Iggie's House

When Winnie’s best friend Iggie moves away, a new family—the Garbers—moves into her house. Winnie is excited to welcome them, but not everyone in the neighborhood is as kind. The Garbers are the first Black family on the block, and Winnie quickly learns that standing up for what's right can be uncomfortable, complicated, and necessary.

Iggie's house just wasn't the same. Iggie was gone, moved to Tokyo. And there was Winnie, cracking her gum on Grove Street, where she'd always lived, with no more best friend and two weeks left of summer.
Then the Garber family moved into Iggie's house—two boys, Glenn and Herbie, and Tina, their little sister. The Garbers were black and Grove Street was white and always had been. Winnie, a welcoming committee of one, set out to make a good impression and be a good neighbor. That's why the trouble started.
Glenn and Herbie and Tina didn't want a "good neighbor." They wanted a friend.

This is one of Blume's books for younger readers, but despite this (and its age), she manages to examine race relations in suburbia in a really provocative way, touching on many of the sometimes-conflicted emotions that children caught in the racial crossfires might experience. The black children in the novel, for example, have understandable problems trusting their new white friend--is she being genuine, or does she just want an exotic token of her openmindedness? That Blume had the guts to address these sort of complexities is a testament to the respect she gave young readers.

Narrated by Emily Janice Card. Winnie’s best friend Iggie has moved to Tokyo and Winnie still misses her. Then the Garber family moves into Iggie’s house with three kids. Winnie is excited to meet the kids and even more intrigued because the family is black. But some of the neighbors especially Mrs. Landon are concerned about what the Garbers’ presence means for the neighborhood. Card's presentation is likable but I found the story uncomfortably dated, even viewing it as a historical novel.

"Winnie Barringer feels lonely ever since her best friend Iggie moved away. She is thrilled when a new family moves into Iggie's house, and hopes Glenn, Herbie and Tina Garber will all want to be her friends. But the Garbers are the first black family on an all-white block. Will that stand in the way of their friendship?" - jacket notes
First published 1970. Direct conflict between families (petitions, threats to move etc.), realistic emotional reactions from the white and black families. Winnie discovers that the issues are complex, and some issues remain unresolved at the end of the book, but a cautious friendship is growing. Somewhat dated. A serious and sad tone, a drama not a comedy. Perhaps suitable for grade 4 to 6.

I felt this book was different from all other of Judy Blume's wonderful books. It says how segragation sometimes stays in people's lives. It gave a message that all people are different; and you should always respect that.

Rather heavy-handed YA novel on the evils of racism.