Abstract

Most often recognized for her bestselling Young Adult novels, or her outspoken support of intellectual freedom, author Judy Blume also merits attention for her contributions to American Jewish children's literature. This article considers the portrayal of Judaism and Jewishness in Judy Blume's adolescent fiction. It examines Blume's two most explicitly Jewish-themed books, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself, focusing on author intent, content, and reader reaction as a means of understanding Judaism/Jewishness in Blume's work.

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