Tell us your favourite Judy Blume moment to win Judy's back catalogue and her brand new book

[EmilyMumsnet]

Is there a teen author more beloved than Judy Blume? With more than 75 million books sold in twenty-eight languages, Judy still receives thousands of letters every month from readers of all ages who share their feelings and concerns with her. And this year Blume fans everywhere can rejoice once more - In the Unlikely Event, Judy’s first novel for adults in over fifteen years, is out now.

Did Judy's books guide you through your turbulent teen years? We want to know what your all-time favourite Judy Blume moment is.
Two lucky contributors will win a signed copy of In The Unlikely Event plus signed copies of 4 classic Judy Blume novels, while 2 runners up will also receive the book, as well as copies of Forever, her most loved novel.

You can also take a trip down memory lane, and read our article on the top five reasons why Judy is a Mumsnet heroine.

This competition is now closed. Winners will be contacted shortly

I loved the bit when Margaret gets a kiss from Philip in the bathroom in 'are you there god...'. I think I was about 11 and desperate to think that a boy I liked might want to kiss me. To me the whole scenario was very romantic.

In the days before the internet, I had no idea how many Judy Blume books there were or what order they came in, despite trying to figure it out from the inside covers and was always thrilled when I found one on the shelf at the library!

I remember reading 'Otherwise Known as Sheila The Great' in primary school, and thinking about it for ages. I looked at the other girls sitting around me doing their maths worksheets and wondering how they really felt about things, what their secret fears were - it had honestly never occurred to me before that I was probably not the only one putting on a facade sometimes. It was a deep moment for a small girl!

My favourite moment is from 'Are You There God?..' too: the part where she finds out her annoying friend was lying that she'd started her periods, but Margaret doesn't tell their other friends. Blume is so perceptive and very skilled at writing about the complex dynamics within female friendships.

I read 'Forever' as a teen, but mainly because I was told not to. I didn't have a boyfriend at the time so much of it was list on me, however when I was at uni we did a module on literature for children and young adults, and I revisited Forever.

I'd just split up with the love of my life and my Nan had just died. I sobbed and sobbed for nostalgia's sake more than anything else.

I revisit it often for a good cathartic cry.

I loved forever, read and reread it so many times. Even now if I come across it I can't help but leaf through. I loved the relationship between Katherine and Michael and how it changed. 'You can't go back to holding hands' resonated for a long time!

Oh my goodness, I must not gush, but I love Judy, grew up with her.
The "how will it end", question is something I have talked to my daughter about recently, she's 13 and her having sex terrifies me, I am doing my best to discourage it. I think it's worked so far.
My favourite book ever is Summer Sisters, I have my original copy which I bought in a second hand book shop in Lombok (island next to Bali), and also a hardback copy which was a gift from a friend.
I often wonder how Vix and Caitlin would celebrate the big 40.
And then Davey, every time I read about Santa Fe I want to go based on the description where she buys the candle.

Eek, sorry, that was gushing, but thank you.

Oh my goodness you have just reminded me about "starring Sally J Freedman as Herself". I would love to re-read that as an adult. I remember the girls playing at concentration camps and giving each other fake soap

how poignantly Blume gets it totally right how the parents must be being eaten up inside with worry about their ill son and their lost relatives yet Sally's childhood is still full of... childhood- the hiccups from coca cola, the worries about asking to pee in class, wondering what willhappen to her brother's things if he dies..

My favourite was always Tiger Eyes but hardly anyone seems to remember it. I'd forgotton how much of an effect it had on me until I went to the Grand Canyon at least 15 years after reading it. I couldn't shake this really melancholic feeling in the pit of my stomach and couldn't figure out why. Then I realised it was that the scenery was reminiscent of the book's setting. I felt so grown up reading that book.

I read Are You There God at 12 whilst in hospital for four months in 2006. I was given it as a gift from a much older cousin who gives me every book she reads and loves, and immediately passed it on to my mum to read!

I agree - I must! I must! Increase my bust! was both my and her favourite moment, and since I've gone from C cup at 12 to a H cup at 22, it must have worked to extremes ;)

Oh goodness, I've just remembered when Katherine goes to the gynaecologist and she looks at her cervix! That seemed soooooooo mysterious and adult

I loved the Fudge books. His refusal to open his mouth at the dentist, cutting his own hair, ruining Pee-tah's poster. His brother's exasperation was so well written. You knew that part of him admired his little brother's daring.

I read these to my year 5 class 20 years after I'd enjoyed them as a child. Unlike many of the books from my childhood, they loved them as much as I did.

