Hey Judy,
Me again. This time I’m not asking for advice on big life lessons. I want to say thank you. Thank you for writing great books. They got me through puberty. And now, there’s A MOVIE!
I can’t wait to watch Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret. Did this happen intentionally? Were you thinking about making this a possibility years after you published every pre-pubescent girl’s guide to body changes on purpose? How many pre, peri, regular, and post menopausal women will be in every theater across the country when it opens?
We’ll drag our daughters by the ears to watch it with us. (Do they even read anymore?). I’m orchestrating a watch party, at one of my favorite eatery theaters of course, because we must have access to fancy snacks and mimosas. Beer. Wine. Cocktails. I’m sure my favorite place will have a full menu of book related fare and fancy sips.
I might sneak in a pack of Oreo cookies, take a stack of four, and put two back as a nod to Blubber. I’ll drink a glass of orange juice before I get there in honor of Deenie. I’ll buy a brand new bra so I’m ready for “We must, we must, we must increase our busts!” However, in this case, it doesn’t need increasing, just lifting. I will mortify my thirteen year old with no shame.
I read this book twice in middle school. Years later, it was part of a Banned Books display in our school library one year when I took my class. Two boys were curious, I explained why it was my favorite, and they each checked out a copy. “There’s no better way to learn about girls than to read about them.” Sold!
I plan an adult me reading of it before the movie is released. I’m looking forward to loving it all over again.
Your Faithful Book Fan,
Ally
*Occasionally, I write to Judy Blume.
Nerds Beget Nerds 
I did not have Judy’s help through my own puberty but you can be sure I will be watching and encouraging everyone to watch…because I am not sure too many read anymore!
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OMG! I can’t believe the time travel you just took me through with this Slice. I grew up with Judy Blume as my guide, devouring her books and gleaning as much life knowledge as possible through every page. I am not sure if I can handle watching this, though…how in the world will they handle “the belt”!!
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Hi Amy (or is it Amy Ilene?), THE BELT! When I first read it, I had to draw up the courage to ask my mom about “the belt,” because we didn’t talk about any of this. I hope I’m not disappointed with the movie, but it makes for a fun outing with my gal pals. Thanks for reading!
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Oh, I just hoped that I wouldn’t be given a belt…but I never asked! And it is just Amy, but Ilene is my middle name, so it comes in handy when all the Amys in the world have an online presence!
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What a fun slice and how great that you’ve written a few letters to Judy! I loved this novel when I was a girl and read it several times. I currently have a fifth grade girl in my class reading this novel and when I told her the movie was coming out in April, she jumped out of her skin. Then a bunch of girls began to read it! In my school we use to gather in two groups: boys and girls. The boys would go with the PE teachers, who are men and the girls with teachers that are female. We’d watch a movie and then have a discsussion. Many girls were unaware of bodily changes and cringed at the idea of tampons. The girls could write questions down on paper if they wanted. But, there was something special about all being together, sharing and asking questions. Some girls had older sisters and shared what they knew. Fast foward to today…. the movie is sent home to parents to watch with their child. We’ll never know if they do watch the movie with their daughters or have conversations. I think it’s sad.
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Hi @evarkaplan, they send a movie home to parents? This is such a huge rite of passage, how can they miss that? What a fun connection to have with the student who is reading it. I’d love to know her reaction after she watches it. Thank you for reading.
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Alice,
I loved meeting you on zoom today. Now I’ll be on the lookout for you here, too.Very clever how you structured this with a letter to the author. You really know your Judy Blume books based on the menu of snacks you will enjoy while watching! Thanks for adding the movie trailer. I too read this book growing up and will reread it before viewing the movie.
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Hi Sally, it was also great meeting you! I’m on the lookout for a vintage copy of the book, (ugg, why do I do this to myself? As if the book will change because the cover is different?)but will take whatever I can find. I’m currently re-reading Deenie. Thank you for the feedback and for popping in.
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I love your letter! We used to sneak reading Judy Blume’s Forever at sleep overs. This book was my favorite, though. I can’t wait for the movie! A watch party is a great idea.
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Hi Heather, this is definitely my favorite. For whatever reason, I never could get my hands on a copy of Forever. I read it as an adult. I might have had to sneak read this too, if I’d had it back in the day.
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Alice,
I loved Judy Blume as a teacher–Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, the Fudge books. When I was a middle schooler, my coming-of-age books were by Beverly Cleary. I’m not sure why I didn’t read much Judy Blume then because I was in junior high when Are You There, God…came out.
Have you ever tried to share your letters with Judy? Here Twitter account is active.
It was great meeting you today on Zoom! Have fun with the rest of the challenge.
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Hi Denise,
It was also great meeting you. I look forward to reading your posts.
I was also a fan of Beverly Cleary. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 was my favorite. My fourth grade teacher read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and I loved it. I suppose that’s how I “found” Judy Blume. I have considered sharing my letters with Judy. I’ll have to pop in on Twitter. I would flip out if she responded. It’s worth a try.
Happy Slicing!
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