Book Review: The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us by Rachelle Bergstein

Publisher’s description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

An intimate and expansive look at Judy Blume’s life, work, and cultural impact, focusing on her most iconic—and controversial—young adult novels, from Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. to Blubber.

Everyone knows Judy Blume.

Her books have garnered her fans of all ages for decades and sold tens of millions of copies. But why were people so drawn to them? And why are we still talking about them now in the 21st century?

In The Genius of Judy, her remarkable story is revealed as never before, beginning with her as a mother of two searching for purpose outside of her home in 1960s suburban New Jersey. The books she wrote starred regular children with genuine thoughts and problems. But behind those deceptively simple tales, Blume explored the pillars of the growing women’s rights movement, in which girls and women were entitled to careers, bodily autonomy, fulfilling relationships, and even sexual pleasure. Blume wasn’t trying to be a revolutionary—she just wanted to tell honest stories—but in doing so, she created a cohesive, culture-altering vision of modern adolescence.

Blume’s bravery provoked backlash, making her the country’s most-banned author in the mid-1980s. Thankfully, her works withstood those culture wars and it’s no coincidence that Blume has resurfaced as a cultural touchstone now. Young girls are still cat-called, sex education curricula are getting dismissed as pornography, and entire shelves of libraries are being banned. As we face these challenges, it’s only natural we look to Blume, the grand dame of so-called dirty books. This is the story of how a housewife became a groundbreaking artist, and how generations of empowered fans are her legacy, today more than ever.

Amanda’s thoughts

Sometimes I read books for grown-ups. I know! They maybe account for 10% of my reading for the year (I could look at the actual numbers, since I keep track of every single thing I read each year, but that sounds like math, which is not my jam), but I do read them. And sometimes I want to share about them on a wider platform than Facebook, where I chronicle my monthly reads. So, let me tell you about a great book for adults! The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us by Rachelle Bergstein was a solid read. As a lifelong feminist with degrees in both women’s studies and children’s literature, this exploration of Blume’s groundbreaking works and their ties to second wave feminism was right up my alley. Growing up, my two heroes were Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume. I read books by both over and over. In college, I’d often study in the children’s lit section of the library and pick up familiar old friends to read when I needed a break, often grabbing a book by Cleary or Blume (or good ol’ Harriet the Spy, another childhood hero of mine). Seeing those books, and others, through my college-age eyes, and appreciating the art and substance of them, was what led me to applying to Simmons for graduate school. I have never stopped reading children’s books. I have never stopped marveling at the groundbreaking work Blume was doing. She remains my hero. 

This book walks us through her life and career, contextualizing all of it with what was happening not just in the United States in general but in the women’s movement in particular. This is not a book critiquing Blume’s works from multiple perspectives or theories. This is not a book that grapples too much with the white feminism of it all, nor does the author look much at the legacy of Blume’s work in the context of contemporary children’s literature. We don’t get new conversations with Blume or any real personal connections with Blume’s work from the author (or from many other contemporary voices), both of which would have been really nice to include. This book is a look at Blume’s trailblazing works, the paths she took to get there, and the reception of her work, including the decades upon decades of controversy and bans. Those of us who have spent our careers in the realm of children’s literature will marvel at how little things have changed, in so many ways, especially as we stand here in late 2024 with assaults on the freedom to read running rampant all around the country. 

If you need a holiday gift for that childhood friend you always traded books with, look no further.

ISBN-13: 9781668010907
Publisher: Atria/One Signal Publishers
Publication date: 07/16/2024

Filed under: Book Reviews