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Judy Blume Biography, Books, and Similar Authors

Author Biography  | Interview  | Books by this Author  | Read-Alikes

Judy Blume
Photo by Sigrid Estrada

Judy Blume

How to pronounce Judy Blume: Bloom

Judy Blume Biography

Judy Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Adults as well as children will recognize such Blume titles as: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Blubber; Just as Long as We're Together; and the five book series about the irrepressible Fudge. She has also written three novels for adults, Summer Sisters; Smart Women; and Wifey, all of them New York Times bestsellers.

Blume received a B.S. in education from New York University in 1961, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 1996, the same year the American Library Association honored her with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. Other recognitions include the Library of Congress Living Legends Award, the 2004 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and in 2009 the University of Southern Mississippi Medallion for her lifelong contributions to the field of children's literature.

She is the founder and trustee of The Kids Fund, a charitable and educational foundation. She serves on the boards of the Author's Guild; the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators; the Key West Literary Seminar; and the National Coalition Against Censorship.

Blume is a longtime advocate of intellectual freedom. Finding herself at the center of an organized book banning campaign in the 1980's she began to reach out to other writers, as well as teachers and librarians, who were under fire. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with the National Coalition Against Censorship to protect the freedom to read. She is the editor of Places I Never Meant To Be, Original Stories by Censored Writers.

Blume has completed a four book series -- The Pain & the Great One books -- for young readers, illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist James Stevenson. She and her husband George Cooper live on islands up and down the east coast. They have three grown children and one grandchild.

Judy Blume's website

This bio was last updated on 03/26/2016. In a perfect world, we would like to keep all of BookBrowse's biographies up to date, but with many thousands of lives to keep track of it's simply impossible to do. So, if the date of this bio is not recent, you may wish to do an internet search for a more current source, such as the author's website or social media presence. If you are the author or publisher and would like us to update this biography, send the complete text and we will replace the old with the new.

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Interview

Judy Blume discusses her books.

Let's start by talking about Forever. It's a book that has meant a lot to many people. Did you ever harbor the fear that no one would care about it?

No. Actually, it's the only book I ever wrote because someone asked me. My fourteen-year-old daughter was reading a lot of books that equated sex with punishment. She said, "Couldn't there ever be a book about two nice, smart kids who do it, and nobody has to die?" I thought, yeah, we're not doing anybody any favor by all of this sex linked with punishment. That's really why I wrote it. The best books never grow from an outside influence. They come from deep inside you, and you're telling this story because you have to tell this story. It's always been strange to me that Forever is the book that everyone of a certain age grew up with, and has a story to tell about it.

It certainly was a rite of passage. I believe that Forever was many peoples' first experience with sex.

Well, I guess it's better to have your first sexual experience between the covers of a book, then between the covers of a bed. It's better to read about it first, then do it. I think a lot of people read about sex and satisfy their...

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Books by this Author

Books by Judy Blume at BookBrowse
Summer Sisters jacket
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Read-Alikes

All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Judy Blume but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
How we choose read-alikes

  • Patricia Gaffney

    Patricia Gaffney

    Patricia Gaffney was born in Tampa, Florida, and grew up in Bethesda, Maryland She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and philosophy from Marymount College in Tarrytown, New York, and also studied literature at Royal... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Summer Sisters

    Try:
    The Saving Graces
    by Patricia Gaffney

  • Jenny Offill

    Jenny Offill

    Jenny Offill is the author of the novels Last Things (a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and a finalist for the L.A. Times First Book Award), and Dept. of Speculation, which was shortlisted for the Folio Prize, the Pen... (more)

    If you enjoyed:
    Summer Sisters

    Try:
    The Friend Who Got Away
    by Jenny Offill

We recommend 5 similar authors

View all 5 Read-Alikes

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Top Picks

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In Our Midst
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In Our Midst follows a German immigrant family’s fight for freedom after their internment post–Pearl Harbor.
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