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Journalist Mark Oppenheimer has chronicled the life and legacy of Judy Blume for a new biography, Judy Blume: A LifeOppenheimer exclusively tells PEOPLE that Blume was the only author whom he “re-read over and over” as a childOppenheimer’s biography, Judy Blume: A Life, will be released on March 10, 2026
Judy Blume is now the subject of a new book!
The legendary author, 87, served as the subject of a new biography chronicling her life and career. Celebrated journalist Mark Oppenheimer penned the “definitive, all-access biography of one of the world’s most beloved literary voices, showcasing a life as triumphant and inspiring as the stories she crafted,” per the book’s description.
PEOPLE has an exclusive first look at the forthcoming biography Judy Blume: A Lifeout in March 2026 from Penguin Random House.
“Judy Blume: A Life” by Mark Oppenheimer.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Oppenheimer, a self-proclaimed longtime Blume aficionado, conducted exclusive interviews with Blume and accessed her papers and correspondence to create a multidimensional portrait of the award-winning author.
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The historian-college professor explores Blume’s middle-class, 1950s childhood in New Jersey, to adulthood when her passion for reading turned into an illustrious writing career. She then penned 10 books in the course of five years, that ultimately “reshaped literature for generations.”
Blume’s 26 novels would cover the gamut of topics from, death, religion, coming-of-age, sexuality, bullying, each of which she encountered herself as a child, and “many of which have never before been unpacked,” the synopsis explains.
Oppenheimer’s book also explores Blume’s “varied relationships and marriages, unabashed sexual experiences and bouts of heartache and loss.” He highlights Blume’s “enduring legacy as a champion of free speech and contemporary literature” and reveals more about the literary empire she created for herself.
Judy Blume: A Life is “a true gift for anyone who grew up reading and loving these extraordinary books,” the synopsis promises.
Mark Oppenheimer.
Sid Hastings/WashU
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“As an 11-year-old boy, there was only one author whom I re-read over and over, and that was Judy Blume,” Oppenheimer said in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE.
“I had no use for dragons or elves — I wanted unvarnished realism, and she delivered. I didn’t yet know the ways that Blume had changed the world of young people’s literature — I only knew that I loved her work. To write her biography has been a dream come true.”
Blume is known for her influential novels, which have become classics that touched millions of readers, including Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Deenie and Summer Sisters.
Judy Blume: A Life will be released on March 10, 2026 and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.
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