Forever turns 30
The Guardian talks to Judy Blume about the book every teenage girl read behind their parent's back, Forever. Except for me. My mom bought it for me. She knew what was about and felt I was old enough to read it. I think I was about 14 or 15... maybe? Anyway, we were living in Tulsa Oklahoma back then, which we all know is such an oh so book friendly place, and the bookseller actually tried to talk my mom out of buying the book for me, explaining to her about the teenage fornication it contained. My mother acknowledged that she knew what was in the book and insisted that I was old enough, and mature enough to handle it.
And then she punched the bookseller in the face for daring to question her parental judgement. Ok, no, she didn't. But, yay my mom for valuing my abilities to process the information in this book and not go out and get knocked up.
Comments
Although I had a very sheltered childhood, my mother never censored my reading. Maybe it depends on the kid. I know plenty of people in jr high who had their contraband, dog-eared and highlighted copies of Forever. Mine was on my bookshelf with all the other books I read, since it too, was paid for and approved by my mom.
Posted by: jmfausti | June 10, 2005 09:20 AM
i don't think i ever read it, actually. but my mom never censored my reading either.
Posted by: river selkie | June 10, 2005 06:04 PM
my mom never censored my reading no matter how much she didn't like a book or author. when i was in sixth grade i started reading v.c. andrews. all my mom said was "if you want to waste your time reading that crap, go right ahead." so i did! i even got many members of my girl scout troop to hop on the v.c. band wagon. we'd walk over to the public library in between school and meetings to check them out. (i was not the ideal girl scout!)
Posted by: sarah | June 11, 2005 12:32 PM
ahhh... yes, Flowers in the Attic! A right of passage for teenage girls. Petals in the Wind, and the less satisfying If There Be Thorns.
I think VC Andrews may have been a gateway drug to the less tragic historical romances I got into in high school.
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June 11, 2005 12:37 PM
I recall reading a couple of Blume books, but did not know what all I was reading. I might have been in thrid or fourth grade. Hell, I might have met Ms. Blume at one of those book fairs that I went to for grade school. Fuzzy recollection.
Reading should be a mutual adventure with kids, in my opinion. You should be ready to talk with them on an intellectual level about what they are reading. Never under estimate how mature kids can be. They scare the hell out of me :)
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June 11, 2005 10:14 PM