Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, edited by Jennifer O'Connell

I've been in a bit of a reading dry spell lately. I can't get into anything I've picked up lately. The only one that looked promising--An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination, by Elizabeth McCracken--is a no-go, just because I can't handle reading about any more dead children. The first couple of chapters were really good, but I'm just not doing that to myself anymore. I can't handle it.

Anyway, I was definitely anticipating the one-two punch of books that I requested from the library: Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue, by John McWhorter (because I am fascinated by the history of English), and the essay collection Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume. My mood dictated that I start Everything first, and so far it's been slightly underwhelming.

When I first learned about this book, I was thrilled. Judy Blume was my favorite author from elementary through middle school. I had no idea that she wrote adult novels (and man, were they adult!). When I spotted my aunt Suzanne with a copy of Wifey at the beach, I excitedly asked her, "Have you read Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing?" She hadn't, but she thought it was a pretty funny question. Judy Blume books started off as entertainment (Fourth Grade Nothing, Superfudge, Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great) and became highly informational (Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret). I'm pretty sure that Judy Blume books are the reason that my childhood aspiration was to live in a New York City apartment and be Jewish. JB affected me so much that, I swear, I almost titled a grad-school paper "Are You There, God? It's Me, John Donne." Suffice to say, I am the target audience for this book.

It's not bad; in fact, I really enjoyed Meg Cabot's (yes, as in The Princess Diaries) take on Blubber, "Cry, Linda, Cry." Her mom bought the book for her when a human Bratz doll named Shoshona started making her life hell, and she used its lessons to stand up for herself. I thought it was a great story, and it's what I expected from the book--women my age talking about how Judy Blume's books shaped their worldview as kids. The rest of the essays aren't as successful. A few of them read like successful authors sharing their awkward girlhood stories and then adding, "Oh, yeah, here's a relevant Judy Blume quote." The great JB deserves better than that!

I must note that I have only read five or six of the essays; things might improve. Even if it doesn't, though, the Cabot piece is worth a read. If my kid ever gets bullied (and God help the kid who does it), I will not only give her Blubber but a copy of "Cry, Linda, Cry."