With "Margaret," I remember clearly it was, you know because I did remember it clearly. I was young. I was young in terms of experience and what did I know about and I had an incredible memory from my own childhood. And so it never occurred to me to write for any other age group. And I thought I'm going to write a book and I'm going to tell the truth.

Judy Blume

Categorized in : Book Memories Writing

How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest... by Judy Blume

How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives.

handle determine fear

Let children read whatever they want and then talk about it with them. If parents and kids can talk together, we won't have as much censorship because we won't have as much fear.

freedom philosophy children

Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.

fear adventure inspirational

Believe in yourself and you can achieve greatness in your life. by Judy Blume

Believe in yourself and you can achieve greatness in your life.

inspirational-life greatness believe

My only advice is to stay aware, listen carefully, and yell for h... by Judy Blume

My only advice is to stay aware, listen carefully, and yell for help if you need it.

advice inspiring inspirational

Having the freedom to read and the freedom to choose is one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me.

freedom-to-choose best-gift parent

"Summer Sisters" was actually was a huge influence on "Girls" because it was the first thing I ever consumed that sort of looked at the way that female friendship can be glorious and can be complicated and can be so like a worse betrayal than something romantic and it just showed these archetypes of femininity than totally sort of individuated them and exploded them.

betrayal girl summer

our finger prints dont fade from the lives we touch by Judy Blume

our finger prints dont fade from the lives we touch

fades print fingers

Books opened up a whole new world to me. Through them I discovered new ideas, traveled to new places, and met new people. Books helped me learn to understand other people and they taught me a lot about myself. ... Some books you never forget. Some characters become your friends for life.

character book ideas

I use a computer, but before I begin each new book I keep a notebook. I write down everything that comes to mind during that period before I actually begin. It might take months or weeks. That notebook is my security blanket so that I never have to face a blank screen (or blank page). But I print out often and my best ideas usually come with a pencil in my hand.

notebook writing ideas

"Summer Sisters" is probably my least autobiographical book. The whole idea started with rowing down the pond. And I heard an explosion. I don't like sudden loud noises. They scare me. And then all these people came running down the hill and jumped in the water in their finery and a bride and groom was with them, and that's where it all started.

summer running book

We are friends for life. When we’re together the years fall away. Isn’t that what matters? To have someone who can remember with you? To have someone who remembers how far you’ve come?

what-matters years fall

I hate first drafts, and it never gets easier. People always wonder what kind of superhero power they'd like to have. I wanted the ability for someone to just open up my brain and take out the entire first draft and lay it down in front of me so I can just focus on the second, third and fourth drafts.

focus hate people

Librarians save lives by handing the right book at the right time... by Judy Blume

Librarians save lives by handing the right book at the right time to a kid in need.

kids book needs

My parents gave me that gift of "reading is a good thing." I mean my mother was afraid of everything. But she was never afraid that Judy is reading.

reading mother mean

Things change…things happen…things you can’t even imagine when you’re young and full of hope.

things-change imagine young

I stop and think before I start a new book and ask myself do I really want to spend the next year or two or three with these characters because if I don't, then I shouldn't be writing about them.

writing character book

Censors never go after books unless kids already like them. I don’t even think they know to go after books until they know that children are interested in reading this book, therefore there must be something in it that’s wrong.

reading book children

My mother never talked about sex. I was on the Dr. Ruth [ Westheimer] show once - this is years and years and years ago - and it was her Mother's Day show. And I didn't know what we were going to talk about but what she decided we were going to talk about was female masturbation. My mother had invited all her girlfriends. And you know these were all women in their late seventy's maybe they were in their eighty's by then and then and they were horrified because Dr Ruth had a little she had a little chart up you know "female masturbation".

girlfriend mother sex

A library is where you meet fascinating characters you never forg... by Judy Blume

A library is where you meet fascinating characters you never forget.

library never-forget character