She’s the inventor of middle-grade literature. She’s the author of landmark books like Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. In 2023, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. In short, Judy Blume has had a profound impact on literary culture.

But Blume’s popularity is even more significant given that many of her books are seen as scandalous for their candid explorations of puberty and sexuality. What makes Judy Blume’s books so offensive to some audiences, yet so beloved to others?

This question forms the heart of Sari Edelstein’s Are You There, Judy? It’s Me, Your Reader, an insightful Audible Original for new and long-standing Blume readers alike. Professor Edelstein examines the enduring appeal of Judy Blume’s books. Over seven lessons, you’ll learn how Blume pioneered middle-grade and young adult (YA) literature and helped to make these genres the global sensations they are today. You’ll identify the themes and motifs that run throughout her books, and you’ll review Blume’s books as literary work worthy of analysis. You’ll also see why the very act of questioning (about the existence of God, the persistence of racism, the unwritten rules of suburbia) is so central to Blume’s vision of coming-of-age literature.

Discover how writers can capture the way young people see the world—and, in doing so, reframe the perspectives of adult readers, as well.