Judy Blume

Judith Blume 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.

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 has been married three times. As of 2020, she had three children and one grandson. Blume was one of the first young adult authors to write some of her novels focused on teenagers about the controversial topics of masturbation, menstruation, teen sex, birth control, and death. 

Her novels have sold over 82 million copies and have been translated into 32 languages. She has won many awards for her writing, including 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 her 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 one of the most frequently challenged authors of the 21st century. There have been several adaptations of Blume's novels. The most well-known adaptation was the movie Tiger Eyes, released in 2012, with Willa Holland starring as Davey.

Blume was born 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 was culturally Jewish. Blume witnessed hardships and death throughout her childhood. 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. 118 people died in the crashes, and Blume's father, a dentist, helped 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 attributes her love of reading to a trait passed on by her parents. She has recalled spending much of her childhood creating stories in her head. Despite their love of stories, Blume did not dream of being a writer as a child. She 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 met while a New York University student. Blume graduated from New York University in 1961 with a bachelor's degree in Education.