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Children鈥檚 author Judy Blume鈥檚 book 鈥淭iger Eyes鈥� has been adapted into a movie that will be released this summer. It is the first-ever film version of one of Blume鈥檚 books.

The movie is directed by Blume鈥檚 son Lawrence and will be released June 7. It stars 鈥淎rrow鈥� actress Willa Holland as protagonist Davey and Amy Jo Johnson of 鈥淔lash Point鈥� as her mother, Gwen.

Blume adapted the book for the screen with her son Lawrence.

The fact that the movie is being released by an independent studio, Freestyle Digital Media, and in a fairly quiet fashion (it鈥檚 coming to theaters in a limited release and will be available on demand as well as on iTunes) has been a positive thing, Lawrence told Entertainment Weekly.聽

鈥淭he fact that we had total artistic control is rare,鈥� he said of the filmmaking process. 鈥淔or better or worse, it鈥檚 our movie.鈥�

鈥淲e were able to do this with really nobody watching,鈥� Blume added. 鈥淎nd it looks beautiful.鈥�

鈥淭iger Eyes鈥� follows Davey and her family 鈥� mother Gwen and brother Jason 鈥� after her father, Adam, is shot in a convenience store robbery. The family goes to stay in New Mexico with Davey鈥檚 aunt and uncle as Davey tries to recover from the death of her father.

Lawrence told EW that he first read 鈥淭iger Eyes鈥� when he was in college and that the book 鈥渁ffected [him] deeply,鈥� partially because he and Blume moved to New Mexico when he was a teenager after Blume and his father divorced, and he struggled there.

鈥淭he divorce was hard, and what brought us to New Mexico was a guy,鈥� Blume said of the time. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to get into all that 鈥� but there was the good and the bad and the evil and the ugly.鈥�

Lawrence said it was difficult getting the film made despite Blume鈥檚 fame and the current multiple young adult book adaptations happening at the movies.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a Judy Blume movie,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat should be enough, you would think. What shocked me was that a big segment of the business knew who Judy Blume was but they didn鈥檛 understand who she was. Part of it is that the film business is run mostly by old white men 鈥� and some young ones, too 鈥� who didn鈥檛 grow up with her books.鈥�

Blume鈥檚 writing has been adapted for TV previously, including a version of 鈥淥therwise Known as Sheila the Great鈥� which aired on television in 1991 and the TV series 鈥淔udge,鈥� which aired for two years starting in 1997 and was based off her children鈥檚 series which focused on little brother Fudge and his long-suffering older brother Peter.

The movie deal was originally with Amber Entertainment, but after filming the movie, the Blumes and the company parted ways. They eventually landed with Freestyle Digital Media.

Making the movie with Lawrence was 鈥渢he highlight of my life,鈥� Blume said.