7 Amazing Books by Judy Blume ...

As the first book in the "Fudge" series, "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" is definitely one of the greatest books by Judy Blume. Reading about the adventures of the witty Peter Hatcher and his hilarious little brother Fudge in New York City is always a treat. Judy Blume's comedic timing is always on point. My older brother seems to think that I love this book because I was once a "Fudge" in my own day. He's probably right!

Although it's been years since I picked this book up, it's still fresh on my mind. With the arrival of a new baby comes even crazier antics from the family. As the sequel to "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing," I found this book to be even funnier than the last one. If you take a small peek at any chapter of this marvelous story, you are going to see why there's no arguing that Blume is an exceptional (and funny) writer.

As one of my favorite characters in the series, I was delighted to read Sheila's spin off. One of my favorite traits of the Judy Blume collection is her penchant for creating completely relatable characters; I think it's more intriguing that Sheila isn't the definition of the perfect student and also has bad qualities (such as lying). The overall purpose of this book is to teach children that while no one is perfect, it's important to learn from the mistakes made.

This incredibly honest depiction of bullying will leave you feeling angry, confused and contemplative. This book touches upon the issue that people often avoid discussing when it comes to this cruel behavior. To be specific, sometimes people feel a guilty sense of relief that another person (the unpopular kid) is being picked on because they hope that it will draw attention away from them. While some aren't fans of this book because of the way it handles situations similar to that, I do believe that there are lessons to be learned from it.

Out of all the Judy Blume books I've read, this one stands out to me the most because of the fact that it deals with situations that mirror events in my own childhood. Everyone's experienced a friendship that suddenly turns sour because of a variety of factors i.e. distance, secrets, mistrust, a change in interests, etc. Reading this helped me realize that growing up and moving on is a part of the natural order of life.

This multi-layered story revolving around the friendship/rivalry of two girls from different backgrounds is actually the first book I read by Judy Blume that is aimed at adults. I love the realistic portrayal of their bittersweet relationship throughout the years.

Last but not least, "Freckle Juice" is totally sweet. If you look hard enough, you'll be sure to detect the inspirational undertones that promote the importance of being yourself and not letting your insecurities weigh you down. Who needs a "freckle juice recipe" when accepting yourself for who you are is so much better?

Although I haven't gotten a chance to read her entire collection (i.e. "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret"), the point remains that her stories are perfect for when I want to reminisce about my childhood. Which Judy Blume books are your favorites? Are there any of her books that you would recommend?