Library & Information Science, Course 262: Resources for Young Adults.
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Judy Blume, best-selling author of realistic fiction for children, young adults, and adults, was born Judy Sussman on February 12, 1938 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Her father, Rudolph Sussman, was a jovial man with busy dental practice, and to whom Judy was very close. Her mother Esther was worrisome and domineering, while her grandmother Nanny Mama provided many nurturing hugs and a sympathetic ear for Judy and her teasing older brother David.

Judy's family members' personalities and the life events that befell them all had a strong influence on the books Judy later wrote. Her family's temporary move to Miami Beach, Florida when Judy was eight inspired her to write the highly-autobiographical Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself thirty years later. At age twenty-one she married law student John Blume, and a year later received a B.A. in education from New York University (on the advice of her mother). Within three years she was the mother of two children, daughter Randy and son Larry.

When Randy and Larry reached school age, Judy began looking for something "more" in her life. She discovered she had a knack for creating stories to tell to her two young children, and began translating her ideas into written manuscripts. After over two years of rejection notices and writing classes, Judy finally got her first book published, a children's picture book titled The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo. A year later she published the book that eventually made her a household name in the world of young adult literature and started her long battle against censorship. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, with its first-person narrative and frank discussion of menstruation and religious exploration, introduced an innovative but controversial style of young adult realistic fiction. Subsequent young adult novels, such as Deenie and Forever, created further furor amongst censors due to their realistic portrayals of teens as sexual beings.

Despite Judy's steady success as an author, her family life was more turbulent. After divorcing John Blume in 1975, a brief second marriage brought her and her family to New Mexico, which later became the setting of her critically-acclaimed young adult novel, Tiger Eyes. By this time Judy had also written two adult novels and several more books for middle-age children, including the popular Fudge series, which she based on her son Larry's early antics as a young child.

Today Judy lives in New York City with third husband George Cooper, a nonfiction writer. Her daughter Randy, a commercial pilot, is following in her mother's footsteps as the newly-published author of a novel about females in the commercial pilot industry. Her son Larry works in the film industry. Being one of the most censored authors, Judy continues to speak out against censorship. An active member of the National Coalition Against Censorship, she published an Oct. 22, 1999 article in the New York Times entitled, "Is Harry Potter Evil?" and edited a collection of censored stories by prominent young adult authors entitled Places I Never Meant To Be, published in 1999. Judy also continues to write her own fiction. Her third adult novel, Summer Sisters, became a bestseller after its publication in 1998. She still remains, however, best known for her fiction for young adults. For her lifetime achievement as an author of books for teens, she was honored in 1996 with the American Library Association's Margaret Alexander Edwards award.

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(young adult titles are annotated)

Picture Books

The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo, Bradbury Press, 1969

The Pain and the Great One, Bradbury Press, 1984

Books for Younger Readers

Freckle Juice, Four Winds Press, 1971

Fudge-a-mania, Dutton, 1990

Otherwise Known As Sheila the Great, Dutton, 1972

Superfudge, Dutton, 1980

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Dutton, 1972

Books for Middle Readers

Blubber, Bradbury Press, 1974

Iggie's House, Bradbury Press, 1970

Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself, Bradbury Press, 1977

Books for Young Adults

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Bradbury Press, 1970 New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year in 1970. Margaret Simon, nearing twelve years old, finds comfort in privately discussing her worries with God, whom she isn't even sure she believes in. Her worries include making friends after moving to a new city, developing breasts and getting her first menstrual period, and attending boy-girl parties where kissing games are involved. Censors have attacked this book because of Margaret's casual, questioning relationship with God. 4th grade and up.

Deenie, Bradbury Press, 1973 According to Blume, this is her most banned book, due to the burgeoning sexual feelings and masturbation that are discreetly discussed within. Thirteen-year-old Deenie's dreams of being a model are dashed when she is diagnosed with scoliosis, or curvature of the spine. The neck-to-hip back brace she is forced to wear instantly changes the way her classmates treat her and the way she thinks of herself. In the end, Deenie must find a way to come to terms with her new identity and take responsibility for her health. 5th grade and up.

Forever, Bradbury Press, 1975 Despite being marketed as an adult book, Blume once stated that "Forever is a book I wrote with readers in mind...that were 13 and 14, to read before they were actually of the age when they might be acting it out." Nevertheless, its honest and detailed portrayal of eighteen-year-old Katherine's first sexual relationship with her first love, Michael, makes it a favorite target of censors. Although Forever does include frank descriptions of sexual activity, it delves further into the complicated emotions that are born from a sexual relationship, as well as the consequences these emotions can bring. 8th grade and up.

Here's To You, Rachel Robinson, Orchard Books, 1993 In this sequel to Just as Long as We're Together, seventh-grader Rachel struggles to cope with her older brother, who has been kicked out of military school and is turning her family's household upside-down with his hostile, unpredictable behavior. During this period of adjustment, Rachel discovers that her woes stem not only from her brother, but from the pressure she puts on herself as a perfectionist living with high-achieving parents. 5th grade and up.

It's Not the End of the World, Bradbury Press, 1972 Sixth-grader Karen Newman tries desperately to keep her parents from divorcing, convinced that if she can just get them to talk face-to-face they will change their mind. After seeing the unexpected results of an arranged meeting between her parents, Karen realizes she must come to terms with the reality of the situation. 5th grade and up.

Just As Long as We're Together, Orchard Books, 1987 Seventh-graders Stephanie, Rachel, and Alison are all best friends, supporting one another as each girl deals with her own set of problems. Easy-going Stephanie finds herself uncharacteristically depressed in the face of her parents' impending divorce. High-strung Rachel deals with the pressures of being a perfectionist and overachiever in a family that has high expectations for her. New-kid-on-the-block Alison faces her insecurities as the adopted Vietnamese child of a famous white television actress. 5th grade and up.

