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Hearing Won't Give In -- Finn Brothers
Judy Blume, Award Winner
Judy Blume is winning the National Book Award, and I'm pretty happy about that. As with basically every literate American under the age of 40, I grew up with Blume's books, like Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Then Again, Maybe I Won't. She's also a poster girl for the fight against censorship, since several of her books are frequent targets for people who never never never want their children to think about things like menstruation or wet dreams (which means, alas, that Judy Blume actually ends up being these kids' first encounters with stuff like that. No wonder kids are confused).
No doubt this award will send another wave of irritation among the literati, who were scandalized last year when Stephen King was given the same award. And truthfully, Blume is not exactly anyone's idea of a brilliant stylist. But countering that is the fact that for literally millions of new readers, Blume's books were the first exposure to complex ideas about growing up, and she wrote about them in a style most everyone could understand. In other words, she was the first line of cultivation for readers. And I think she deserves a lot of credit for that.
Got a favorite Judy Blume book?
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Just ONE Judy Blume book?? Oh man, I don't think that I can pick ... I think that my all time favorite was "Just As Long As We're Together" ... just like the main character, I had two best friends growing up, and actually, ALL of our parents were going thru divorces (mine reconciled and are still together). I also loved "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" and "Otherwise Known as Sheila The Great" ... I really couldn't imagine my childhood without Judy Blume ... I mean, she GOT it ... she was with it, she knew what went on inside kids minds.
Kasey
http://journals.aol.com/ikoiko33/TheReturnofKaseypalooza -
CHEERS!!! Super Fudge is the greatest! Remember the turtle? Got my copies ready to pass on to my daughter.
Didn't she also write Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret. ????? I remember that book starting some whispering at my school. Luckily, my parents didn't censor us from reading materials. Take Care
Cat -
As someone else mentioned, she also has some books geared toward the adult set. Summer Sisters and Wifey are two that come to mind. I've read both and enjoyed them as much as the set of books of hers I had as a kid. - K. :)
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I think she wrote "Ramona Quimby, Age 8." If not, then i am on crack. But either way, I remember I liked it. --Scott
http://journals.aol.com/sekirley/LifeSaver
1/30/08 3:06 PM