I never knew there was a name for what I do. “And it’s not a word you should be afraid of. Rappoport said, “Does anyone here know the word for stimulating our genitals?” It got very quiet in the gym. The movie opens with Blume reading a shortened excerpt from her young adult novel Deenie (1973): So, naturally I wondered whether Judy Blume Forever (Prime Video, April 21), a new documentary about the life and legacy of the 85-year-old pioneer of middle grade and young adult literature, would hold up to her own commitment to candor. The success of her books demonstrated that kids want and deserve the truth when it comes to understanding themselves and their bodies. Blume’s relatable and truthful stories were so important to my personal development because they normalized topics being speculated about by kids everywhere while being considered taboo by many adults, including my parents. I grew up in the early 1980s, the child of Indian immigrant doctors, sheltered from all of this crucial information and yet unsure of whether to believe the rumors being spread at the schoolyard. It’s due to her breakthrough middle grade novel Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret (1970) that I first learned of the “birds and the bees.” I snuck a friend’s copy into my backpack it awakened my understanding and answered questions rattling inside my 10-year-old self about puberty, periods, training bras, crushes, spin the bottle, and, of course, God. Judy Blume was one of the first adults who was truly honest with me as a kid.

Books like forever by judy blume