Judy Blume Judith Blume (née Sussman; born February 12, 1938) is an American writer of children's, young adult, and adult fiction. Blume began writing in 1959 and has published more than 26 novels. Among her best-known works are '' Are You There God? It's ...

is an American author. She has written for a variety of audiences, switching between works for younger and older readers. Her

young adult literature Young adult literature (YA) is typically written for readers aged 12 to 18 and includes most of the themes found in adult fiction, such as family dysfunction, substance abuse, alcoholism, and sexuality. It is characterized by simpler world build ...

is discussed for its direct handling of topics like

puberty Puberty is the process of physical changes through which a child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual reproduction. It is initiated by hormonal signals from the brain to the gonads: the ovaries in a female, the testicles i ...

and

adolescent sexuality Adolescent sexuality is a stage of human development in which adolescents experience and explore sexual feelings. Interest in sexuality intensifies during the onset of puberty, and sexuality is often a vital aspect of teenagers' lives. Sexual i ...

, which has made her books the subject of regular

censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governmen ...

. Several of Blume's works have been adapted to film and television. Blume is known for her middle grade and young adult literature. Her first major following came from '' Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.'' (1970), which dealt with female puberty. This was followed by ''

Then Again, Maybe I Won't ''Then Again, Maybe I Won't'' is a young adult novel written by Judy Blume. Intended for pre-teens and teenagers, the novel deals with puberty from a 1970s male perspective as well as the other trials of growing up. Plot summary Twelve-year-ol ...

'' (1971) about male puberty. She wrote several more pre-teen novels in the 1970s: ''Iggie's House'' (1970) about racism, ''

It's Not the End of the World ''It's Not the End of the World'' is a young adult novel written by Judy Blume, published in 1972. Plot summary Karen Newman feels like her world is coming undone and has soured on the idea of marriage. In her diary, she gives each day a lett ...

'' (1972) about divorce, '' Deenie'' (1973) about parental expectations, ''

Blubber Blubber is a thick layer of Blood vessel, vascularized adipose tissue under the skin of all cetaceans, pinnipeds, penguins, and sirenians. It was present in many marine reptiles, such as Ichthyosauria, ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. Description ...

'' (1974) about bullying, '' Forever...'' (1975) about

premarital sex Premarital sex is sex before marriage. It is an act of sex between two people who are not married to each other. Premarital sex is considered a sin by a number of religions and also considered a moral issue which is taboo in many cultures. S ...

, and ''

Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself ''Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself'' is a 1977 young adult novel by Judy Blume. It is set in 1947 and follows the imaginative 10-year-old Sally, who likes to make up stories in her head, her family moves from New Jersey to Miami Beach. W ...

'' (1977) about fear of death. She later wrote '' Tiger Eyes'' (1981) about the death of a parent, ''

Just as Long as We're Together "Just as Long as We're Together" is Prince's second single released from his 1978 debut album '' For You''. The coda is an instrumental track originally called "Jelly Jam" that was added to the main track, and modified over time to blend into i ...

'' (1987) about divorce and

emotional eating Emotional eating, also known as stress eating and emotional overeating, is defined as the "propensity to eat in response to positive and negative emotions". While the term commonly refers to eating as a means of coping with negative emotions, it ...

, and its sequel '' Here's to You, Rachel Robinson'' (1993) about overachievement. For children, Blume wrote the ''Fudge'' series: ''

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing ''Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing'' is a children's novel written by American author Judy Blume and published in 1972. It is the first in the Fudge series and was followed by '' Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great'', '' Superfudge'', '' Fudge-a- ...

'' (1971), ''

Superfudge ''Superfudge'' is a children's novel by Judy Blume, published in 1980. It is the sequel to '' Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing'' and '' Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great'' and is the third in the Fudge series. Plot At the beginning of this ...

'' (1980), ''

Fudge-a-Mania ''Fudge-a-Mania'' is a 1990 children's novel by Judy Blume and the fourth entry in the Fudge series. Plot Peter Hatcher is horrified to learn of his family's plans to spend summer in a vacation home alongside the Tubmans, the family of his ar ...

'' (1990), ''

Double Fudge ''Double Fudge'' is a 2002 children's novel by Judy Blume and the fifth and final entry in the Fudge series. The Hatcher family goes to Washington, D.C. where they spend time with their extended family, and Fudge finds out that his cousin is a ...

'' (2002), and the spinoff book ''

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great ''Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great'' is a children's novel by Judy Blume, first published in 1972. It is a spin-off novel to the Fudge series, being set shortly after ''Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing'', and centers on Peter Hatcher's neme ...

