh with Judy rather than at her. That generous, punchy style is the book’s unmistakable sound.

📚 Literary Devices in This Part · definitions & examples

Characterization is how a writer shows what a person is like; Judy’s big reaction reveals her competitive, dramatic nature. The inciting incident is the event that starts the main plot — Jessica’s front-page fame. It gives Judy a clear goal: to become famous. The lively voice makes it all sparkle.

🧠Knowledge Bank question

1According to the Knowledge Bank, McDonald gives Judy a voice that is ___.Pages 1–15

2Characterization is how an author reveals what a character is like.Pages 1–15

3Fill in each blank with the correct word.Pages 1–15

Word choices:characterizationplotmoodsetting- some words will not be used

Meeting Judy through her reactions is

The order of events in the story is its .

4The chain of events, from the spelling bee onward, is the story’s —Pages 1–15

5The plot is the sequence of events in a story.Pages 1–15

6Fill in each blank with the correct word.Pages 1–15

Word choices:plotcharacterizationmoodtheme- some words will not be used

The sequence of events is the story’s

Showing Judy through her actions is .

7Judy’s grumpy, competitive reactions mainly reveal her —Pages 1–15

8The events that unfold across the book make up the —Pages 1–15

9Fill in each blank with the correct word.Pages 1–15

Word choices:characterizationplotmoodsetting- some words will not be used

Revealing Judy through her actions is

The chain of events is the .

10Showing Judy’s jealousy up close mainly makes her feel —Pages 1–15

Part 4

Think Deeper

Four deeper challenges — no single-word recall. Read, weigh the evidence, and reason it through.

🧠Knowledge Bank · The Green-Eyed Feeling

Psychology · JealousyJealousy bubbles up when someone else gets something we wish we had. When a classmate wins all the attention, Judy’s stomach twists; that green-eyed feeling is also called envy. Wanting to be noticed is one of the most common feelings there is, especially for children, and it simply means you want to matter. But here is the catch worth thinking about: being widely known is not the same as being good, and it is not the same as being happy. Plenty of famous people are neither. The real question is what you do with the feeling — sulk, or cheer for others and chase a dream of your own. Handling envy well is a lifelong skill.

1Claim: “Jessica’s fame is what sparks Judy’s craving to be famous too.” — choose the two details that best prove it.Claim & Evidence

2Shows what drives Judy’s new goal, or just a detail about the characters? Tap each item to sort it — tap again to switch sides. You can keep tapping to change your answer.Sort into two

◄ What drives her goalJust a detail ►

3Match each cause to its result. For each cause, pick its result.Cause & Effect

Jessica wins the spelling bee→

Jessica becomes famous→

Judy wants what Jessica has→

A new goal takes hold→

🧠Knowledge Bank question

4Fill both blanks to complete the reasoning.Build the Argument

The Knowledge Bank says jealousy bubbles up when , and calls the wish behind it .

Part 5

Standardized Test

Key Details & Inference — SAT & TOEFL-style practice

Deciding What Makes the Front Page

Every day, more news happens than any newspaper could ever print, so editors must choose which stories matter most, and the biggest of all earn a place on the front page. Getting there is not random. First, a reporter hears about something interesting: a champion, a rescue, a discovery, or an event that many people will care about. She gathers the facts, talks to the people involved, and writes the story. Then an editor decides how important it is compared with everything else that happened. The most eye-catching news, especially with a striking photo, goes up front under a big headline printed in large, bold letters to grab the reader’s attention. A front-page story is seen by nearly everyone who picks up the paper, which is why appearing there can make an ordinary person suddenly recognized all over town. In this way a newspaper does more than report events; it decides, each day, which few people will briefly shine.

Original passage written for Garden Heights — not a quotation from the novel.

1What kind of stories earn a place on the “front page”?TOEFL · Factual Information

2What does a “reporter” do first?TOEFL · Factual Information

3In the passage, a reporter is ___.SAT · Words in Context

4A “headline” is printed in large, bold letters in order to —TOEFL · Factual Information

5In the passage, a headline is ___.SAT · Words in Context

6The passage suggests that appearing in the paper can make a person suddenly —SAT · Inference

7What can the reader infer about which stories become front-page news?SAT · Inference

8In the passage, an ordinary person is ___.SAT · Words in Context

9Which sentence best states the main idea?SAT · Central Ideas

10This passage helps explain the story because Jessica Finch —TOEFL · Rhetorical Purpose

Part 6 · Optional

Creative Writing

A bonus challenge to practice your English. Take your time and have fun with it.

About This Section

This writing task is optional and is not part of your auto-graded score. The feedback below checks only the basics — length, spelling, and grammar — not whether your ideas are right or wrong. It is meant for classroom discussion and creative practice, so feel free to use your imagination!

Writing Task — Part 1 “What Would You Be Famous For?”

Judy wants to be famous. If you could be famous for one thing — a talent, an invention, a good deed, anything — what would it be, and why? Or write about whether being famous would really make a person happy. Write at least 40 words.

You can start with: “If I could be famous for one thing, it would be…”

0 / 40 words minimum

🗣 Teach It · Just for Fun (optional)

No right or wrong — close the screen and tell someone nearby why Judy is jealous and what she decides to do. Can’t find anyone? Tell yourself out loud. The moment you teach it, you truly understand it.

Part 1 Complete!

You finished pages 1–15 of Judy Moody Gets Famous!.

Here are your auto-graded results:

-

points out of 100

Teach it to someone

The best last step is to teach it. In your own words, explain what happened — retell a favorite scene, teach a character’s big choice, or sum up the main idea for a parent, friend, or classmate. When you can teach it clearly, you truly own it.

Move on to Part 2 →

Independent study guide by Garden Heights Academy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the author or any rights holders. Contains original analysis only; no text from the novel is reproduced.