I read FOREVER, by Judy Blume, in eighth or ninth grade (this was the cover it had when I read it). One of my friends got a hold of a copy, and we smuggled it around. This was in the rural Midwest in the early eighties, which shows you that censoring what goes into public libraries doesn't keep material out of teen's hands (see parent disclaimer in my last post...TALK to your kids!)Of course, I gobbled up every word of the sex scenes (just like with every sexual innuendo in Romeo and Juliet when I read it in ninth grade), but the overall message stuck with me also: You may think you're in love and that it means forever, but after the lust has settled, it may not turn out that way.
An important message. And one that, as Taylor Swift's song, Fifteen, shows, is still relevant today.
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BTW, I'm also planning to post this week about how much writing I'm able to squeeze in each day. If you want to join us, the challenge is on Patti Nielson's blog, HERE.
Its a great book and very realistic. One of the reasons I support "anything goes" in YA because the good YA books take characters on these amazing and real journeys. Sex isn't usually glorified in YA, its real. The good and the bad.
ReplyDeleteThe character growth in YA is unmatched by any other genre IMO.
I remember this book and we passed it around the same way. Hiding it under binders if the teachers came near. You're right, it just goes to show that banning a book does nothing, in fact it probably makes people want to read it more.
ReplyDeleteJulie- agreed on the positives of sex in YA being handled in in realistic ways. YA does rock, in so many ways;)
ReplyDeletePatti- So, FOREVER was your dirty little secret too! Even as I wrote this post I was wondering if any of my friends' parents would see it.
Books can have such a huge impact on teens. As a teacher I've had to discuss and defend why I keep certain books in my classroom library.
ReplyDelete@paulgreci- good for you, fighting to keep the books in your classroom!
ReplyDelete