fbpx

KidsKonnect

Judy Blume Facts & Worksheets

Judy Blume is an American children’s and young adult author, born in 1938 in Elizabeth, New Jersey.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /People /Authors /Judy Blume Facts & Worksheets

Premium
Judy Blume Worksheets
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

Judy Blume is an American children’s and young adult author, born in 1938 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. In addition to a career as a writer publishing dozens of books, Blume also worked as a teacher, advocating intellectual freedom and protecting the freedom of all people of all ages to read.

See the fact file below for more information on the Judy Blume or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Judy Blume worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

EARLY LIFE OF JUDY BLUME

  • Blume was born on February 12, 1938 in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
  • She was the daughter of Esther and Rudolph, and has a brother, David, who is five years older than her.
  • Blume was raised Jewish and spent most of her childhood thinking up stories inside her head; she was an avid reader.
  • As a child, she enjoyed expanding her creativity through learning piano, dancing, and of course, reading.
  • She graduated high school in 1956, enrolling in Boston University shortly after.
  • Blume was forced to leave Boston University after contracting mononucleosis, which is an infectious disease that is common in adolescence and is spread through saliva.
  • Blume resumed her education at New York University.
  • In 1959, Blume’s father passed away, and shortly after that, she married John Blume, a lawyer she met at New York University.
  • In 1961 Blume graduated from New York University with a bachelor’s degree in Education.
  • By the age of 25, Blume had given birth to two children – her daughter Randy and son Lawrence; she began to get her creative itch back, so she decided to take a writing course at New York University.

BLUME’S WRITING CAREER

  • When her children were in preschool she began writing again.
  • Her first illustrated children’s book, The One in the Middle Is the Green Kangaroo, was published in 1969, but it took a lot of rejections before it finally got published.
  • She followed this with her first novel, Iggie’s House in 1970, which centers around an African-American family that moves into a white neighborhood.
  • Throughout the 1970s, Judy Blume rose to popularity with some of her most well-known books, including Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (1970), Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (1972), and many others.

PIVOT TO ADULT THEMES

  • By 1975, Blume began dabbling into portrayals of family strife, childhood angst, and other more mature themes.
  • By this time she had divorced her husband and had become quite bored of suburban life.
  • Her divorce, subsequent remarriage, and second divorce provided inspiration for the novel Wifey, published in 1978 about a repressed housewife whose boredom is getting the best of her.
  • She also took inspiration from her children and grandchild during her writing career.
  • In the 1980s she continued writing, and by the end of the decade she had published:
    • Superfudge (1980)
    • Tiger Eyes (1981)
    • Smart Women (1983)
    • The Pain and the Great One (1984)
    • Letters to Judy (1985)
    • Just as Long as We’re Together (1987)
    • The Judy Blume Memory Book (1988)
  • Her books have sold over 82 million copies and they’ve been translated into 32 languages worldwide.
  • Blume has won many literary awards.

CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS AND LATER LIFE

  • Judy Blume’s novels for teenagers examined topics such as racism, religion, menstruation, divorce, bullying, masturbation, sexuality, and family issues.
  • She has used these subjects to generate discussion and bring awareness to the experiences of teenagers.
  • Other universal subjects such as eating disorders, birth control, molestation, poverty, grief, and other issues have also been touched on in her books.
  • This controversy has led to the American Library Association (ALA) naming her as one of the most frequently challenged authors of the 21st century.
  • The controversy surrounding the topics in her books has led to criticism from individuals and groups, and has resulted in many attempts to have her books banned.
  • As a result of this criticism, Blume has been a constant advocate for intellectual freedom and has spoken out against book banning and media censorship; she often cites the adults in her life that were not honest with her about these sensitive topics as the catalyst for writing about them.
  • Blume joined the National Coalition Against Censorship and made efforts to help protect the freedom to read; she also serves on the board for other organizations that advocate children’s book writers, illustrators, and readers.
  • In 2012 her novel Tiger Eyes was made into a film, and in 2015 she released In the Unlikely Event, her first novel in 17 years.
  • Her third marriage to George Cooper has provided Blume with stability and happiness; she resides in the United States and likes to stay engaged with her fans on social media platforms such as Twitter.

Judy Blume Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Judy Blume across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Judy Blume worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about Judy Blume who is an American children’s and young adult author, born in 1938 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. In addition to a career as a writer publishing dozens of books, Blume also worked as a teacher, advocating intellectual freedom and protecting the freedom of all people of all ages to read.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Judy Blume Facts
  • Designing Book Covers
  • Judy Blume Wordsearch
  • Ask Judy
  • In the Unlikely Event
  • Opinion Piece
  • Create a Character
  • Title Unscramble
  • Judy Blume Crossword
  • Author Comparison
  • Design a Medallion

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Judy Blume Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 22, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources