8 Invaluable Lessons Judy Blume Taught Us, in Honor of the New 'Tiger Eyes' Film

Way before the YA category of fiction came of age and became the multimillion-dollar business it is today, there was the genius of Judy Blume, deftly tackling topics that were largely unspoken (at least in my suburban circles), and making any pre-Internet adolescent who read her words feel wonderfully, magically understood. As an 11- and 12-year-old in the early '80s, I devoured Blume's books as quickly as I did a stack of after-school Chips-Ahoy cookies, and frequently wondered how this woman who looked as old as my mom could have known exactly what I was thinking or feeling or curious about. Now, on Friday June 8th, comes the film version of "Tiger Eyes," a kind of heart-wrenching but ultimately life-affirming tale of loss and renewal. What better time to thank Blume for all she taught us?--Beth Greenfield, Shine Staff