Letters to Judy: What Your Kids Wish They Could Tell You, Putnam, 1986 Often found shelved in the parenting section of public libraries, Blume intended this title for young adults as well as their parents. It is a collection of letters from young people that Blume has received over the years, and her responses. The letters deal with issues ranging from divorce, developing bodies, and friendship to suicide, drugs, and child abuse. 6th grade and up.

Places I Never Meant to Be: Original Stories by Censored Writers, Simon & Schuster, 1999 Blume edited this collection of original stories written by censored/challenged authors to benefit the National Coalition Against Censorship, and organization that she is an active spokesperson for. Featured authors include David Klass, Norma Klein, Julius Lester, Chris Lynch, Harry Mazer, Norma Fox Mazer, Walter Dean Myers, Katherine Paterson, Susan Beth Pfeffer, Rachel Vail, Jacqueline Woodson, and Paul Zindel. Following each original story, its author offers a short commentary on censorship. 6th grade and up (this was difficult to give a grade-level recommendation for, because the maturity level of each story varies widely).

Then Again, Maybe I Won't, Bradbury Press, 1971 After his father suddenly becomes wealthy from an invention and his family moves to an upscale neighborhood, twelve-year-old Tony learns that being rich is not all its cracked up to be. Watching his grandmother being bullied by their new hired cook, observing his mother's development into a phony socialite, witnessing his new friend's shoplifting habit, and dealing with his developing sexuality turns out to be more than Tony can handle all at once. 6th grade and up.

Tiger Eyes, Bradbury Press, 1981 School Library Journal named it a Best Book for Young Adults in 1981. In 1983 it was nominated for the American Book Award and won the California Young Readers' Medal and the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award. It is arguably Blume's best work. After the tragic shooting death of her father, fifteen-year-old Davey, her mother, and younger brother move to New Mexico to recover. She seeks solace hiking in a local canyon, where she meets and befriends Wolf, the only person she can confide in and whose parallel life experiences show her how to move on with her life. 6th grade and up.

Books for Adults

Smart Women, Putnam, 1983

Summer Sisters, Delacorte Books, 1998

Wifey, Putnam, 1978

 Film/Television Adaptations

Forever (television movie), CBS, Feb. 6, 1978 Directed by John Korty, starring a 19-year-old Stephanie Zimbalist as Katherine, and Dean Butler as Michael. This television met with good reviews from both the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. It was produced as a 96-minute video in 1986 by Video Gems, and is currently available through San Jose Public Library.

Freckle Juice (animated short film), Barr Films, 1978 Now available as a 30-minute video through educational video vendors, this film is very true to the original book's text and illustration style.

Fudge-a-Mania (live-action television series), 1995 This series has since been canceled, although it enjoyed a brief popularity on the Saturday morning program circuit. Loosely based on events from all three of Blume's Fudge books, it starred Luke Tarsitano as Fudge, Jake Richardson as Peter Hatcher, and Eve Plumb (Jan from The Brady Bunch) as their mother.

Biographies/Commentaries on Judy Blume

Lee, Betsy, Judy Blume's Story, Dillon Press, 1981 Although it was written almost twenty years ago and therefore is certainly no longer a comprehensive biography for Blume (who has done much in the past twenty years), this biography is written at a level that is perfect for Blume's young fans. Written as a simple narrative and in sequential order, the book takes its readers from Blume's early days as an imaginative young girl in Miami Beach to her start as a writer while a young mother and wife, and finally to her years as an accomplished author in New Mexico. Readers will clearly see the parallels between Blume's real life and the lives her characters lead in her books. Includes many telling photos. 4th grade and up.

Weidt, Maryann N., Presenting Judy Blume, Twayne Publishers, 1990 This is one of the most thorough and recent biographies on Blume. Unlike the Betsy Lee biography, this is written for an older audience. Through extensive interviews with Blume, her editor Richard Jackson, and her son Larry, Weidt melds biographical events with commentary on Blume's work, often drawing comparisons between the portrayal of an issue in an earlier and later book (such as the issue of divorce in It's Not the End of the World and Just As Long as We're Together). Blume's constant battle with censorship is discussed throughout. Includes a few pictures of Judy, her parents, and her children. 8th grade and up.

Web Sites on Judy Blume

Judy Blume's Official Web Site http://www.judyblume.com Produced by Blume's husband, nonfiction writer George Cooper, this extensive web site will answer most questions and satisfy most curiosities of Blume fans young and old. It includes biographical information, family photos, FAQs, writing tips for budding young writers, a comprehensive bibliography of Blume's works to date, a description of Blume's experiences with censorship, an extensive list of Blume-related links, and some shameless promotion of Blume's latest novel, Summer Sisters, and her daughter's first novel, Crazy in the Cockpit.

Random House: Judy Blume http://www.randomhouse.com/teachersbdd/blum.html Geared for Blume's younger fans, this Random House web page includes a letter in which Blume briefly describes her life and how she became a writer. In a short interview she answers questions such as "What were your favorite books (as a child)?" and "Do you know the whole story before you write a book?" Fun facts about Blume's favorites (hobbies, food, color, etc.) are also listed.

Bold Type: Judy Blume http://www.randomhouse.com/boldtype/0698/blume This Random House interview is geared toward Blume's older fans. Interviewer Alison Dorfman topics include the social significance of Forever, the portrayal of teens in the media today, Blume's writing technique, and censorship.

AITLC Guide to Judy Blume http://tlc.ai.org/blumeidx.htm ACCESS Indiana Teaching and Learning Center is the sponsor of this impressively-organized list of links to Blume-related biographical sketches, interviews, plot summaries, and book commentaries.

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