Judy Blume Popular Books

Judy Blume Biography & Facts

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 25 novels. 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. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2023.Blume was born and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and graduated from New York University in 1961. As an attempt to entertain herself in her role as a homemaker, Blume began writing stories. 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. Her novels have sold over 82 million copies and have been translated into 32 languages.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. She was recognized as a Library of Congress Living Legend and awarded the 2004 National Book Foundation medal for distinguished contribution to American letters.Blume's novels are popular and widely admired. They are praised for teaching children and young adults about their bodies. However, the mature topics in Blume's books have generated criticism and controversy. The ALA has named Blume as one of the most frequently challenged authors of the 21st century. There have been several adaptations of Blume's novels, including Tiger Eyes, released in 2012 with Willa Holland starring as Davey, 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. Biography Early life Blume was born Judith Sussman on February 12, 1938, and raised in Elizabeth, New Jersey, the daughter of homemaker Esther Sussman (née Rosenfeld) and dentist Rudolph Sussman. She has a brother, David, who is five years older. Her family is Jewish. Blume witnessed hardships and death throughout her childhood. When she was in third grade, Blume's older brother had a kidney infection that led Blume, her brother, and her mother to temporarily move to Miami Beach to help him recover for two years. Blume's father stayed behind to continue working. Additionally, in 1951 and 1952, there were three airplane crashes in her hometown of Elizabeth. In the crashes, 118 people died, and Blume's father, who was a dentist, helped to identify the unrecognizable remains. Blume says she "buried" these memories until she began writing her 2015 novel In the Unlikely Event, the plot of which revolves around the crashes. Throughout her childhood, Blume participated in many creative activities such as dance and piano. Blume describes her love of reading as a trait passed on by her parents. She has recalled spending much of her childhood creating stories in her head. Despite the love of stories, as a child Blume did not dream of being a writer.Blume graduated from the all-girls' Battin High School in 1956, then enrolled in Boston University. A few weeks into the first semester, she was diagnosed with mononucleosis and took a brief leave from school. In 1959, Blume's father died. Later that same year, on August 15, 1959, she married lawyer John M. Blume, whom she had met while a student at New York University. She graduated from New York University in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in Education. Adult life After college, Blume gave birth to daughter Randy Lee Blume in 1961 and became a homemaker. In 1963, her son Lawrence Andrew Blume was born. Blume began writing when her children began nursery school. John M. Blume and Judy Blume were divorced in 1975. (John M. Blume later died on September 20, 2020.) Shortly after her separation, she met Thomas A. Kitchens, a physicist. The couple married in 1976, a decision Blume has since called "a mistake." The couple moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico for two years for Kitchens' work. They divorced in 1978.A few years later, a mutual friend introduced her to George Cooper, a former law professor turned non-fiction writer. Blume and Cooper were married in 1987. Cooper has one daughter from a previous marriage, Amanda, to whom Blume is very close.In August 2012, Blume announced that she was diagnosed with breast cancer after undergoing a routine ultrasound before leaving for a five-week trip to Italy. Six weeks after her diagnosis, Blume underwent a mastectomy and breast reconstruction. Blume was cancer-free following this surgery and able to recover.Randy Blume became a therapist with a sub-specialty in helping writers complete their works. She has one child, Elliot Kephart, who is credited with encouraging his grandmother, Judy Blume, to write the most recent "Fudge" books. Lawrence Blume is now a movie director, producer, and writer. As of 2021, Cooper and Blume resided in Key West. Career A lifelong avid reader, Blume first began writing through New York University courses when her children were attending preschool. Following two years of publisher rejections, Blume published her first book, The One in the Middle Is the Green Kangaroo, in 1969. A year later, Blume published her second book, Iggie's House (1970), which was originally written as a story in Trailblazer magazine but then rewritten by Blume into a book. The decade that followed proved to be her most prolific, with 13 more books being published. Her third book was Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (1970), which was a breakthrough best-seller and a trailblazing novel in young adult literature and established Blume as a leading voice in young adult literature. Some of Blume's other novels during the decade include Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (1972), Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great (1972), and Blubber (1974).In 1975, Blume published the now frequently banned novel Forever, which was groundbreaking in young adult literature as the first novel to display teen sex as normal. Blume explained that she was inspired to write this novel when her daughter, 13 years old at the time, said she wanted to read a book where the characters have sex but do not die afterward. These novels tackled complex subjects such as family conflict, bullying, body image, and sexuality. Blume has expressed that she writes about these subjects, particularly sexuality, because it is what she believes children need to know about and was what she wondered about as a child.After publishing novels for young children and teens, Blume tackled another genre—adult reality and death. Her novels Wifey (1978) and Smart Women (1983) reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller list. Wifey became a bestseller with over 4 million copies sold. Blume's third adult novel, Summer Sisters (1998), was widely praised and sold more than .... Discover the Judy Blume popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Judy Blume books.

