| Meet Judy Blume | |
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"Talent isn't enough. It takes hard work and determination. You have to wake up every morning and tell yourself, 'I can do this!' Then you have to get to it and work like crazy. That's what I call Girl Power!" - Judy Blume Born: February 12, 1938 Birthplace: Elizabeth, New Jersey Education: Bachelor's degree in Education from New York University (1961) Occupation: Writer |
Have you read about Freckle Juice or Fudge? What about Sheila the Great or Rachel Robinson? If you have, you've read the works of author Judy Blume. If you haven't, get to the library or bookstore and check out her stories.
Judy Blume has written 22 books and has won more than 90 awards. More than 65 million copies of her books have been sold and her books have been translated into 20 languages!
With that many books you might wonder where she gets all her ideas. "Ideas come from everywhere-memories of my own life, including my children's lives, what I see and hear and read-and most of all from my imagination," Judy says.
Judy was 27 years old when she started to write seriously. It took two years of rejections before her first book, The One in the Middle is the Green Kangaroo, was published. Judy loves to create characters and get to know them really well, but she says sometimes writing can get lonely.
"During the summer months (my favorite time of the year) we go to an island. I have a tiny writing cabin there, far enough away from the house to feel very private. I get up early in the morning and work until noon. I wrote most of Here's To You, Rachel Robinson there. Sometimes I wish summer would last all year long," Judy says.
Judy lives with her husband George Cooper, who writes nonfiction. They have three grown children and one grandchild, whose first word was "book!"
If you want to learn more about Judy Blume or her books go to her web site at http://www.judyblume.com/menu-main.html.
