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Material Type | Library | Call Number | Suggested Age | Status |
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| Book | Searching... Cabell County Public Library | 813.54 E | Adult | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
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 normal girl all along. . . . -- FROM Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume Whether laughing to tears reading "Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great" or clamoring for more unmistakable "me too!" moments in "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret," girls all over the world have been touched by Judy Blume's poignant coming-of-age stories. Now, in this anthology of essays, twenty-four notable female authors write straight from the heart about the unforgettable novels that left an indelible mark on their childhoods and still influence them today. After growing up from "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" into "Smart Women," these writers pay tribute, through their reflections and most cherished memories, to one of the most beloved authors of all time.
Author Notes
Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana on February 1, 1967. She recieved a fine arts degree from Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City, intent upon pursuing a career in freelance illustration. Illustrating, however, soon got in the way of Meg's true love, writing, and so she abandoned it and got a job as the assistant manager of an undergraduate dormitory at New York University, and writing on the weekends.
Meg wrote both The Princess Diaries and The Mediator: Shadowland (under the name Jenny Carroll), the first books in two series for young adults which happen to be about, among other things, teenage girls dealing with unsettling family issues. Her latest book is entitled, Insatiable.
Meg now writes full time, and lives in Key West, Florida with her husband.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
This collection of 24 essays edited by O'Connell (Plan B) pays tribute to the influence of Judy Blume and her work about coming-of-age as a girl in America. In each piece, the writer reveals what O'Connell calls her "Judy Blume moment," telling a heartfelt and revealing story that reflects the same social awkwardness and true-to-life experiences Blume conveys in her novels, from menstruation to childhood bullying to masturbation. In "Cry, Linda, Cry," Meg Cabot recalls how Blume's book Blubber taught her how to laugh at herself, while also giving her the courage to stand up to schoolgirl bullies. Likewise, Stephanie Lessing, in "The One That Got Away," reflects on Blume's It's Not the End of the World, explaining the solace she found in its understanding of what it's like when parents divorce. Readers who similarly found solace and support in Blume's work should relate easily to these writers through the Blumian characters and themes they evoke. Writing in the spirit of Blume, these women present their experiences as a series of personal truths: "girl moments. Woman moments, Human moments." (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Booklist Review
" I remember how painful it was to be invisible to those other kids. And I think of Judy Blume, whose . . . name will always mean friendship to me, writes Berta Platas. She allowed me to save myself, says Meg Cabot. In stories contributed by many well-known female writers, this anthology pays homage to the guru of adolescent experience. Many nostalgic selections speak about the crucial comfort that a Blume novel brought during an author's teens, soothing worries about body image, parental divorce, friendship scuffles, sex, and masturbation. Also striking are the many essays about Judy Blume moments in adult life. For one author, rereading Forever helped her reenter the dating world as a single thirtysomething. Another contributor remembers the teenage reassurance she'd found in Are You There God? It's Me Margaret, when, after childbirth and breast-feeding, she once again suffered from boob drama. Funny, poignant, honest, and reverential, these stories will resonate strongly with the legions of readers who, like the authors, are grateful and lifelong Blume devotees."--"Engberg, Gillian" Copyright 2007 Booklist
Library Journal Review
By turns funny and poignant, this essay collection captures the essence of YA author Judy Blume's appeal. Pieces were contributed by a raft of women writers-many firmly established in chick lit-who were deeply influenced by Blume's works in their youth. Many focus on dealing with changes in bodies, relationships, and situations. Meg Cabot writes of suffering at the hands of a childhood bully and learning how to defuse her tormenter only after reading Blubber. Shanna Swendson's essay explores her reaction to books like Deenie, in which even the pretty girls feel like freaks. By reading Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Kayla Perrin discovered she was not alone in obsessing about her breast size. This uniformly well-written title will be warmly welcomed by those who had epiphanic experiences upon first reading Blume's titles. Although a collection of this sort runs the risk of being dismissed as fluff, the essays are substantive and thoughtful. A recommended purchase for public libraries; academic libraries may also wish to consider.-Audrey Snowden, (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Table of Contents
| Then. Now. Forever... | p. 1 |
| We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming for a Judy Blume Moment | p. 16 |
| The One That Got Away | p. 26 |
| Boys Like Shiny Things | p. 36 |
| A Long Time Ago, We Used to Be Friends | p. 50 |
| Cry, Linda, Cry | p. 65 |
| The M Word | p. 78 |
| Do Adults Really Do That? Does Judy Blume Really Do That? | p. 86 |
| I Am | p. 95 |
| Forever...Again | p. 101 |
| Then Again, Maybe I... | p. 113 |
| Vitamin K, Judy Blume, and the Great Big Bruise | p. 124 |
| It Wasn't the End of the World | p. 136 |
| Freaks, Geeks, and Adolescent Revenge Fantasies | p. 147 |
| Guilty's House | p. 159 |
| A Different Kind of Diary | p. 168 |
| Are You Available God? My Family Needs Counseling | p. 187 |
| The Mother of All Balancing Acts | p. 199 |
| The Wienie Girl's Guide to Making Friends | p. 207 |
| Brave New Kid | p. 218 |
| Breaking Up Is Hard to Do-Especially with Your BFF | p. 230 |
| The Importance of ABC's | p. 241 |
| Superfudged | p. 254 |
| Are You There, Margaret? | p. 266 |
