Judy Blume - 1938
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I. Personal and Professional Biography The young adult genre of books is fairly new to the literary scene. It wasn't until 1957 that the Association of
Young People's Librarians began the separate division, the Young Adult Services Division. The first success with a young adult book was with The Outsiders by S.E.
Hinton in 1967. But there was still a void to fill. No authors were dealing with the many problems young adults had to face. This is where Judy Blume came onto the scene writing books like Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and
Forever. Judy Blume was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, on February 12, 1938, and was raised by her parents Rudolf and Esther Sussman. She attended an all-girls public high school, which
she said she first despised but learned to appreciate later. Blume said, "I think that it gave us more of a voice". Blume began writing when she was quite young, she explains, "I was
always a writer, but the stories were just in my head. I used to make them up as a kid bouncing the ball against the wall. I never wrote them down." She only began writing once
her two children were in pre-school. Blume married John L. Blume on August 15, 1959, when she was a junior at New York University. By the time she was twenty-five, she had
two children, a daughter, Randy Lee, and a son, Lawrence Andrew. She and John Blume divorced in 1975. She is currently married to George Cooper (her third marriage), whom she
married on June 6, 1987. From that marriage she gained a stepdaughter Amanda. Blume's first book was actually an illustrated children's book titled The One in the Middle is a Green Kangaroo.
This book received no awards, but she has won more than ninety awards since then including the Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement, Outstanding Book of the Year (New York Times
), Books for the Teen Age (New York Public Library), Best Book for Young Adults (School Library Journal), and the Civil Liberties Award (American Civil Liberties Union of Atlanta,
Georgia). Over 70 million copies of her books have been sold in more than twenty languages. Blume's most recent book, Summer Sisters has been a huge success. It has even been a New York Times number one bestseller. It is from her experiences as a child, teen and woman that Blume draws inspiration for her books. Being raised by Jewish parents helped inspire her to write one of her most controversial books,
Are You There God, It's Me Margaret. This novel is the story of the coming of age of a girl who is growing up in a half-Jewish, half-Christian home. The story
follows her as she goes through puberty and struggles with questions of religion. Blume navigates one of her most famous characters, Margaret, through these situations without
coming across as preaching to her readers. Blume is non-judgmental in her writing. She doesn't tell her readers that something is right or wrong, only that it is normal. It is this
approach that makes Blume a success. For Blume, with that success also comes controversy. Five of her novels appear on the American Library Association 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–1999. Her book
Blubber was fourth on their list of the most challenged books in 1999, "for offensive language . . . unsuited to age group". On the list of "The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–1999" another of
Blume's most controversial books, Forever, is ranked seventh. In Forever Blume takes her reader through the trials and tribulations of a girl's first sexual experience. The book is
controversial because of Blume's use of explicit images and the fact that her character Kathy goes on "the pill". Blume said, " Blume's books have earned her a huge young fan base from whom she receives thousands
of letters a month. Many of these young fans write for advice from the woman who does not judge them, Blume. This inspired her to write Letters to Judy Blume. This book covers
Blume's personal experiences from the topics fans write to her about seeking advice. Judy Blume has survived thirty-two years in the literary world, and her books are just as
successful today as they were in 1970s. Young adults of any generation appreciate her nonjudgmental style of writing about the issues that they must deal with every day. This is what makes Judy Blume a timeless author.
II. Book List The One In The Middle Is The Green Kangaroo (Bradbury Press, 1969, paperback Dell) Just As Long As We're Together (Orchard Books, 1987, paperback Dell )
III. Interviews "Judy Blume On Censorship, Enjoying Life and Staying in the Spotlight for 25 years"
January Magazine. This is a very well written and thoughtful article on many aspects of Judy Blume's life. It
covers many topics, including her fans, family, childhood, censorship and of course her books, including her latest Summer Sisters. The interview contains actual questions and responses. IV. Web Links Judy Blume's Home Base This is the official web site of Judy Blume. It contains a short biography, frequently asked
questions, pictures, writing tips, a list of all of her published books and much more. This is the most informative and reliable site on the web because it comes straight from Blume. The
web site also gives you a chance to email Blume. Why Judy Blume Endures This is an article from the New York Times on Blume. The article talks about some of the
original lack of recognition given to Blume, but also about how her books have become a right of passage for many children and teens. The author of the article brings out some
interesting ideas about Blume as author who started a change in what topics books could discuss. National Coalition Against Censorship
This is the official web site for the National Coalition Against Censorship, the group with which Judy Blume is affiliated. The site contains news on the latest censorship issues as
well as opportunities to purchase newsletters and books on the subject. It also shows you how to get involved in your own community. American Library Association
This is a great site to find lists of the most frequently challenged books. They have a list of the top 100 from 1990 to 1999, as well as the top ten from each year. The web site also
contains some additional information on why some of these books were challenged. This essay was submitted by a student of Susan Davis at St. Timothy's School in Stevenson, Maryland.
(Listed chronologically by publication)
Iggie's House (Bradbury Press, 1970, paperback Dell)
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (Bradbury Press, 1970, paperback Dell)
Then Again, Maybe I Won't (Bradbury Press, 1971, paperback Dell)
Freckle Juice (Four Winds Press, 1971, paperback Dell)
It's Not The End Of The World (Bradbury Press, 1972, paperback Dell)
Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing (Dutton, 1972, paperback Dell)
Otherwise Known As Sheila The Great (Dutton, 1972, paperback Dell)
Deenie (Bradbury, 1973, paperback Dell)
Blubber (Bradbury, 1974, paperback Dell)
Forever (Bradbury, 1975, paperback Dell)
Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself (Bradbury, 1977, paperback Dell)
Wifey (Putnam, 1978, paperback Pocket Books)
Superfudge (Dutton, 1980, paperback Dell)
Tiger Eyes (Bradbury, 1981, paperback Dell)
The Judy Blume Diary (Dell, 1981)
Smart Women (Putnam, 1983, paperback Pocket Books)
The Pain And The Great One (Bradbury, 1984, paperback Dell)
Letters To Judy: What Kids Wish They Could Tell You (Putnam, 1986, paperback Pocket Books)
The Judy Blume Memory Book (Dell, 1988)
Fudge-A-Mania (Dutton, 1990, paperback Dell)
Here's To You, Rachel Robinson (Orchard Books, 1993, paperback Dell)
Summer Sisters (Delacorte Books, 1998, paperback Dell)
Places I Never Meant To Be [Edited by Judy Blume] (Simon and Shuster, 1999)
http://www.januarymagazine.com/profiles/blume.html
http://www.judyblume.com
www.judyblume.com
http://www.ncac.org/
http://www.ala.org/