Best Seller Judy Blume Books of 2024

  • Our Red Book synopsis, comments

    Our Red Book

    Rachel Kauder Nalebuff

    A collection of essays, oral histories, and artworks about periods across all stages of life, gathered by the editor of the New York Times bestselling anthology My Little Red Book....

  • Superfudge synopsis, comments

    Superfudge

    Judy Blume

    Sometimes life in the Hatcher household is enough to make twelveyearold Peter think about running away. His worst problem is still his younger brother, Fudge, who hasn't changed a ...

  • In the Unlikely Event synopsis, comments

    In the Unlikely Event

    Judy Blume

    NATIONAL BESTSELLER  The author of Are you There God? It’s Me, Margaret returns with an adult novel that takes us back to the 1950s and introduces us to the town where she her...

  • Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great synopsis, comments

    Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

    Judy Blume

    Sheila Tubman sometimes wonders who she really is: the outgoing, witty, and capable Sheila the Great, or the secret Sheila, who's afraid of the dark, spiders, swimming, and dogs.Wh...

  • Truth or Dare synopsis, comments

    Truth or Dare

    Barbara Dee

    A few white lies during a simple game of truth or dare spin out of control and make life very complicated for Lia in this “entertaining bibliotherapy” (Kirkus Reviews) from Barbara...

  • Seventeenth Summer synopsis, comments

    Seventeenth Summer

    Maureen Daly

    Until the summer before college, Angie Morrow didn't really date. Her mother didin't like her to go out much. But no one not even Angie's mother can resist the charm of strikingl...

  • Twenty-Four Seconds from Now synopsis, comments

    Twenty-Four Seconds from Now

    Jason Reynolds

    #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds tackles ityou know…itfrom the guy’s perspective in this unfiltered and undeniably sweet stream of consciousness story of a teen ...

  • Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself synopsis, comments

    Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself

    Judy Blume

    When Sally’s family moves to Miami Beach for the winter of 1947, she is excited and nervous at the same time. What will school be like in Florida? Will she make any friends? Will s...

  • Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet synopsis, comments

    Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet

    Barbara Dee

    From critically acclaimed author Barbara Dee comes a “thoughtprovoking…wonderful” (School Library Journal) middle grade novel about a young girl who channels her anxiety about the ...

  • Tiger Eyes synopsis, comments

    Tiger Eyes

    Judy Blume

    Davey has never felt so alone in her life. Her father is deadshot in a holdupand now her mother is moving the family to New Mexico to try to recover.Climbing in the Los Alamos cany...

  • Braced synopsis, comments

    Braced

    Alyson Gerber

    The first contemporary novel about a disease that bends the lives of ten percent of all teenagers: scoliosis.Rachel Brooks is excited for the new school year. She's finally earned ...

  • Fingerprints of You synopsis, comments

    Fingerprints of You

    Kristen-Paige Madonia

    A teen embarks on the road trip of a lifetime in this authentic, beautifully written debut novel that Judy Blume says is “sure to appeal to both teens and adults.”Lemon grew up wit...

  • The Dirty Book Club synopsis, comments

    The Dirty Book Club

    Lisi Harrison

    From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Clique series comes a novel about the importance of friendship, and, of course, the pleasure of a dirty book.M.J. Stark’s life ...

  • Freckle Juice synopsis, comments

    Freckle Juice

    Judy Blume & Debbie Ohi

    Nicky has frecklesthey cover his face, his ears, and the whole back of his neck. Sitting behind him in class, Andrew once counted eightysix of them, and that was just a start! If A...

  • Smart Women synopsis, comments

    Smart Women

    Judy Blume

    Two thirtysomethings try to find their way through the complications of postmarriage love in this beloved novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Judy Blume. Margo and...

  • Cool Zone with the Pain and the Great One synopsis, comments

    Cool Zone with the Pain and the Great One

    Judy Blume & James Stevenson

    THE PAIN AND the Great One hardly agree on anything. But deep down, they know they can count on each other, especially at school, where it often takes two to figure things out. Lik...

