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Letters to Judy: What Kids Wish They Could Tell You
Judy Blume is the phenomenal author who has more than 35 million copies of her paperbacks in print. She has achieved multimillion-copy sales with her adult novels--Smart Women and Wifey--as well as her young adult novel Forever and fourteen children's titles. In Letters to Judy, she answers the questions and worries that concern parents and kids most. Putnam. (Nonfiction)
Hardcover
First published April 29, 1986
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891 people want to read
About the author
Judy Blume
137 books11.8k followersJudy Blume spent her childhood in Elizabeth, New Jersey, making up stories inside her head. She has spent her adult years in many places doing the same thing, only now she writes her stories down on paper. Adults as well as children will recognize such Blume titles as: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Blubber; Just as Long as We're Together; and the five book series about the irrepressible Fudge. She has also written three novels for adults, Summer Sisters; Smart Women; and Wifey, all of them New York Times bestsellers. More than 80 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into thirty-one languages. She receives thousands of letters a year from readers of all ages who share their feelings and concerns with her.
Judy received a B.S. in education from New York University in 1961, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 1996, the same year the American Library Association honored her with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. Other recognitions include the Library of Congress Living Legends Award and the 2004 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
She is the founder and trustee of The Kids Fund, a charitable and educational foundation. She serves on the boards of the Author's Guild; the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators; the Key West Literary Seminar; and the National Coalition Against Censorship.
Judy is a longtime advocate of intellectual freedom. Finding herself at the center of an organized book banning campaign in the 1980's she began to reach out to other writers, as well as teachers and librarians, who were under fire. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with the National Coalition Against Censorship to protect the freedom to read. She is the editor of Places I Never Meant To Be, Original Stories by Censored Writers.
Judy has completed a series of four chapter books -- The Pain & the Great One -- illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist James Stevenson. She has co-written and produced a film adaptation of her book Tiger Eyes, and is currently writing a new novel.
Judy and her husband George Cooper live on islands up and down the east coast. They have three grown children and one grandchild.
Judy received a B.S. in education from New York University in 1961, which named her a Distinguished Alumna in 1996, the same year the American Library Association honored her with the Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement. Other recognitions include the Library of Congress Living Legends Award and the 2004 National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
She is the founder and trustee of The Kids Fund, a charitable and educational foundation. She serves on the boards of the Author's Guild; the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators; the Key West Literary Seminar; and the National Coalition Against Censorship.
Judy is a longtime advocate of intellectual freedom. Finding herself at the center of an organized book banning campaign in the 1980's she began to reach out to other writers, as well as teachers and librarians, who were under fire. Since then, she has worked tirelessly with the National Coalition Against Censorship to protect the freedom to read. She is the editor of Places I Never Meant To Be, Original Stories by Censored Writers.
Judy has completed a series of four chapter books -- The Pain & the Great One -- illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist James Stevenson. She has co-written and produced a film adaptation of her book Tiger Eyes, and is currently writing a new novel.
Judy and her husband George Cooper live on islands up and down the east coast. They have three grown children and one grandchild.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
June 30, 2010
I scored this at a thrift shop this weekend and I was so excited. I was paying for it and I'm telling the guy how excited I was. "These are actual letters written to JUDY BLUME!" I told him and he's like, "Who's Judy Blume?" My mouth dropped. "Are You There God It's Me Margaret?, Deenie, Blubber . . . you know Judy Blume!" Then again, I suppose Judy didn't have the same impact on guys she did on girls.
Anyway, my 11-yo daughter and I both LOVED this book. Some of the letters kids wrote to her were quite heartbreaking, some were funny. I'm going to read some of the letters to my older kids at the library in school next year and talk about Blume's books. She was such a groundbreaker in writing reality-based books for kids.
Anyway, my 11-yo daughter and I both LOVED this book. Some of the letters kids wrote to her were quite heartbreaking, some were funny. I'm going to read some of the letters to my older kids at the library in school next year and talk about Blume's books. She was such a groundbreaker in writing reality-based books for kids.
March 25, 2009
This is a living Dear Mr. Henshaw. Judy Blume compiled it in a way that it addresses special subjects and she reflects on her own perspective of them. She does a great job of giving some good advice this way, but mostly she's stopping after a little frank analysis of what's at stake in each child's letter.
Good if you like: mental health, serious children. I don't know how she does it because just one of these letters going unresolved would break my heart in dozens, but that's obviously the trade-off here for the reward of confidence. And she seems to have resolved them quite often. Even more heartbreaking than those begging to be answered because they don't know who else to turn to, are the kids who say, "Can you please write a book about my problem?" The faith and hope in that request.
In the front, my copy has the inscription "To Lois, Thanks for being there to talk to. Love, Linda. 6/7/86," written two days after I turned four.
