Judy Blume per sempre

I came upon this documentary purely by accident, and I'm so glad I did. Judy Blume and her books are inextricably linked to my childhood and for that I'm so grateful. The first book I read on my own, for pleasure, was Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, in 1978 at 7 years old. For the next couple years I discovered and devoured the rest of her catalog at that time. It didn't matter to me that most of her books centered on girls. I also became a voracious reader because of Judy, and sought out similar books only a few authors were writing, like Norma Klein and Paula Danziger.

Apart from the documentary's particular meaning to me, it's really well done and incredibly informative and entertaining. Judy is so humble, sweet, open, and thoughtful. A genuinely caring soul. There's a treasure trove of photos and clips from past interviews, and commentary from some well-known Judy Blume fans. I got choked up numerous times learning about all the letters she's received over the last 5 decades and the special correspondence she has with some of her (very lucky) fans.

The ridiculous controversy about some of her books (which caused libraries and bookstores to "ban" anything she wrote) that's waxed and waned over the years is also explored, and it's inspiring to learn how Judy has dealt with that blowback and still manages to stay true to herself.

Watching this wonderful doc also sparked some great memories, and I learned so much about the genesis of many of her works. An absolute must for any Judy Blume fan and really for anyone who grew up appreciating young adult books that spoke to them about certain things we all do but receive mixed messages about. Highest recommendation!