by Kyra Davis
First published 2007
Twenty-four accomplished female writers open their hearts about the Judy Blume novels that defined their childhoods. Each author examines how specific books like "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" and "Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great" provided those crucial "me too" moments that made them feel normal during adolescence. The contributors trace their journeys from reading "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" as children to "Smart Women" as adults, showing how Blume's stories continued to resonate throughout their lives. Davis has assembled writers who understand that Blume gave them permission to feel confused, awkward, and uncertain while growing up. These personal essays reveal how one author's coming-of-age stories touched girls across different generations and backgrounds, creating a shared language for the universal experience of female adolescence.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, adolescence, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, shared-experience
Period: 21st-century
275 pages · Hardcover · Pocket Books