Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

Libby is Sheila’s 13-year-old sister and one of the primary antagonists in the novel. Like many sisters, Libby and Sheila have a complicated relationship that involves power struggles, fighting, tattling, and competing for their parents’ attention and approval. Sheila notes that Libby used to call Mrs. Tubman “Mom,” but since Libby started junior high, “it’s Mother this and Mother that” (6). Libby’s attempt to alter her own vocabulary is an example of how she tries to put on the façade of maturity. Despite her age, Libby desperately wants to be seen as a sophisticated young woman. At one point, Libby complains she is “much too old for day camp” (10), and at another, she tells Sheila that when she was 10, she “acted a lot more grown-up than [Sheila]” (7).

Libby’s resentment of Sheila is apparent throughout the novel. Before the Tubmans leave New York, Libby calls Sheila a “real live pain” (7) and complains Mr. Tubman always sides with Sheila. Libby resents Sheila for acting like a baby and urges their father to stop encouraging Sheila to play “baby games.” Libby also teases Sheila for her long list of phobias, especially her fear of dogs, but Judy Blume hints that Libby’s resentment is fueled by a lifetime of having to sacrifice what she wants to appease Sheila. When Sheila refuses to entertain the thought of the Tubmans getting one of Jennifer’s puppies, Libby is outraged and declares, “The little spoiled brat isn’t going to get her own way this time!” (84). She says Sheila is going to have to learn Libby’s wants and needs are important too, and Libby is “also a member of this family” (84). This statement suggests Libby often feels left out in the decision-making, and she has been forced to accommodate Sheila’s many demands.

Like Sheila, Libby uses arrogance and condescension to mask her low self-esteem. Libby gets a new bikini at the start of the summer, and although she wants to show it off, her self-confidence takes a nosedive when she sees the lifeguard she has a crush on hanging out with an older, more beautiful girl who “doesn’t look like a skeleton in her bikini” (49). Sheila says unkind things about Libby’s face, her body, her dancing, and her singing voice, and Libby calls herself ugly when she doesn’t get the part of Wendy in the camp musical. Libby declares she is “so ugly it’s unbelievable!” (89). In addition to the difficulties growing up with Sheila presents, this insecurity likely also fuels Libby’s tense relationship with her younger sister.

Mouse is a 10-year-old girl who lives in Sheila’s neighborhood during the summer in Tarrytown. When Mouse turns up at the beginning of the summer, Sheila feels both threatened and intrigued by this strange girl who seems unperturbed by Sheila’s underhanded insults. Mouse introduces herself as “Mouse Ellis, Junior [Yo-Yo] Champion of Tarrytown” (26), and proudly tells Sheila she can do “eleven tricks without stopping” (26). Mouse’s friendly demeanor and self-assurance makes her a natural foil to the nervous and insecure Sheila, but despite their differences, the girls become fast friends.

The foil nature of their relationship is evident in their first conversation. Mouse explains her real name is Merle, but she prefers the nickname “Mouse.” Sheila tries to warn Mouse that she should be careful or she could end up with the nickname as a grown adult, but Mouse is unbothered by this. She tells Sheila she “[doesn’t] care if people call [her] Mouse forever” because she “like[s] it a whole lot better than Merle” (28). Unlike Sheila, Mouse knows who she is, and she refuses to make herself smaller to make other people happy. She seems fearless, though she does confess to a fear of dragonflies when encouraging Sheila to open up one time.

Mouse quickly learns Sheila isn’t one to be open or honest about the things that frighten her, whereas Mouse is confident enough in herself to show her vulnerabilities. Still, Mouse values Sheila’s friendship and wants to spend time with her. This determination to remain Sheila’s friend only cements her as a foil to Sheila, who is perfectly happy to jettison anything that doesn’t go exactly her way.

Despite tolerating Sheila’s many lies and insults, Mouse is no doormat. In the Slam Book, Mouse reveals she thinks Sheila is a know-it-all and very bossy. However, Sheila claims she “[doesn’t] care, because [Mouse] also wrote that [Sheila] [is] an interesting person and [Sheila] like[s] that idea a lot” (114). Despite their differences, Sheila and Mouse enjoy each other’s company, and by the end of the novel, Mouse is more amused by Sheila’s antics than anything else. She is there to cheer Sheila on during her swimming test, and she tries to calm Sheila down on the hayride. At the end of the summer, Mouse hopes Sheila and her family will be back next summer.