'' (1972). She also wrote the children's book '' Freckle Juice'' (1971). Blume wrote the picture books '' The One in the Middle Is the Green Kangaroo'' (1969) and '' The Pain and the Great One'' (1984), and between 2007 and 2009, she wrote a series of four children's books using the characters from ''The Pain and the Great One''. She published '' The Judy Blume Diary'' (1981) and ''The Judy Blume Memory Book'' (1988) for children to write in. Blume has written four books targeted for adults: '' Wifey'' (1978), ''

Smart Women ''Smart Women'' is a 1983 novel by Judy Blume that tells the story of a divorcee who falls for her friend's ex-husband. Plot summary The story follows Margo and B.B., two divorcees who are trying to restart their lives in Boulder, Colorado ...

'' (1983), '' Summer Sisters'' (1998), and ''

In the Unlikely Event ''In the Unlikely Event'' is the fourth studio album by American mathcore band The Fall of Troy, that was released on October 6, 2009.Letters to Judy: What Kids Wish They Could Tell You'' (1986) was targeted for parents, compiled using letters from readers so parents could learn how children engaged with the topics in Blume's books. She compiled stories from frequently-censored writers to publish the anthology book '' Places I Never Meant to Be'' (1999).

Fiction

Children's fiction

* '' The One in the Middle Is the Green Kangaroo'' (1969) () ** Freddy is a middle child who feels neglected but gets a role in a school play. Blume's first book was a picture book. * ''Iggie's House'' (1970) () ** A Black family faces racism after moving into a predominantly white neighborhood in the suburbs. Blume wrote the book after seeing several white people have negative reactions toward the civil rights movement and the

ghetto riots A ghetto is a part of a city in which members of a minority group are concentrated, especially as a result of political, social, legal, religious, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more Poverty, impoverished tha ...

. * '' Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.'' (1970) () ** Margaret Simon is a pre-teen girl who is worried about puberty and is trying to find an identity through religion. Blume wrote the book after reflecting on her own experiences as a 12-year-old. * ''

'' (1971) () ** Tony Miglione is a 13-year-old boy whose family becomes wealthy, and he must learn to navigate a new social class as he goes through puberty. Blume wrote the book as a male counterpart to the female exploration of puberty in her previous book. * '' Freckle Juice'' (1971) () ** Andrew is a second grader who wants freckles like his friend has, so he is tricked by another student into buying a fictional recipe for freckle juice. * ''

'' (1972) () ** Peter Hatcher is a fourth-grade boy who is annoyed by his attention-seeking brother Fudge. Blume originally wrote the book as a short story where Fudge ate Peter's pet turtle, but her publisher convinced her to include this as one part of a longer children's novel. * ''

'' (1972) () ** Sheila Tubman is a young girl who tries to hide that she is afraid of dogs and swimming. The character was originally introduced as Peter Hatcher's neighbor in ''Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing'', and her popularity led to Blume writing a separate book about her. * ''

'' (1972) () ** Karen Newman is a sixth-grade girl who fears her parents will divorce after they decide to separate. Blume wrote the book when divorce was becoming more common and accepted by American society, and it reflected her own marital trouble at the time. * '' Deenie'' (1973) () ** Deenie is a teenage girl who wants to become a model until she is diagnosed with the spine disorder

scoliosis Scoliosis (: scolioses) is a condition in which a person's Vertebral column, spine has an irregular curve in the coronal plane. The curve is usually S- or C-shaped over three dimensions. In some, the degree of curve is stable, while in others ...

and must wear a brace, only for Deenie's mother to make her feel that she no longer meets her expectations. * ''

'' (1974) () ** Jill is a girl who watches as another student is being bullied and then becomes a victim herself. The character is based on Blume's daughter Randy, who told her mother about frequent bullying that took place at her school. * '' Forever...'' (1975) () ** Michael and Katherine are a couple who decide to have sexual intercourse and take measures to ensure they do so responsibly. Blume wrote the book on the advice of her teenaged daughter, who felt that teenage stories about

treated the experience as a negative thing. * ''

'' (1977) () ** Sally J. Freedman is a 10-year-old girl who is concerned about things like war and death. The book is loosely autobiographical, taking place in the years after World War II when Blume lived in Florida. * ''

'' (1980) () ** In the sequel to ''Takes of a Fourth Grade Nothing'', Peter and Fudge Hatcher get a younger sibling. * '' Tiger Eyes'' (1981) () ** Davey is a teenage girl whose father is killed in a robbery. Blume originally wrote the book as a screenplay, but she reworked it as a novel after the project's producers rejected it. * '' The Pain and the Great One'' (1984) () ** Jake the Pain and Abigail the Great One are brother and sister with a

sibling rivalry Sibling rivalry is a type of competition or animosity among siblings, whether blood-related or not. In childhood, siblings generally spend more time together than they do with parents. Sibling bonds are influenced by factors such as parental ...

