Best 144 quotes of Judy Blume on MyQuotes

That's good when you don't know what you're doing. But you're doing it and it's spontaneous and you're not afraid.

That's my anxiety dream. I go to the library and all the books on my subject are out.

The best books come from someplace deep inside.... Become emotionally involved. If you don't care about your characters, your readers won't either.

The child from 9 to 12 interests me very much. And so, those were the years that I like to write about, when I'm writing.

The creative process; I enjoy thinking up the stories and situations for my books.

The parent reads the book. The kid reads the book and then they can talk about the characters instead of talking about themselves. You know there's a connection even if you don't talk about it when you read the same books.

Things change…things happen…things you can’t even imagine when you’re young and full of hope.

We are friends for life. When we’re together the years fall away. Isn’t that what matters? To have someone who can remember with you? To have someone who remembers how far you’ve come?

We weren't doing blow jobs when I was growing up.

What I remember when I started to write was how I couldn't wait to get up in the morning to get to my characters.

When [books ban] happened, I felt completely alone and that was scary and sad.

When I'm writing a book, you can't think about your audience. You're going to be in big trouble if you think about it. You're got to write from deep inside.

When I started to write, it was the '70s, and throughout that decade, we didn't have any problems with book challenges or censorship.

[When I was a kid] I was a surgeon, amputating legs and arms of my paper dolls. And I had a little board with little tacks that I would tack them down to do this.

When I was growing up, I dreamed about becoming a cowgirl, a detective, a spy, a great actress, or a ballerina. Not a dentist, like my father, or a homemaker, like my mother - and certainly not a writer, although I always loved to read.

When I was twelve. And I was going through my parents' bookshelves, I found the most wonderful books and plenty of. Within those wonderful books that were real turn-on's. At 12 or 13, books were such turn-ons.

When you ask, did writing change my life? It totally changed my life. It gave me my life.

Why are we acting as if we're angry. Are we angry?

With "Margaret," I remember clearly it was, you know because I did remember it clearly. I was young. I was young in terms of experience and what did I know about and I had an incredible memory from my own childhood. And so it never occurred to me to write for any other age group. And I thought I'm going to write a book and I'm going to tell the truth.

Without peanut butter, I might starve.

[With "Summer Sisters" the publisher] sent me on a big book tour. And it was the most wonderful professional experience of my life. I mean it was like Kleenex on every table wherever I was, friends patting friends on the back and they'd cry and I'd cry.

[Writing] totally changed my life. It gave me my life. Everything opened up.

You think everything can be magically cured with vitamins?” “Everything but us.

You've got to enjoy whatever you can and forget about the rest.

You've never been in love," she said. "You don't understand." "If being in love means giving up your freedom, not to mention your opportunities," Caitlin said, "Then I haven't missed anything.

Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret. I just told my mother I want a bra. Please help me grow God. You know where.

Are you there God? It's me, Margaret.

Book banning satisfied their need to feel in control of their children's lives. Those who censored were easily frightened. They were afraid of exposing their children to ideas different from their own. Afraid to answer children's questions or talk with them about sensitive subjects.

Censors don’t want children exposed to ideas different from their own. If every individual with an agenda had his/her way, the shelves in the school library would be close to empty.

Censors never go after books unless kids already like them. I don’t even think they know to go after books until they know that children are interested in reading this book, therefore there must be something in it that’s wrong.

Do you think you can wait - because I don't want you to stop loving me. I keep remembering us and how it was. I don't want to hurt you...not ever...

If you aren't any religion, how will you know if you should join the Y or the Jewish Community Center?

I made promises to you that I'm not sure I can keep.

In this age of censorship I mourn the loss of books that will never be written, I mourn the voices that will be silenced--writers' voices, teachers' voices, students' voices--all because of fear. How many have resorted to self-censorship? How many are saying to themselves, "Nope ... can't write about that. Can't teach that book. Can't have that book in our collection. Can't let my student write that editorial in the school paper.

I think the child I was until 12 was so much more interesting than the teenager I became. As a teenager, you get wrapped up in your friends and sexual stuff, and the imaginative life you had, it just goes. And mine was so rich and fun. Fortunately, I was able to tap back into that later on [through my books] to save my life.

...I used to think if you read enough books you'd automatically know how to do everything the right way. But reading and doing are not the same at all.

...love at thirteen is nothing like love at eighteen.

Nights are the worst. You just don't know what it's like for me, trying not to think of [him]...knowing that we're going to be apart for so long. It's pure torture.

Sex is a commitment...Once you're there you can't go back to holding hands...and when you give yourself both mentally and physically...well, you're completely vulnerable.

So many adults are exhausting themselves worrying about other people corrupting their children with books, they're turning kids off to reading instead of turning them on.

Some changes happen deep down inside of you. And the truth is, only you know about them.

...this two-way hatred. I don’t understand it. I wonder how much of it is caused by fear?

What I worry about most is the loss to young people. If no one speaks out for them, if they don't speak out for themselves, all they'll get for required reading will be the most bland books available. And instead of finding the information they need at the library, instead of finding the novels that illuminate life, they will find only those materials to which nobody could possibly object.

Why do they wait until sixth grade when you already know everything?