Judy Blume
American writer of children, young adult and adult works (born 1938) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Judith Blume (née Sussman; born February 12, 1938) is an American writer of children's, young adult, and adult fiction.[1] Blume began writing in 1959 and has published more than 26 novels.[2] Among her best-known works are Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (1970), Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (1972), Deenie (1973), and Blubber (1974). Blume's books have significantly contributed to children's and young adult literature.[3] She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.[4]
Judy Blume | |
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Born | Judith Sussman (1938-02-12) February 12, 1938 (age 86) Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S. |
Occupation | Writer, teacher |
Education | Boston University New York University (BA) |
Period | 1969–2020 |
Genre | Realist young adult novels, children's books |
Notable works | |
Notable awards | Margaret Edwards Award etc 1996 |
Spouse | John M. Blume
(m. 1959; div. 1975)Thomas A. Kitchens
(m. 1975; div. 1978)George Cooper (m. 1987) |
Website | |
judyblume |
Blume was born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and graduated from New York University in 1961.[5] As an attempt to entertain herself in her role as a homemaker, Blume began writing stories.[6] Blume was one of the first young adult authors to write novels focused on such controversial topics as masturbation, menstruation, teen sex, birth control, and death.[7][8] Her novels have sold over 82 million copies and have been translated into 32 languages.[9]
Blume has won many awards for her writing, including the American Library Association (ALA)'s Margaret A. Edwards Award in 1996 for her contributions to young adult literature.[10] She was recognized as a Library of Congress Living Legend and awarded the 2004 National Book Foundation medal for distinguished contribution to American letters.[8][10]
Blume's novels are popular and widely admired.[11] They are praised for teaching children and young adults about their bodies.[11] However, the mature topics in Blume's books have generated criticism and controversy.[11] The ALA has named Blume as one of the most frequently challenged authors of the 21st century.[12] There have been several adaptations of Blume's novels,[13] including Tiger Eyes, released in 2012 with Willa Holland starring as Davey,[13] and Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., released in 2023. A large collection of her papers are held at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University.[14]