. The book was a picture book based on a poem about her children she had written at the beginning of her career. * ''

'' (1987) () ** Stephanie is a 13-year-old girl who begins overeating in response to her parents' divorce. * ''

'' (1990) () ** In the sequel to ''Superfudge'', the Hatcher family moves in with Sheila Tubman's family and Fudge Hatcher develops a crush on Sheila. Blume wrote the book after working on the film adaptation of ''Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great'', which made her want to revisit the characters. * '' Here's to You, Rachel Robinson'' (1993) () ** The sequel to ''Just as Long as We're Together'' follows Stephanie's friend Rachel, who feels that her perfectionism and over-achievement is making her life more difficult. * ''

'' (2002) () ** In the fourth of Blume's ''Fudge'' books, the Hatcher family reunites with their cousins from Hawaii. * ''Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One'' (2007) () ** A series of short stories featuring the Pain and the Great One. The characters were adapted from Blume's picture book about sibling rivalry, ''The Pain and the Great One''. * ''Cool Zone with the Pain and the Great One'' (2008) () ** The Pain and the Great One work together to confront various problems they have at school. * ''Going, Going, Gone! with the Pain and the Great One'' (2008) () ** The Pain and the Great One face troubles in different places including the mall, the fair, and the emergency room. * ''Friend or Fiend? with the Pain and the Great One'' (2009) () ** The Pain and the Great One face new problems and they hold a birthday party for their cat.

Adult fiction

* '' Wifey'' (1978) () ** Sandy Pressman is a wife who is unhappy with her life and marriage. Blume took the themes of the story from the life she lived before she became a writer, as well as her dissatisfaction with her first marriage and her then-current second marriage. * ''

'' (1983) () ** Margo and B.B. are divorced middle aged women who are friends until Margo begins dating B.B.'s ex-husband. * '' Summer Sisters'' (1998) () ** Caitlin and Vix are teenage girls who grow up on

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...

and have to maintain their friendship as they have relationship troubles in adulthood. * ''

In the Unlikely Event ''In the Unlikely Event'' is the fourth studio album by American mathcore band The Fall of Troy, that was released on October 6, 2009.

Non-fiction

* '' The Judy Blume Diary'' (1981) () ** A diary for children to write in, including an introduction by Blume and pages featuring quotations from Blume's characters * '' Letters to Judy: What Kids Wish They Could Tell You'' (1986) () ** A book of letters Blume received from children coupled with her responses, collected to be educational for parents * ''The Judy Blume Memory Book'' (1988) () ** A book filled with journal prompts for children

As editor

* '' Places I Never Meant to Be'' (1999) () ** In protest of increasingly common calls for book banning against her and other authors, Blume compiled a book of stories by authors whose books were frequently banned.

Adaptations

* ''

Forever Forever or 4ever may refer to: Film and television Films * ''Forever'' (1921 film), an American silent film by George Fitzmaurice * ''Forever'' (1978 film), an American made-for-television romantic drama, based on the novel by Judy Blume * '' ...

'' (1978) – A

television film A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...

adaptation starring

Stephanie Zimbalist Stephanie Zimbalist (born October 8, 1956) is an American actress best known for her role as Laura Holt in the NBC detective series ''Remington Steele''. Early life Stephanie Zimbalist was born in New York City, the daughter of Loranda Stephan ...

* ''Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great'' (1991) – A television film adaptation produced by Tashmoo Productions, a studio owned by Blume's son * ''

Fudge ''Fudge'' is a generic role-playing game system for use in freeform role-playing games. The name "''FUDGE''" was once an acronym for ''Freeform Universal Donated'' (later, ''Do-it-yourself'') ''Gaming Engine'' and, though the acronym has since b ...

'' (1996–1998) – A television series adaptation of the ''Fudge'' books * '' Tiger Eyes'' (2012) – A film adaptation starring

Willa Holland Willa Joanna Chance Holland (born June 18, 1991) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Kaitlin Cooper in the Fox teen drama '' The O.C.'', Aqua in '' Kingdom Hearts,'' and Thea Queen in The CW series ''Arrow'' ...

and directed by Blume's son * '' Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (film)'' (2023) – A film adaptation starring

Abby Ryder Fortson Abby Ryder Fortson (born March 14, 2008) is an American actress. She played Ella Novak in '' Transparent'', Harper Weil in ''The Whispers'', Sophie Pierson in '' Togetherness'', Cassie Lang in ''Ant-Man'' (2015) and ''Ant-Man and the Wasp ...

* ''

'' (2025) – A television series adaptation starring

Lovie Simone Lovie Simone Oppong (born November 29, 1998) is an American actress, best known for her role as Zora Greenleaf in the drama series '' Greenleaf'' (2016–2020), and Keisha Clark in the critically acclaimed Netflix teen drama series ''Forever'' (2 ...

and

Michael Cooper Jr. Michael Cooper Jr (born March 5, 2002) is an American actor. He has a co-leading role in 2025 Netflix series adaptation of Judy Blume novel ''Forever''. Early life He was born and raised in Dallas, Texas and started acting in church plays before ...

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Blume, Judy * Bibliographies by writer Bibliographies of American writers Children's literature bibliographies