All hail Queen Judy Blume! Episode 192 is all about Judy’s most autobiographical novel, Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself. Published in 1977, Sally tells the story of a young Jewish girl navigating a move from New Jersey to Miami in the aftermath of World War II. The novel inspires conversations about Holocaust literature more broadly, how to best capture tragedy and humor simultaneously, old tech, teasing as flirting or flattery, writing about death for kids, our changing expectations for children, and the one language choice Alli struggled with in this book.

Hena Khan is the award-winning author of many books for young readers, including Amina’s Song, Amina’s Voice, More to the Story, and most recently, Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun. Follow her on Instagram (@henakhanbooks) and Twitter (@henakhanbooks).

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