Long a prominent presence on the bookshelves of preteen readers, Judy Blume’s Just as Long as We’re Together and its companion novel, Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson, will soon have a new publisher and fresh covers, revealed here for the first time. Originally published by Orchard Books in 1978 and 1993, respectively, and repackaged in 2010, the middle grade books will be relaunched by Atheneum on August 25 in simultaneous hardcover and paperback editions, with an announced first printing of 100,000 copies each.

Justin Chanda, publisher of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, recently acquired rights to both titles, which were redesigned by art director Lauren Rille. Debbie Ridpath Ohi created the cover art for each novel.

Rille and Ohi are longtime devotees of Blume’s work—as readers and professionals. Rille, who has worked at S&S for 18 years (12 of them as an art director), redesigned editions of 10 Blume novels that the company began publishing in 2014, among them Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret., Blubber, Freckle Juice, Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself, and Then Again, Maybe I Won’t

“Getting the chance to work on these repackages was a real ‘pinch-me’ moment!” Rille told PW, praising Blume for creating characters that “are universal and unique. I think, at the heart of it, that’s what makes her storytelling so timeless and treasured. Ms. Blume doesn’t underestimate her readers. She knows that kids are smart, complicated, intelligent, and emotionally run deep, and she writes to that. But designing a book cover for that is challenging!”

Yet that task has been a welcome challenge for the designer, whose team perused the Blume archives for inspiration. “Because there are so many previous covers of her books spanning so many decades and the aesthetics that defined those times, we had a rich visual history to look back on and build upon,” she noted. For the new covers of Just as Long as We’re Together and Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson, Rille said, “We went with an iconic visual, rather than a narrative one. We felt this would allow readers to project themselves more easily onto the covers, and the books, which I think can be really engaging.”

Back to the Drawing Board—Happily

Ohi also played a pivotal role in S&S’s 2014 relaunch of Blume titles, creating the cover art for seven revamped middle grade titles and providing the interior and cover illustrations for chapter-book versions of three other novels. The focus of Just as Long as We’re Together and Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson particularly appealed to her as an artist. “I love how honestly Judy portrays friendship dynamics, especially in these two novels, when kids are still trying to figure out who they are as individuals while the world around them is constantly shifting,” she said. “Especially with what’s going in the world these days, Judy’s books are a much-needed safe space for young readers to explore their own emotions.”

Echoing Rille’s description of the redesign as “a team effort,” Ohi noted, “I did a lot of visual brainstorming with Lauren, assistant editor Jin Soo Chun, designer Hope Kim, and of course, Judy. Because her stories are character-driven, we put a lot of thought into who the characters are, what they care about, and how they and their friendships evolve. The emotional honesty of her stories really guided our approach to the covers.”

Though Ohi finds creating art to accompany Blume’s work “fun and exciting,” she added that it also “feels like a big responsibility: I want to honor the books that so many of us grew up with, while also making the covers feel fresh and inviting for today’s readers. I’m delighted with how the final covers turned out, and I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the project.”

Blume’s reaction to the new editions aptly rewarded the efforts of all involved. “These are two of my favorite books, and I am thrilled with these bright, inviting covers that really relate to the characters,” she said in a statement. “Thanks to Debbie Ohi and everyone for another great job.”

Just as Long as We’re Together by Judy Blume. Atheneum. $19.99 Aug. 25 ISBN 979-8-3471-1672-0; paper, $8.99 ISBN 979-8-3471-1671-3.

Here’s to You, Rachel Robinson by Judy Blume. Atheneum, $19.99 Aug. 25 ISBN 979-8-3471-1675-1; paper, $8.99 ISBN 979-8-3471-1674-4