Backstory disclosure: When I was about 10 I found this book in the children's section of the library and I took it home. I had a couple days of indulgence before my mother took it away, when I was about 3/4 through. She said that when I was 14 I could read it again, but of course I didn't. (I knew she would ultimately find it inappropriate, but that just made it more important to read; I am the girl who learned "The Truth About Santa Claus" by reading Parents Magazine in the bathroom.)
What's interesting is that I still disagree with this directive, especially having read it all now -- not that I'm a parent, but I think I consider little kids differently than that. I know what really drew me to the book, since I used to try to protect myself and get smarter by learning about everything in detail, subjects way beyond my age or experience. It made me feel more like a person who was going to have a sound future, and less frightened of my own juvenile problems. Reading about the lives of adults or the abuses of history (I read Roots when I was 11), I knew better what was right to believe in and I guess I often needed that extra assurance.
I wasn't reading about problems more extreme or more inappropriate than other things in my life because they were sensational -- well, that was only part of it, since at that age you're just learning what sensational is even like. But I definitely I was also reading because instinct told me knowledge was a kind of power, a defense, and if I knew what types of things I haven't experienced then maybe I will be a safer person, or a sturdier friend. I didn't think it in those ways when I was 10, but I knew I was drawn to something so helpful for an important reason.
Probably I should also have read more issue-directed Judy Blume novels for help with this, but that is another issue. And, there are many times Judy addresses kids directly in this book -- she knew we would want to read what she said about us. As she says in one section, "What kids imagine is usually worse than the truth, so instead of hiding the facts from them, talk to them." What I didn't talk about, I'd read about, and I definitely did so because it made me feel better. She says of a situation with her own mother: "'I didn't want to frighten you,' she said. But there is nothing more frightening than not knowing."
This book is out of print now, but I recommend it highly. It can be found for pennies on Half.com or Amazon, and most likely, still in the children's section of the library.
Good if you like: mental health, serious children. I don't know how she does it because just one of these letters going unresolved would break my heart in dozens, but that's obviously the trade-off here for the reward of confidence. And she seems to have resolved them quite often. Even more heartbreaking than those begging to be answered because they don't know who else to turn to, are the kids who say, "Can you please write a book about my problem?" The faith and hope in that request.
In the front, my copy has the inscription "To Lois, Thanks for being there to talk to. Love, Linda. 6/7/86," written two days after I turned four.
Backstory disclosure: When I was about 10 I found this book in the children's section of the library and I took it home. I had a couple days of indulgence before my mother took it away, when I was about 3/4 through. She said that when I was 14 I could read it again, but of course I didn't. (I knew she would ultimately find it inappropriate, but that just made it more important to read; I am the girl who learned "The Truth About Santa Claus" by reading Parents Magazine in the bathroom.)
What's interesting is that I still disagree with this directive, especially having read it all now -- not that I'm a parent, but I think I consider little kids differently than that. I know what really drew me to the book, since I used to try to protect myself and get smarter by learning about everything in detail, subjects way beyond my age or experience. It made me feel more like a person who was going to have a sound future, and less frightened of my own juvenile problems. Reading about the lives of adults or the abuses of history (I read Roots when I was 11), I knew better what was right to believe in and I guess I often needed that extra assurance.
I wasn't reading about problems more extreme or more inappropriate than other things in my life because they were sensational -- well, that was only part of it, since at that age you're just learning what sensational is even like. But I definitely I was also reading because instinct told me knowledge was a kind of power, a defense, and if I knew what types of things I haven't experienced then maybe I will be a safer person, or a sturdier friend. I didn't think it in those ways when I was 10, but I knew I was drawn to something so helpful for an important reason.
Probably I should also have read more issue-directed Judy Blume novels for help with this, but that is another issue. And, there are many times Judy addresses kids directly in this book -- she knew we would want to read what she said about us. As she says in one section, "What kids imagine is usually worse than the truth, so instead of hiding the facts from them, talk to them." What I didn't talk about, I'd read about, and I definitely did so because it made me feel better. She says of a situation with her own mother: "'I didn't want to frighten you,' she said. But there is nothing more frightening than not knowing."
This book is out of print now, but I recommend it highly. It can be found for pennies on Half.com or Amazon, and most likely, still in the children's section of the library.
June 1, 2011
There was a copy of this book in the libary at my middle school. I can't tell you how many times I checked it our and read this book, this book and the letters these people wrote as well as Ms. Blume's awesome response to them got me through a lot of hard times in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.
May 21, 2009
This is a nonfiction book.
In it Judy Blume shares letters that kids and teens have written to her about their problems. She offers mild advice for both the young people and their parents. Nothing earth shattering on that front.
