Author Focus: Judy Blume

Judy Blume is an American writer best known for her young adult novels tackling controversial issues such as Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. She is also known for her children's books and controversial adult novels such as Wifey. She was born Judith Sussman on February 12th, 1938 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Esther, a homemaker, and Ralph Sussman, a dentist. She admits to spending a lot of time making up stories in her head as a child. She graduated in 1956 from Battin High School, and then attended New York University. She graduated with a bachelor's in Education in 1961. Despite being a lifelong reader, she didn't begin to write professionally until after her children began preschool.

Judy met her first husband at New York University and married him during the summer of her freshman year. His name was John Blume and they had two children Randy Lee and Lawrence Andrew.
While married to John Blume, Judy began to work as a teacher and writer.
Judy Blume's first published book was published in 1969 titled The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo. It was a children's book about a middle child named Freddy Dissel.
In 1970 Iggie's House was published. It was a young adult novel dealing with racism.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret was a young adult novel about issues that pre-teen females face. It was published in 1970. This book was added to Time's top 100 fiction books written in English since 1923, in 2010.
Then Again, Maybe I Won't was published in 1971. This young adult novel dealt with male puberty.
Freckle Juice was published in 1971. It was a children's book about a second grader.
In 1972 Judy Blume published Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and was the first in her 'Fudge' children's series. She followed this book with Superfudge (1980), Fudge-a-Mania (1990). and Double Fudge (2002).
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, a children's novel with characters from the 'Fudge' series, was published in 1972.
Judy Blume published many more books in the 1970s including Deenie (1973), The Pain and the Great One (1974), Blubber (1974), Forever (1975), Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself (1977), and Wifey (1978).
In the 1980s Judy Blume continued publishing books including Superfudge (1980), Tiger Eyes (1981), The Judy Blume Diary (1981), Smart Woman (1983), Letters to Judy (1986), and Just as Long as We're Together (1987).
Judy Blume published several books in the 1990s including Fudge-a-mania (1990), Here's to You, Rachel Robinson (1993), Summer Sisters (1998), and Places I Never Meant to Be (1999).
Judy Blume wrote Double Fudge (2002), Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One (2007), Going, Going, Gone! (2008), and In The Unlikely Event which is due for release in 2015.
Both Wifey and Smart Women made it to the top of The New York Times bestseller lists, with Wifey selling more than 4 million copies.
Judy Blume has won more than 90 awards for her writing and contributions to literature.