Judy Blume Biography

Novelist Judy Blume’s books for young readers include Blubber, Freckle Juice and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. A native of New Jersey and a 1961 graduate of New York University, her first published novel was 1969’s The One in the Middle Is the Green Kangaroo, and since then she’s written about two dozen other books for teens and pre-teens. According to the American Library Association, Blume holds the dubious distinction of being the author of several books that have faced censorship — primarily because her stories often include frank portrayals of difficult issues, from menstruation and masturbation to racism, religion and bullying. Although she has written novels for adults (including Smart Women and Wifey), Blume has received accolades and awards primarily for her books for young readers, including Then Again, Maybe I Won’t (1971), Deenie (1973), Superfudge (1980, one of five in a series) and Tiger Eyes (1981, and made into a film in 2012 by her son, Lawrence Blume).