From WHYY in Philadelphia, I'm Terry Gross with Fresh Air Weekend.

Today, the beloved and frequently banned author Judy Bloom.

The novel she wrote in the 70s and 80s were devoured by young readers, eager for stories

that spoke to their hopes and anxieties about puberty, menstruation, and sex.

Speaking to those anxieties, also letter to become one of the most consistently banned

authors.

In a new documentary called Judy Bloom Forever, she describes how she went from trying to

fit into the role of conventional suburban wife, homemaker, and mother to a literary superstar.

Her breakthrough novel, Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, has been adapted into a new

film which is out in theaters, Justin Chang has a review, and journalist Virginia Sol Smith

talks about her new book Fat Talk, Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture.

That's coming up on Fresh Air Weekend.

This is Fresh Air Weekend, I'm Terry Gross.

Judy Bloom decided to stop writing after the publication of her 2015 book in the unlikely

event, but she's still a big part of pop culture.

A new documentary, streaming on Prime Video, called Judy Bloom Forever, tells the story

of how she went from suburban homemaker and mother to literary phenomenon.

In the 70s, her novels for preteens and teens were bestsellers, but she also became famous

for being banned.

Her 1970 book Are You There God, It's Me Margaret, was banned because it was about an 11-year-old

girl worried that all the other girls were getting their period, developing breasts, and

starting to wear bras, but she wasn't.

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