The 70s and 80s brought us Judy Blume who gave the kids stories they needed and wanted to read about their lives, their fears, and questions about themselves. She was honest without being preachy, fun without being too silly. She got kids and their trials in growing up in this messed up world.

I’d argue that Lauren Myracle is the 2000s answer to Judy Blume.

Her Winnie Years series focuses on four years in the life of Winnie Perry from her tenth birthday to her thirteenth. You can see a clear progression from the wacky, spazzy ten year old who doesn’t care what people think to the unsure tween looking for new friends after her bestie dumped her for elusive popularity and the still unsure, but more aware teenager with a solid crowd and high hopes for the future despite the inevitablity of change.

Myracle has a deft touch in getting inside the mind of a teen girl who is at once confident in what she wants and what she believes in to the wildly veering mood swings and moments of oblivious immaturity. She fights with her big sister while simultaneously idolizing her cool teen life, she can be a bad friend, bowed by peer pressure but she always tries her best in the end. Myracle gets how the little things seem like huge deals and moments of insight where Winnie realizes how big the world is, parents are human, and that life is made of good and bad-hopefully more good.

I think Myracle was inspired by Judy Blume tooo as she has Winnie reading Then Again, Maybe I Won’t and referring to Blume books when she wants to feel more adult and feel like someone gets her.

Plus The Winnie Years can be very funny especially the final book as Winnie struggles to return a kidnapped penguin and just the hilarious banter whipping back and forth among family members. Plus I get a huge dose of nostalgia seeing early 200s happenings like the amazement over the first iPhone, and Twilight and Phineas and Ferb.

Luv Ya Bunches is for the younger set, and a takeoff of her high school internet girls series focusing on four lower school friends who have their own chat space (remember when that used to be a big thing) as they accomplish lower school hijinks like matchmaking their teachers, first crushes and fighting against the mean girls, Modessa and Natalie. A nice way to ease in your kid or younger sibling into Myracle’s bubbly style so they’re hooked to have more from her.

Which is why I’m shocked that more libraries don’t carry her. Maybe it’s just my town, but we need more Myracle appreciation.