Blume received the award (then called the School Library Journal Award) from the American Library Association for lasting contribution to YA literature.
In April 1982, Judy Blume was presented with what would become known as the Margaret A. Edwards Award, at the time called the School Library Journal Award, by the American Library Association. The award recognizes an author's significant and lasting contribution to writing for teens, honoring a body of work rather than a single title.
This recognition was particularly meaningful given the intense controversy surrounding Blume's books throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Novels such as Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Deenie, and Forever... were frequently challenged and banned in schools and libraries across the United States for their candid discussions of puberty, masturbation, and teenage sexuality.
Despite—or perhaps because of—this controversy, librarians and educators recognized that Blume's willingness to speak honestly to adolescents about their lived experiences filled a critical gap in literature for young readers. The award affirmed that her frank, empathetic storytelling had lasting value and had fundamentally shaped how authors approached writing for teenagers.
The Margaret A. Edwards Award, established in 1988 and retroactively named, would go on to honor other major YA authors, but Blume's early recognition in this category (before the award bore its permanent name) underscored her foundational role in defining what young adult literature could and should address.