My favorite part of the book is Judy sharing the darker side of her life. Judy Blume has been divorced twice! Judy Blume once wet the bed at camp and was so embarrassed that she didn't tell anyone, she just made the bed with wet sheets and hoped folks thought the smell was coming from the bed of the confirmed bed wetter next to hers! Judy Blume's brother once ran away for one day when he was in college! Judy's Blume's kids were embarrassed by her when they were teenagers, but now they all get along just fine! Hardly scandalous, but amusing. Judy Blume has problems just like everyone else!
I got this book for free at the end of the Spring '09 Friends of the Library book sale, and I felt compelled to read it. I really need to cut back on the dreck.
In it Judy Blume shares letters that kids and teens have written to her about their problems. She offers mild advice for both the young people and their parents. Nothing earth shattering on that front.
My favorite part of the book is Judy sharing the darker side of her life. Judy Blume has been divorced twice! Judy Blume once wet the bed at camp and was so embarrassed that she didn't tell anyone, she just made the bed with wet sheets and hoped folks thought the smell was coming from the bed of the confirmed bed wetter next to hers! Judy Blume's brother once ran away for one day when he was in college! Judy's Blume's kids were embarrassed by her when they were teenagers, but now they all get along just fine! Hardly scandalous, but amusing. Judy Blume has problems just like everyone else!
I got this book for free at the end of the Spring '09 Friends of the Library book sale, and I felt compelled to read it. I really need to cut back on the dreck.
April 13, 2008
I read this book when I was too young to really understand the impact of some of these girls' experiences. I was curious about a lot of these issues but should have taken some of them up with a trusted adult rather than being introduced to these by a book. I only checked it out because it had Judy Blume's name on it. Til this day, I do not know why the MV library allowed me to check this out-- at 10 years old. Letters that stand out in my mind speak to child abuse, incest and other forms of sexual abuse. I would recommend this book to young and curious adults but do not recommend this book for kids!
March 6, 2011
Such a quick read, mainly because Judy Blume does almost no pro-/prescribing for parenting. I think this is good. It's very much a book about the voices of children, opening up awareness to their concerns and the way they think, and reminding us to be empathetic to their feelings of confusion, idealism, and lack-of-control. Maybe my review seems patronising, but her book really is not. Despite the sometimes-heavy subject matter, it remains positive, solution-oriented, and effervescent. But not in a bad way.
I'm glad I read this.
I'm glad I read this.
February 9, 2017
I had this book as a young adult and I remember buying it in the bookshop, not knowing that it wasn't one of her fiction books. I was intrigued and delighted to be reading letters to Judy, where young adolescents were asking difficult and interesting questions about growing up. It helped me a lot, in the days post- internet, when the only way you could find out about growing up was to ask your mum! Brilliant! I will always remember reading this book under the covers- delighted in its secrets! Thank you Judy.
January 6, 2012
My favorite letter of the book:
Dear Judy,
Please send me the facts of life, in number order.
Fern, age 9
Dear Judy,
Please send me the facts of life, in number order.
Fern, age 9
April 20, 2023
national treasure judy blume. took my time with this and then speedread it before i had to return to the library. actual letters actual people wrote to judy blume. it’s amazing to see how much has stayed the same in teenagers experiences, and how much has changed (the letters and the book book were written before i was born). i thought a lot of the advice was good and has stood up to time. i wish i had a copy to keep!
May 31, 2008
I was never a die-hard Judy Blume fan. But I have done quite a bit of research/studying on adolescence (partially because mine was so frustrating and complicated) and this book has really helped me understand my experiences and opened my eyes to what I might encounter when I have kids.
I just picked it up at the library and couldn't stop reading.
Granted, most of her advice is very advice-column. I think that if a kid who was struggling with being a teenager (as all of them should be, really) and they didn't want to talk about their problems with their parents (as most of them don't, really) then sliding a copy of this book under their door is a good idea... although, I would change the cover a bit so the kid doesn't think you're insane and gives up entirely and never opens it.
I just picked it up at the library and couldn't stop reading.
Granted, most of her advice is very advice-column. I think that if a kid who was struggling with being a teenager (as all of them should be, really) and they didn't want to talk about their problems with their parents (as most of them don't, really) then sliding a copy of this book under their door is a good idea... although, I would change the cover a bit so the kid doesn't think you're insane and gives up entirely and never opens it.
February 16, 2010
“Letters to Judy” is more like a literary support group than an advice book. Blume refreshingly starts out by stating that she is not a psychologist or physician. She does not give specific advice, except to contact professionals and trusted adults when situations appear to be beyond the control of the children writing her letters. Some of those letters are heartbreaking to read, and the resilience of the kids who write is pretty amazing. Blume reassures and shares generously of her own experiences, and never offers for a trite or simple solution. This alone makes this book a million times better than most of the self-help crap out there. While “Letters to Judy” is almost 25 years old and the language feels a bit dated, the topics are timeless and this remains and excellent book.