  • Landslide synopsis, comments

    Landslide

    Susan Conley

    This beautiful portrait of a family in a fishing village in Maine is "a fresh look at marriage, motherhood, and the wondrous inner lives of teenagers. A truly beautiful a...

  • Paul A. Blume and Judy Ann Blume v. State synopsis, comments

    Paul A. Blume and Judy Ann Blume v. State

    Court Of Appeals Of Alaska

    Paul and Judy Blume were jointly convicted of two counts of firstdegree assault and one count of fourthdegree assault. The Blumes appeal, contending that the trial court...

  • Deenie synopsis, comments

    Deenie

    Judy Blume

    When Deenie finds out that she has scoliosis, she’s scared. When she sees the brace for the first time, she wants to scream.But the words won’t come out. And Deenie, beautiful Deen...

  • The Genius of Judy synopsis, comments

    The Genius of Judy

    Rachelle Bergstein

    An intimate and expansive look at Judy Blume’s life, work, and cultural impact, focusing on her most iconicand controversialyoung adult novels, from Are You There God? It’s Me, Mar...

  • Forever . . . synopsis, comments

    Forever . . .

    Judy Blume

    A Time Best YA Book of All Time (2021). Over 4 million copies sold!Judy Blume’s groundbreaking novel about first relationships, first love, and…the first timenow with a stunning ne...

  • Betsy-Tacy Treasury synopsis, comments

    Betsy-Tacy Treasury

    Maud Hart Lovelace

    The first four books in the beloved BetsyTacy series are ready to delight a new generation ofreadersand to bring a grownup generation of readers back to the engrossingstories of th...

  • Honey and Me synopsis, comments

    Honey and Me

    Meira Drazin

    Fans of Judy Blume, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, and The Penderwicks will love this funny, charismatic story of a Jewish girl striving to forge her own identity in the shadow...

  • Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume synopsis, comments

    Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume

    Jennifer OConnell

    "I wonder if Judy Blume really knows how many girls' lives she affected. I wonder if she knows that at least one of her books made a grown woman finally feel like she'd been a norm...

  • Fudge-a-Mania synopsis, comments

    Fudge-a-Mania

    Judy Blume

    Part of the classic Fudge series from Judy Blume, bestselling author of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing!Peter Hatcher can’t catch a break. His little brother, Fudgethe fiveyea...

  • Something Maybe Magnificent synopsis, comments

    Something Maybe Magnificent

    R.L. Toalson

    There’s a new man in her mom’s life, and Victoria is determined to get rid of himno matter what. Both a standalone novel and a follow up to The First Magnificent Summer, this pitch...

  • The First Magnificent Summer synopsis, comments

    The First Magnificent Summer

    R.L. Toalson

    Judy Blume meets Barbara Dee in this tender and empowering middle grade novel told in journal entries and poetry about a young writer on the verge of becoming a woman whose summer ...

  • Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens synopsis, comments

    Kings, Queens, and In-Betweens

    Tanya Boteju

    “Poignant and important.” Refinery29 “A bright and sparkly celebration of love and selfacceptance.” Kirkus ReviewsJudy Blume meets RuPaul’s Drag Race in this funny, feelgood debut ...

  • Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing synopsis, comments

    Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

    Judy Blume

    Living with his little brother, Fudge, makes Peter Hatcher feel like a fourth grade nothing. Whether Fudge is throwing a temper tantrum in a shoe store, smearing smashed potatoes o...

  • Sunny Side Up synopsis, comments

    Sunny Side Up

    Holly Smale

    “My name is Harriet Manners, and I am a geek.”A brand new summer story from the no. 1 bestselling and awardwinning GEEK GIRL series!Harriet Manners knows many facts.And she knows e...

  • Secrets of the Henna Girl synopsis, comments

    Secrets of the Henna Girl

    Sufiya Ahmed

    Life as Zeba knows it could be over for good . . .Zeba Khan is like any other sixteenyearold girl: enjoying herself, waiting for exam results . . . and dreaming of the day she'll m...

  • Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One synopsis, comments

    Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One

    Judy Blume & James Stevenson

    MEET THE PAIN:My sister's name is Abigail. I call her The Great One because she thinks she's so great. Who cares if she's in third grade and I'm just in first?MEET THE GREAT ONE:My...

  • Double Fudge synopsis, comments

    Double Fudge

    Judy Blume

    Part of the classic Fudge series from Judy Blume, bestselling author of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing!Fudge is obsessed with money. He’s making his own “Fudge Bucks” and has...