It would be hard to find an American girl who hasn’t read a book by Judy Blume. More than 75 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into more than 20 languages. The enduring popularity of books like Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Blubber and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is due in part to her ability to deal with real issues and feelings in the lives of children and teens, including racial prejudice, menstruation, divorce and masturbation.
According to the American Library Association, five of Blume’s books are on the list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books. But that hasn’t stopped generations of kids from embracing them, something that’s immediately apparent in this new book of personal essays by 24 notable women writers, Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume. Edited by Jennifer O’Connell, the book includes contributions from well-known authors for children, teens and adults, including Meg Cabot, Megan McCafferty, Cara Lockwood, Melissa Senate and Julie Kenner.
From recalling teen angst over breast size, to the realization that one’s parents like Karen’s in It’s Not the End of the World are headed for divorce, to taking comfort from a Blume character during a life-threatening illness, the writers in this volume share a myriad of funny, bittersweet and heartfelt Judy Blume moments. Teens and adult fans of Blume will love this tribute to this unique American author and might even be inspired to write their own memories of how Judy Blume’s magic helped them navigate the often rocky road to adulthood.