June 28, 2012
Man Judy Blume kind of seems like a jerk in this book! Like when she's responding to letters from children in wheelchairs, and she talks about how as a teenager she once had a rash on her face and kids made fun of her as if that is comparable? Also, she responds to a girl who writes about being overweight by talking about how hard it was for her to be thin. She also talks about what I can only imagine to be composites of actual people in cliches. Like teen girls who use "abortions as contraception." The letters from the kids are, however, pretty great.
August 10, 2008
This is "parenting advice from Judy Blume" with selected letters from her readers. It's a little old (86), but the problem is that, while the letters are interesting, her wisdom is just okay, so the book overall doesn't really reveal as much as I had hoped it would. I guess I wanted her answers, like an advice column, but it was more her summing up what it's like to be young, with footnotes from young people's letters.
December 23, 2019
The reason I gave this book 5 stars is because of the fact that it really explains some of the issues that kids go through in this world. Some of these kids don’t have adults to talk to and it shapes the way they grow up and it affects their mentality and how they act. A few of these issues in this book I’ve had to deal with or other people I know have had to deal with and this book really helps me understand why things in my life have taken different turns.
April 13, 2016
Okay, so maybe reading a 30year-old-book wasn't the best idea.
Judy comes across as well-meaning but out-of-date. I didn't like that she tells parents how to treat/listen/pay attention to their kids, and I felt she was a little condescending when talking directly to the kids.
But again, 30 years ago, perhaps this was what was needed.
Judy comes across as well-meaning but out-of-date. I didn't like that she tells parents how to treat/listen/pay attention to their kids, and I felt she was a little condescending when talking directly to the kids.
But again, 30 years ago, perhaps this was what was needed.
December 26, 2007
This is a great book, I don't understand why it's out of print. It had a bunch of letters that Judy has gotten over the years and then some stories about her parenting and writing and meeting fans. It is definitely a lesson in working with kids, and some of the letters are hilarious.
December 27, 2015
Some of the letters to Judy are so poignant. Her willingness to continue to correspond with many (who needed direction and a wise advisor) is impressive and heartening. This book gives wonderful insights.
October 18, 2007
This book teaches us about what goes on in the minds of kids...how to deal with them...how to understand them...how we can learn from them. Anyway, at one point, we were all kids, too, right?!
July 30, 2008
Great book for young adolescents to answer many questions they are too embarrassed to ask.
Read
May 13, 2009give this to my kids as preteens!
August 14, 2009
Some letters bring tears to the eyes, but overall, a great read. Very sincere.
January 16, 2010
very moving, sad, and funny... such good insight into children's minds and thoughts, and I loved finding out more about Judy's own life.
Read
July 21, 2010Bought it as I remember reading it as a kid. Still good 20 years later.
July 15, 2012
very sad and sometimes horrific letters
April 1, 2013
I liked it on how Judy interacts with her young readers. It's nice to hear the common issues that children and young adolescents have.
June 2, 2023
This book made up for my having lazy parents when it comes to approaching tough but necessary subjects.
September 7, 2021
Super quick read and offers good perspective. I remember a lot of the feelings kids shared in their letters. I can imagine this would be helpful insight for parents.
July 9, 2024
Judy Blume is wise and kind. These letters from children and parents are eye-opening, and Judy gives good advice.
May 8, 2023
what a trip down memory lane! all those books that meant so much to me, and all the confusion, anger, anxiety, and hyper-emotions of puberty. the utter lack of control we have as children, forced to school, forced to meet every unpleasant and scary person and idea. the bottomless grief of moving, or losing a friend, and feeling so alone in the worst of it. as I read these letters from pre-teens and teens, I both remembered my own deeply-buried teenage traumas and my likely, near-past and ongoing, failures as a parent. I wish I had read this book when my own kids were struggling with emotional regulation and that I had more compassion for them. Ugh. Humanity is so ugly as we go thru it, and so beautiful in the reminiscence.
July 10, 2020
Өсвөр насны хүүхэд, эсвэл насанд хүрсэн хүн байсан ч өөрийгөө бусдаас илүү дорой, эмзэг гэж бодож байсан бол энэ номыг уншаад хүн болгон л ийм асуудалтай байжээ гээд тайвшрах байх. Өөрийнхөө асуудал бэрхшээл сэтгэлийн зовлонг бусдад бас байгааг харах ямар их тайвшрал өгдөгийг чи мэдэхгүйдээ гэсэн байна.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews