"You're not suggesting she's like that Margaret chick who talked to God about her period..."
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It is not easy doing a "Best Of" list for Judy Blume books. It'd be like doing a "Best Books of the Bible" list or something. I mean, they all serve their purpose, so why judge? By the way... I totally recommend Jonah. He gets swallowed by a whale LOL!!!1
But as for Judy Blume, the woman is effing brilliant. Which is not to say that the whale was not. Let's stop talking about that now. Let's talk about Ms. Blume, the brilliant genius author who has written over twenty books, some of which rank among my favorite books of all time. I have read all of them... well, almost all. I keep trying to get into Forever but never can, and I started Wifey but never finished it, and same goes for Smart Women... BUT I have read all the others: The Pain and the Great One, The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo, Freckle Juice, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great, Superfudge, Fudge-a-Mania, Double Fudge, Are You There God? It's Me Margaret, Just as Long as We're Together, Here's to You Rachel Robinson, Iggie's House, Blubber, It's Not the End of the World, Then Again Maybe I Won't, Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself, Deenie, Summer Sisters, and Tiger Eyes.
Did I miss any?
I hope not.
The following are what I, the lowly Blume fanatic, have determined to be her best:
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Tiger Eyes I avoided this book until I was 22 because I mistakenly believed it to be about tigers. It isn't. It's actually about a 15-year-old girl with a lot of problems... so that's kind of like a tiger, I guess. The book begins just after Davey Wexler's father has been murdered, leaving her in a state of shock and emotional disrepair. Davey's mother decides to temporarily move the family (which includes Davey's younger brother, Jason) to New Mexico, to live with some relatives. As the school year progresses, Davey begins to come to terms with her father's death, and starts to peel away all the layers of regret, hurt, and guilt that are keeping her trapped. She befriends a guy who helps her see beauty in the world again. She finds that she loves to sing. Tiger Eyes is a hauntingly realistic book about surviving a horrendous loss, repairing your soul, and moving forward with your life. It's about reaching that point where you realize it's okay to feel happy again. |
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Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret I think every girl in existence read this book in elementary school. It was recommended by best friends, passed from girl to girl, and remembered fondly for years to come. In some circles it is known simply as "Hey remember that book where the girl gets a bra and her period?" Are You There... is the story of 11-year-old Margaret, a girl on the verge of womanhood who can't wait to grow up. When she moves to a new school, she makes new friends and joins a secret club where everyone is required to wear a bra (let's be thankful it was a girls-only club, eh?) and keep track of the boys they think are the dreamiest. Margaret, who is Jewish, talks to God about all her insecurities and troubles, but mostly she sends out requests, asking God to make her a woman. When one of the other girls in the secret club gets her period, Margaret is green with envy. By the end of the book, her wish is granted, she has lust for the neighbor boy who mows their lawn, and she has a size A bra of her very own. Margaret is now happy. I really wish Judy Blume would write a sequel to this, and call it Are You There, God? Please, Take It Back!, in which Margaret whines about cramps, headaches, and the like. Becoming a woman isn't all Blume cracks it up to be, I'm afraid. Are you there, God? Thank you for allowing the invention of Midol.... |
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Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself I didn't discover this one until I was 18, and I think it's often overlooked. Probably because it doesn't talk about bras. Sally is the story of a 10-year-old girl whose family moves to Florida after World War II to live for a year. The book details Sally's many adventures over the course of the year, spiced by Sally's active imagination. She's always making up stories in her head, always inventing dangerous plots, always spying on the neighbors. She makes friends with some very interesting people, and she's convinced her old neighbor is Hitler in disguise. It's this kind of childhood craziness that makes the book funny and sweet. Sally is endearing... and yet totally ordinary. This is Blume's most autobiographical work. |
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Fudge-a-Mania It'd be sort of... well, wrong... to not mention a Fudge book in this list, so I'll just go with Fudge-a-Mania and use that to talk about all of them. The Fudge series started by detailing the woes of a boy named Peter Hatcher. Soon, Blume was writing about Peter's neighbor and nemesis, Sheila Tubman, as well. Peter's little brother, Farley Drexel "Fudge" Hatcher, is a whirlwind of insanity and hilarity, and his quotes and antics never leave the reader bored. I've chosen this particular book as my favorite in the series because of its quick pace, simple humor, and imaginative location and plot. In this novel, Peter's family vacations in Maine with Sheila's family, and all hell breaks loose. There's a wedding, baseball, babysitting, a missing myna bird, and a miniature disaster involving blueberries... and it's all a heck of a lot of fun. |
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Just as Long as We're Together Wow. I can't get over this book. I was an English major and I've seen my fair share of literature, both good and bad. If you want to know how to write a funny book that's perfectly plotted, with nothing superfluous and everything amazing... study this book. Analyze it. Write your flipping dissertation on it. Just as Long... is the story of Stephanie, a 12-year-old girl who faces a lot of changes during her 7th grade year, including a major shift with her best friend, Rachel, and the rapid dissolve of her parents' marriage. Yeah, there's the usual pre-teen stuff... she keeps a picture of a young Richard Gere on her ceiling, she gets her first kiss... but there is so much more. So much more... I want to tell you all about it... but I don't want to tell you so much that you feel like you've already read it. It's ridiculously brilliant. Just go read it... and then come back here and email me and we can discuss it in depth. Thanks. See the different Just as Long... covers from over the years... |
4/1/2005
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