Nov 25, 2009

Women on Wednesday~ Thank you, Judy Blume!

by BurtonReview on Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Susan at Rocks n' Reads West of Mars hosts Women on Wednesday.

This is a new meme to spotlight favorite FEMALE authors, as Publisher's Weekly has recently published their Best Reads of 2009, without a single female writer on their list.

So now we get to give the Women a Weekly Meme!

Susan says:

"WOW — Women on Wednesday.
Every Wednesday, write about a book you loved that’s written by a woman. Celebrate a woman author whose books you love. Talk about a book you’re dying to read. "

Last week I picked Michelle Moran as a fabulous female author who had a fabulous book published in 2009.

This week I am going to go to a tried-and-true favorite author of my childhood, Judy Blume. I read most of her children's books at least a dozen times. She always had wonderful characters, and ones that appealed to me. She also brought up subjects that may have been over my head at age 7, but after the dozenth time of reading them as I got older, I began to thoroughly appreciate the messages she set forth in some of her work. She had some fun books like the Super Fudge series, Flubber and Freckle Juice.

By my favorites became the ones that focused on young girls:

Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself "It's 1947 and Sally Freedman is full of wild ideas. She's got her eye on handsome Peter Hornstein, the Latin lover of her dreams – on Mr. Zavodsky, who looks suspiciously like Hitler in disguise – and on her father, who Sally misses terribly. Whatever happens, 5th grade in Miami Beach will definitely be different. It might even be a real life adventure."

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret. I can't wait until two o'clock God. That's when our dance starts. Do you think I'll get Philip Leroy for a partner? It's not so much that I like him as a person God, but as a boy he's very handsome. And I'd love to dance with him... just once or twice. Thank you God."
A move from the city to the suburbs, sixth grade in a different school, a new group of friends. But Margaret handles it...in her own funny, endearing way."

Then Again, Maybe I Won't "Ever since his dad got rich from an invention and his family moved to a wealthy neighborhood on Long Island, Tony Miglione's life has been tumed upside down. For starters, there's his new friend Joel, who shoplifts. Then there's Joel's sixteen-year-old sister, Lisa, who gets undressed every night without pulling down her shades. And there's Grandma, who won't come down from her bedroom. On top of all his other worries, Tony has questions about growing up.... Why couldn't things have stayed the same?"

I am thankful to have had these books by Judy Blume while I was growing up. I read them with a flashlight under the covers, I read them outside under a tree and in a tree. I read them at the bus stop and then on the bus. I read them when I sat in the class waiting for class to start. These books were my best friends at most times. She also wrote young adult novels that taught me something about being a girl. Thank you, Judy Blume.