Judy Blume appreciation thread! Did you read Judy Blume as a kid? Which book stuck with you?

I remember reading “Then Again, Maybe I Won’t” when I was 12 or 13, and in the book, the protagonist discovers that, in his new home, he can see the older girl next door undressing. As I remembered it, that was basically what the book was about. But then, in my early 20s or so, I was feeling nostalgic, and I thought that, rather than listen to old songs, it might be informative and entertaining to revisit the books I read when I was younger. So I reread Then Again, Maybe I Won’t.

It’s actually an interesting story about a family that has a bunch of stuff going on (the dad recently got rich, moved to an upscale neighborhood, and the family is distancing themselves from their old friends. Also, the older teenage daughter just got pregnant by her boyfriend) so they are not paying attention to the youngest son, who is going through puberty. The book holds up when you read it from an adult perspective.

I got to speak to Judy Blume briefly at a book reading for her book Summer Sisters. I was in my early 20s, and I swear, I never thought I could find a 60-something woman attractive, but Judy Blume had a charming, adolescent shine to her. She said that every time she wrote a book, the characters felt like real people to her, and she missed them when the book was done. I was into Zen and the like at the time, and what struck me about her was that she was very emotional and passionate, but she seemed at peace with that. It really changed my idea of what a “spiritual” person might look like.

I got her to sign my copy of Summer Sisters. I told her that when I was in 4th grade, I read, “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret” without ever knowing what a period was, and I was thoroughly confused.

“Did you ask your parents?” she asked me.

“No”

“You’re supposed to ask your parents! I write these things, and then you’re supposed to ask!” she said.

I will always love Judy Blume.