Many Generation Xers, especially us girls, spent a good chunk of our childhoods/early adolescences with Judy Blume. The author of such preteen classics as "Blubber" and "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" dared to write about subjects -- puberty, bullying, teen sexuality -- that most people only whispered about, if the
y ever addressed them at all.
It's just that kind of daring, of course, that usually gets an author in literary hot water, which is why Ms. Blume ranks at No. 2 on the American Library Association's list of top 10 most frequently challenged authors from 1990 to 2004. Blume can claim five titles on the list of 2007's most frequently challenged books ("challenged" signifying that some person or group filed a formal request to restrict access to the material), a pretty astonishing feat since all of them were published more than three decades ago.
Her most well-known offender, and the book that ranks at No. 13, is "Forever," a young-adult novel that takes a very candid look at two teenagers negotiating a romantic and sexual relationship. It's not difficult to understand why some might question its appropriateness, considering that Katherine, the female protagonist, goes on the pill and has "relations" with her boyfriend. The explicitness of the sexuality -- and, in some people's minds, the implicit suggestion that it's okay for teens to do it -- is why "Forever" seems to have a permanent place in the Banned Books Hall of Fame.
I read "Forever" when I was probably 10 or 11. Honestly, a lot of the details flew thousands of feet over my head. I remember understanding that the subject matter was racy, enough so that I made sure neither of my parents were around each time I cracked it open. My other key memory of that book is Ralph -- the nickname that Katherine's boyfriend, Michael, gave to his penis. I am not sure if I was more surprised to learn that a boy might actually nickname his willy, or that he would choose a name like Ralph. Even then, I thought something like Thor might be a better choice.
As fuzzy as my memory of "Forever" is, I do know this: Reading that book did not scar me, nor did it make me want to go out and get laid as soon as I reached my teen years. If anything, the fact that Katherine and Michael's relationship does not last "forever" may have taught me how important it is to be careful in matters of love, romance and sex. I say may but really, I don't recall. I remember Ralph, but not much else.
And that leads me to an important point about Banned Books Week: As parents, we all feel justifiable concern about the books our children read. But in many cases, kids tend to forget some of the things they have read, or at least not dwell on the details as much as moms and dads do. What may sound like a terribly salacious double entendre to us, for example, may glide right on by our kids without them even noticing.That's why banning books, or any material, is such a dicey proposition. What's offensive is very, very subjective, even within the same household, let alone from family to family.
In case you're wondering, the other Blume tomes that showed up on last year's most frequently challenged books were: "Blubber" (no. 36), "Are You There God? It's Me Margaret" (no. 82), "Then Again Maybe I Won't" (no. 93) and "Tiger Eyes" (no. 94). I read every one of them as a kid and, while some may have concerns about the language or sexual content they contain, not one of them deserves to be banned.
Not surprisingly, Judy Blume has become a vocal opponent of censorship over the years. As she writes on her Web site: "It's not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will never be written. The
books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of censorship. As always, young readers will be the
real losers."
Blume's books may make that "challenged" list every year. But none of them has ever successfully been banned. I think it's safe to say her novels will indeed be around "forever."
More from Banned Books Week here at Babble:
Banned Books Week: Shel Silverstein
Banned Books Week: Kama Sutra for Kids
Banned Books Week: Little Women
Banned Books Week: In the Night Kitchen
Banned Books Week: Sarah Palin
Banned Books Week: "And Tango Makes Three"
