Have Judy Blume books stood the test of time?

[Deminism]

11yo dd and I have been reading together including some of my old favourites. I wondered whether Judy Blume books have stood the test of time? Also I was an advanced and voracious reader so had read them all by her age including Forever but I would have been mortified to read that with my mum. Any of you read them with kids this age?

I haven't read them since I was a teen but I am going to download Are you there God... Just to see how 40 something year old me sees it compared to 14 year old me.
I loved her books!

Ha! I was in a WHSmith a while back and two teen girls were looking for the Twilight books for 'romance'. I shoved a copy of Forever towards them

I think so, although with an adult giving it context.

My DS loves them - the fudge ones, Sheila the great, Blubber, Iggie’s House etc. But I know the books v well so can, for example, talk about the difference from then to now with racial issues in USA ( sadly nothing like as progressed as it should have.)

He is reading Are you There God ATM.

They are not just for girls.

I loved Paula Danziger more, but some of Judy Blume’s were great and Forever was a rite of passage!

I loved them but sadly my DD11 doesn’t seem interested

My absolute favourite was Starring Sally J Freedman but DD won’t even open it! I’ve read it so many time.

DS really likes the Fudge books though but he just likes books about naughty little boys

My boys really love Judy Blume

I would say though, that “then again maybe I won’t” was tooooo much for my 11yo and I hid that after a skim read

I read these in the 80s and found them a little dated then! (think they were written in the early 70s).

I also struggled with some of the references to American food/culture/school system.

I think some of the books (Then Again, Tiger Eyes, Forever) are more suitable for mid-teens rather than tweens.

They were a bit dated when I read them in the late 80s, but I don’t think that would affect your child’s enjoyment - could br educational to read about life before the internet

Apparently some parts have been updated, so ‘Are You There God’ has Margaret using modern pads instead of the old-fashioned ones with a belt (which confused me when I read it!), and Forever now includes a comment about using condoms to protect against STDs.

I’d like to read them again myself, along with the Paula Danziger books, to see how they compare to my memories of them!

I too was wondering this the other day, just as long as we’re together was my absolute favourite and I really hope my girls will read it and enjoy it as much as I did when they are older.

I read all of the Judy Blume books as a child in the 90s and apart from sanitary pads having a belt, which I found odd, I don’t remember finding them to be dated at all. I reckon they would be now though, very much so, but that’s not a bad thing.

Mine love me reading the my naughty little sister books to them at the moment and they are very dated but they love hearing about then olden days!

Fond memories of passing Forever around the class in year 7 and giggling at Ralph.

Teacher caught us and went insane.

Tiger Eyes was really sad, I’d probably struggle to read it now! I loved ‘Just as long as we’re together’ and the ‘Fudge’ books. All the mums used to regularly phone each other if they thought there was anything unsuitable, my friends older sister had ‘Forever’ and her mum phoned round to tell the other mums how bad it was! It actually in the adult section at my local library 😬.

I still love them and my dd loves them too - she's 13 haven't yet told her about forever but she's read most of the others . I think my favourite one is still 'are you there god it's me Margaret '. But remember loving 'it's not the end of the world ' 'deenie' and 'tiger eyes'. I remember trying to write books in her style as a teenager. I always wanted to go to New York delis and parties in dens and basements
Also love some of her adult fiction. - summer sisters is brilliant and the recent one 'in the unlikely event'

Oh god, this post should have a trigger warning for those of us who’ve had a glass of wine. Now have a full book basket of nostalgia 🐯 👀

Paula Danziger !! Never see those anywhere/ just googled and they don't seem to have got the Judy Blume rebrand still look very 80s

I was more into Paul Zindell as a teen in the 80s, but I do think they stand the test of time (his and Blume's). Teens are teens are teens. Forever.

I loved Deenie and Are You There God. My father died in an accident and I was given Tiger Eyes, I felt that book deeply.

Sometimes when I'm getting dressed in the morning my mind sings 'I must, I must, I must increase my bust!'