Judy Blume Poster & Resources

Grade Span: 6-8

Themes:

Judy Blume has pursued a literary career that is sensitive to the experiences of young people undergoing awkward and painful changes. She channels the Jewish value of standing up to censorship. Her legacy is of a writer who breaks silences in the name of liberation. 

• Standing up to censorship
• Promoting free speech
• Valuing emotional intelligence

About

Born in Elizabeth, NJ to American Jewish parents, Judy Blume (nee Sussman) (1938-), has become one of the most prolific and influential novelists in the United States, earning her recognition by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023. Her literature gives voice to the uncertainties, awkwardness, insecurities, and pain of growing up and undergoing change. Throughout her career, her books have been banned because of her openness in delving into topics that are central to children’s coming of age yet often deemed taboo. She has become an activist against book banning in schools, working to give young people opportunities to read, be challenged, and have their inner worlds validated.

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