I went to bed at 9:40 last night. Would have been earlier, but I went to Dawn’s blog and saw her cool jukebox and I wanted one. Played with that for 45 minutes, and after that could barely keep my eyes open to read! I miss sleep already.

I read Everything I Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume this week. It was a collection of essays from women writers about the role Judy Blume played in their growing up.

Some mentioned FOREVER as being the first book they read that talked about sex. REALLY talked about it, with all the terms and everything. I VAGUELY remember reading it, I think when I was fifteen. My cousin in New Jersey had it, I think. The first book I ever read with sex in it was the novelization of the Robby Benson movie ONE ON ONE. My same cousin had the novelization of ENDLESS LOVE, which had a scene in it too, about a ten on the ick factor, lemme tell ya.

Other writers mentioned reading DEENIE, which was about a beautiful girl who ended up wearing a back brace. I never read that one.

Others wrote about IT’S NOT THE END OF THE WORLD, a novel about divorce. I think I did read that one, but since my own parents were going through a divorce, and I wasn’t exactly traumatized by it, it didn’t stick.

Some wrote about STARRING SALLY J. FREEDMAN AS HERSELF. I went to Paperback Swap and ordered this one because it’s about a girl during WW2, and she makes up a lot of stories. Sounds right up my alley.

I remember reading THEN AGAIN, MAYBE I WON’T, which was from a boy’s POV, and talked about the issues boys have growing up and learning their bodies. I remember being SO confused reading it. WHY was he holding the math book in front of him???

MY Judy Blume book was ARE YOU THERE, GOD? IT’S ME, MARGARET. That book was the fifth grade girl bible at my school. I remember being so anxious about starting my period (WHY??) and growing breasts, and I remember when the first of my friends got her period and we were all so jealous. The requisite movie about your changing body filled us with more anticipation, because we understood because we already knew what to expect, thanks to Judy Blume.

I reread the book not too long ago, and you know what? The period stuff wasn’t the main story. The main story was Margaret choosing a religion. Remember, her mom was one and her dad was another, so they raised her without (maybe my mind couldn’t wrap around this concept, considering I grew up going to Mass every day.) Her story was about her search for where she belonged. She WANTED to be spiritual, she just didn’t know where.

I read my class TALES OF A FOURTH GRADE NOTHING and the sequels. Last year I read them OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SHEILA THE GREAT, but we didn’t enjoy that one as well – no Fudge.

What was your Judy Blume book?