I fully intend to give the 'teenage' novels to my daughter when she's older. Jude Blume really understands the complexities of female friendships.

I read Deenie when I was about 11. My big sister and I both developed scoliosis (with her requiring serious treatment)..... that book was amazing! I felt like maybe we were as cool as Deenie. One time I met another girl with scoliosis and asked if she ever thought it was kind of cool to be like Deenie - her face lit up!

"This is Margaret, she's no religion" As someone who was nominally CofE (ie Christenings/Weddings/Funerals/Songs of Praise) but had gone to Catholic Brownies/Guides (because I went with the girls down the road when we moved when I was 8), Margaret's search for religion (while really being "I don't know where I fit in this world") really hit me.

I was also another one who did "I must I must I must increase my bust". It didn't work (at the time).

I still cry every time I read Tiger Eyes (I have my original copy).

My school friends and I passed round one Very Dog-Eared copy of Forever...and giggled about the fact that one of our group's dad was called Ralph.

I actually went to a fancy dress contest as a Flenser, too, because I wasn't organised enough to sort my costume to be a fried egg.

I loved them all, though, from Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing to Summer Sisters. I so wanted a turtle as a pet.

Would have to be Margaret, because on re-reading I realised that "period" wasn't just an American word for medical, and eventually asked my mother. Who thankfully explained. I was nearly 11 and never so shocked in my life!

Though I think my favourites were Karen whose parents get divorced and she worries she will never have an A+ day again, and Tony in Then Again, Maybe I Won't, whose parents want him to act like the wealthy family next door but in fact the son teaches him to shoplifting and the older sister undressed in front of the open window so Tony can watch.

Iggies House and Sally just confused me - I didn't get why being black or Jewish was such a big deal (oh, the innocence!) and was especially confused when Iggie's brother said "i want to go back to Detroit where everybody's black" as many of my white family lived there.

I re-read Margarent recently and all the bits about religion and fitting in were clearly the main plot, but I'd not understood at the time.

I loved Judy Blume books as a teenager, different titles helped me in different ways through teenage troubles and worries. I think I particularly like the one about the girl who was worrying her boobs were too small (I think it was 'Are You There God, It's Me Margaret'.) They made me feel like I wasn't alone in my worries. I had a difficult time growing up and these books helped. I remember Forever being a good education in falling in love. The great thing was, I'm not sure my parents had any idea about the content of these! I'm very keen to read Judy Blume's books for adults.

Judy Blume - Forever
A true coming of age book - we all wanted to read it, so our school library issued it on a 3 day pass
We would cram together in the library and read it over each others shoulders, sharing secret giggles

I started reading her when I was 9, so that when she wrote about, for example, menstruation in Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret, I was not yet fully aware of what it was, but when it happened only 3 years later, it stood me in good stead, as there was so much misinformation and half-truths then about sex and so on among teenagers. So reading her books was tremendously helpful. I feel sorry for today's teenagers today, who often get exposed to online porn instead.

I have a vivid memory of doing the quiz from Are You There God, it's me Margaret? At school with my friends aged about 13 and being really hurt by how horrible all the answers were. And really wanting to go to a school where having boobs early made you cool as I just felt like a freak. She did write teenage girls brilliantly.

I still have a little chortle if I meet anyone called Ralph.

I loved them all, but strangely I remember her having a swimmers build in Tiger Eyes. And the but in Forever when is is about to put aftershave on Ralph!

I loved Judy Blume so much and have fond memories of all of her books, but my very favourite ones were the Fudge books.

Best moments?

"I want the same shoes as Peeeetahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

And the baby and the stamps.

Used to make me shriek with laughter, even after countless re-reads.

"Are You There God.." Has to be my favourite. Margaret's jumpers "made expressly for you, by Grandma", the velvet dress and the hair that all curled the right way except one bit which her mother said made it look more natural. And the casual mention of "her (Gretchen maybe?) father's playboy magazine", which was a shock when I realised what Playboy was!

This thread has brought back many memories of books I had forgotten! Like poor Sheila and her "hives" because she was scared of the dog. I never knew what hives were and imagined them as enormous blisters the size of a pound coin or something. Deenie's silky nightshirt. Fudge cutting his hair into the turtle's bowl.

Loved Are You There God. So different for that era. My mum a real straight talker when it came to periods etc loved it too.

But Tiger Eyes was my all time favourite. Such a well written account of grief and loss and love.

Forever! I remember reading the rude bits on a bus 27 years ago on a school trip to sing in St Paul's. I loved them all though, Fudge was a firm favourite too.