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Judy Blume is a prolific and influential writer of children's, young adult, and adult fiction. She is known for her realistic and controversial novels that deal with topics such as puberty, sex, death, and family.
About Judy. Judy’s Books. On Writing. On Censorship. For Kids. Reference Desk. What’s Up With Judy.
Apr 24, 2023 · Known for her books about adolescence and all that comes with it, Judy Blume is widely beloved and widely banned. Her 1970 novel, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. has been adapted for the...
- Terry Gross
Aug 11, 2024 · Judy Blume is an American author known for creating juvenile fiction that features people and situations identifiable to young readers. Her best-known works include Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Forever, and Superfudge.
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The Pain and the Great One
In this playful picture book, Blume tackles the all-too-relatable issue of sibling rivalrywith warmth and humor. Centering on the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of the “Great One,” a strong-willed 8-year-old sister and the “Pain,” her pesky 6-year-old little brother, the book is a clever story about the trying (and sometimes tender) relationship between siblings who are determined to find out which kid is more beloved by their parents. Buy Now: The Pain and the Great One on Bookshop | Ama...
Freckle Juice
For Andrew, a second grader, there’s nothing more attractive than the prospect of having freckles, a seeming solution to never having to wash his face. Andrew’s desire for freckles is so great that he pays his sly classmate for a recipe for “freckle juice,” a nasty concoction of fruit juice and condiments. The potion does not give him freckles, but it does teach him an important lesson about being happy in the skin you’re in—a message that’s as valuable for adults as it is for kids. Buy Now:...
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Blume returns to the ever-relevant topic of sibling rivalry with the Hatcher brothers—9-year-old Peter and his precocious 3-year-old brother, Farley, who’s affectionately nicknamed “Fudge.” Fudge’s irrepressible antics are by turns endearing and infuriating to good-hearted Peter, who feels that his brother’s outrageous mischief makes him, by comparison, a “fourth grade nothing.” Buy Now: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing on Bookshop | Amazon Read More: Are You There God? It’s Judy Blume’s New N...
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great
In this spin-off of the “Fudge” series, the Hatchers’ 10-year-old neighbor Sheila must summon all the courage she can when her father’s job takes her family away from the city for a summer. In the suburbs, Sheila’s sense of self is tested. She likes to think of herself as fearless, but soon she’s confronted with her own limitations, from cynophobia (fear of dogs) to aquaphobia (fear of water)—and Sheila has to figure out which version of herself she wants to be. Buy Now: Otherwise Known as Sh...
Iggie’s House
In Iggie’s House, Blume doesn’t shy away from having a tough conversation about race. The book centers on Winnie, a soon-to-be sixth grader who develops her own values and discernment after observing the racism that her next-door neighbors, a Black family, face after moving into her all-white neighborhood. Through addressing white flightand prejudice, Blume offers young readers an approachable way to begin discussing privilege and discrimination. Buy Now: Iggie’s House on Bookshop | Amazon
Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself
The spunky, imaginative protagonist of this novel is insatiably curious—and, Blume says, the closest of her characters to herself. In Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself, Sally, the youngest daughter of a rowdy, loving family, has endless questions about the world and the people around her as she navigates a temporary but seismic move from New Jersey to Florida after her brother gets sick. Blume offers an endearing story about a girl whose greatest adventures involve seeking out answers for...
Blubber
Blume provides a clear-eyed take on the problem of bullying with Blubber,a cautionary tale told from the perspective of a would-be mean girl. Fifth-grader Jill joins in when the powerful and popular Wendy and her band of followers begin tormenting another student, Linda, about her weight. While Jill isn’t the instigator of Linda’s abuse, she becomes a willing participant, preferring to pile on the cruelty rather than to defy Wendy. But soon the tables turn. Jill discovers what it’s like to be...
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
There may be no other text as roundly associated with puberty as Blume’s beloved Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. The seminal book centers on 11-year-old Margaret, whose life is upended by her family’s move from New York City to suburban New Jersey right before she starts sixth grade. In suburbia, aided and abetted by her new friends, including the precocious Nancy, Margaret is consumed by uncertainties. She’s ambivalent about religion and anxious about getting her first period, her firs...
Deenie
Growing up is rarely easy, and with Deenie, Blume explores coming-of-age with vulnerability, telling the tale of a young girl who discovers who she wants to be and what her future can look like after an unexpected medical diagnosis. For 13-year-old Deenie, the future is far from a priority, even though her overbearing mother is hyperfocused on ensuring that she becomes a model. Deenie’s far more interested in being a normal seventh grader and making the cheerleading squad. All of that changes...
Tiger Eyes
Blume addresses grief with a tender and nuanced touch in Tiger Eyes, a novel that centers on 15-year-old Davey as she reels from the shocking death of her father. Davey’s dad was shot in a holdup at his convenience store in New Jersey. After her grief-stricken mother moves the family to New Mexico to stay for a few months with relatives, Davey struggles to adjust to the new realities of her life, finding unexpected comfort and insight in new friendships. Buy Now: Tiger Eyes on Bookshop | Amaz...
Forever…
Blume’s most controversial book, Forever…, is also one of her most realistic, depicting the heady, bittersweet feelings of first love. High school senior Katherine is preparing for college when she meets and begins dating her classmate Michael, and they swiftly fall for one another. Their whirlwind romance leads to Katherine having sex for the first time and getting on birth control—a plotline that led to Forever…becoming one of the most-banned books in the U.S. Blume’s frank representation o...
Smart Women
Blume confronts the challenges of modern love with Smart Women, her second novel for adults, which centers on friends Margo and B.B., two divorcées looking for love after failed marriages. The friends find comfort in commiserating with each other about their bad dates and strange bedfellows, much to the chagrin of their respective teenage daughters. But, while both women are hopeful for fresh starts, things get complicated when Margo falls for B.B.’s ex-husband. Buy Now: Smart Women on Booksh...
Summer Sisters
Though Summer Sisters is chock full of romantic affairs and sexual escapades, the true love story of the novel is between the two main characters, best friends Caitlin and Vix. The two meet in a sixth-grade classroom and become “summer sisters” after a season spent together at Martha’s Vineyard, leading to an annual vacation tradition. Though they come from disparate backgrounds, they develop a deep and complex relationship that weathers life changes, love affairs, marriages, and children, un...
- Cady Lang
Judy was named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of the Year in 2023 and received the National Book Critics Circle Lifetime Achievement Award. Judy serves on the board of the Key West Literary Seminar.
Apr 2, 2014 · Who Is Judy Blume? Author Judy Blume began her writing career in the 1960s. She found success with the 1970 coming-of-age story Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, and cemented her...
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