Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
The Schmooze

Finally – Judy Blume’s Books Are Going To Be Made Into Movies

Are you there, God? It’s me, a former adolescent, getting in touch to say thank you for this wonderful news, and also we must, we must, we must increase our busts (because it’s never too late for prayer).

This news is better than getting your period for the first time. Better than getting paired with your crush for seventh heaven. Better than if your mother let you trade in your little brother for a nice cocker spaniel.

Living legend and powerhouse adolescent author Judy Blume has written over 30 books. Her debut novel was published in 1969, and her most recent publication was in 2015. Her words have influenced generations. And now, at 80 years old, she is going to option the rights to have them made into movies.

Only two other times have Blume works been brought to the big screen — once, in ye olde days of 1978, with Blume’s “Forever,” then again in 2012 with “Tiger Eyes.” But the idea that her cannon will be available for modern interpretation by major studios is huge. We hope it will make movies that will move kids today and inspire them to ask their parents questions that make them squirm. But more than that, we hope it will move those kids to hightail it down to the library and read some Judy Blume.

This is a woman who can write convincingly about grieving 15 year-old girls one day and then make a toddler character laugh-out-loud funny the next. This is the woman who taught most living Americans under the age of 60 about masturbation. This is a Jewish author who wasn’t afraid to bring faith and challenges to faith into her books for children.

This is Judy Blume at 80. And we can’t wait to see her movies.

Jenny Singer is the deputy lifestyle editor for the Forward. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.