Reviews
Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume by Jennifer O'Connell
nikkay75's review
2.0
Entertaining to see what other authors thought and makes me want to read a Judy Blume book.
melissapalmer404's review
5.0
Book #84 Read in 2012
Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume
edited by Jennifer O'Connell
This book features a variety of authors detailing how the works of Judy Blume affected them as they were growing up. Blume receives a nice tribute from these authors and acknowledgment that her works were meaningful to slews of readers. Many of Blume's books are mentioned, but titles such as Forever, Deenie and Tiger Eyes and Are You There God, It's Me Margaret receive several mentions.
Having been a huge Blume fan growing up, this was a nice way to revisit some memorable titles. It was an interesting read about how literature can affect readers and stay with readers for years and years. I enjoyed it.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
Everything I Needed to Know about Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume
edited by Jennifer O'Connell
This book features a variety of authors detailing how the works of Judy Blume affected them as they were growing up. Blume receives a nice tribute from these authors and acknowledgment that her works were meaningful to slews of readers. Many of Blume's books are mentioned, but titles such as Forever, Deenie and Tiger Eyes and Are You There God, It's Me Margaret receive several mentions.
Having been a huge Blume fan growing up, this was a nice way to revisit some memorable titles. It was an interesting read about how literature can affect readers and stay with readers for years and years. I enjoyed it.
http://melissasbookpicks.blogspot.com
felinity's review
4.0
I picked this up with some level of expectation, and I wasn't disappointed. Surprised, by the number of women for whom [b:Deenie|37735|Deenie|Judy Blume|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348458671s/37735.jpg|2428922] was so influential, and with fond memories of books like [b:Are you there God It's me Margaret|37732|Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret|Judy Blume|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1388356524s/37732.jpg|4121] and [b:Then again maybe I won't|480359|Then Again, Maybe I Won't|Judy Blume|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348558405s/480359.jpg|1337781], I was reminded how [a:Judy Blume|12942|Judy Blume|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/authors/1195238650p2/12942.jpg] successfully gets inside the head of 11-14 year old girls, giving her audience someone who understood them, someone who could answer their questions, and reminding adults of what it was like. (I wasn't surprised by those who remembered fondly passing a dog-eared, marked copy of [b:Forever|37743|Forever|Judy Blume|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1327962165s/37743.jpg|746503] around in school.)
It's easy, as an adult, to discount her books as "fluff" or light reading, but we shouldn't underestimate their importance in giving a friend to girls with any problems: whether that's growing up, dealing with friends, bullies or both; understanding boys; going through divorce; finding her identity or religion; balancing the needs of various family members; even learning to tolerate an annoying sibling or overprotective parents. She covered it all, and these essays show their gratitude.
It's easy, as an adult, to discount her books as "fluff" or light reading, but we shouldn't underestimate their importance in giving a friend to girls with any problems: whether that's growing up, dealing with friends, bullies or both; understanding boys; going through divorce; finding her identity or religion; balancing the needs of various family members; even learning to tolerate an annoying sibling or overprotective parents. She covered it all, and these essays show their gratitude.
yourfriendtorie's review
1.0
I was so excited to read this book. I recently bought my 12-year old niece the "Best of Blume" 4-book set for Xmas. It has all my favorites: Are You There God?, Blubber, Starring Sally J., and Iggy's House. I was probably fresh from the rapturous online purchase when I noticed Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl in the "People who bought this book also liked.." bullshit section. So I jumped up from my desk and headed to the stacks with my call number, eager to hear what kind of magic Judy Blume had performed in other women's lives. The level of appreciation, devotion, and straight-up nostalgia didn't disappoint. Every time I think that my love of Judy and other 1970's YA authors would make me a great Young Adult Librarian, I catch myself and remember that YA's Golden Age passed at around the same time that classic Prog Rock did. It's an awkward comparison, I know, but I guess I need a YA Librarian to show me the Blubber, the Zia, the Dicey's Song of the current generation. But, I digress...
I couldn't figure out why I was getting so irritated with the writing of each of these essays until I was about a third of the way through the book. Then I realized that nearly every single one of the contributors is a "chick lit" or millennial YA author. No disrespect to y'all who are into that sort of thing, but once I caught on I knew there was no way I could finish the book, which was beginning to get repetitive anyway. I left it half-finished and never looked back, knowing that my feelings for J.B. didn't need to be validated anyway.
I couldn't figure out why I was getting so irritated with the writing of each of these essays until I was about a third of the way through the book. Then I realized that nearly every single one of the contributors is a "chick lit" or millennial YA author. No disrespect to y'all who are into that sort of thing, but once I caught on I knew there was no way I could finish the book, which was beginning to get repetitive anyway. I left it half-finished and never looked back, knowing that my feelings for J.B. didn't need to be validated anyway.
rachelisblue's review
2.0
Mostly this book made me want to go back and read all the Judy Blume books it references. My Judy Blume days were mostly Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and this book is more about the adolescent girl Judy Blume books like Deenie.
karils410's review
1.0
Typical chick lit: predictably, sex, romance, etc. I enjoyed it though! Easy read. Made me laugh outloud more than once.
drpschmidt's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this collection of essays...some were better than others especially if I didn't get the reference to the particular JB book, but overall an easy and delightful read.
tschmitty's review
3.0
Anyone who grew up on Judy Blume will enjoy this book. It brought back lots of memories. The essayists touched on many of the reasons why Judy Blume's books meant so much to so many girls during the day. The book got a tad tedious after so many of the same books were referenced repeatedly, but still a fun way to reminisce about a beloved author.
sharonfalduto's review
Essays written by current female authors who recount how Judy Blume's books helped them navigate their adolescence, and how those books still resonate today.