Forever by Judy Blume

This is a story about love. Kath and Michael met at a friend's New Year's Eve party. They start dating and the relationship becomes serious. Michael wants to take the relationship to the next level - sex. Kath isn't sure she's ready for sex. Or if Michael is The One she wants to lose her virginity to. Forever takes you on a journey of two teenagers in love, thinking that it's true love, and that they will be together forever. But at the age of 18, can you really find true love? Or is just your first love? One of many "loves" you encounter along the way to true love?

I remember reading this book when I was in middle school. The appeal at the time was that the book contained explicit material; in other words SEX! And bad language. This book was way different from the Sweet Valley High books I was reading at the time. One of my friends had the book and the book was passed around our little group of friends, from one friend to the next. None of us were bold enough to purchase the book on our own. Before Forever, I knew of Judy Blume through her YA (young adult) books - Blubber, Are You There God? It's Me Margaret and Superfudge. I was shocked to discover that Forever was more than just a story about a boy and a girl and teenage first love.

The reason why I thought about Forever was due to last week being Banned Book Week. I perused the list on the ALA's website and saw that Forever was on the list. I couldn't understand why. Yes, there's some language and sex in the book, but as I remembered, the story was more about Kath dealing with experiencing first love and the emotions and responsibility that comes with being in a relationship.  I decided that I would re-read the book. Maybe it was more explicit than I remembered.

Banned Books Week

This week is Banned Books Week (September 26 through October 3). I just discovered this today so I'm late to the game. I went on the American Library Association's website to look at their banned books list. I wanted to see what had been added to the list and to see if any books that I've read was on the list.  The list is phenomenal. There were books that I read in high school and that are considered literary classics that were on that list! What is wrong with this picture! I am so happy that I went to an international school overseas that encouraged the students to explore outside what was on the curriculum. That freedom to chose the books I wanted to read and to discover new authors helped shape the person I am today. I love to read. I have a hunger for it. I can't imagine going a month without reading a book. I hope when Darrius is in high school he will have to the change to discover these works of art.

Here are some of the books on the Banned Books List:
The Great Gatsby (I just read it for the 1st time this spring. And I loved it!)
The Catcher in the Rye
To Kill A Mockingbird (one of my all time favorite book and movie - I loved Gregory Peck as Atticus)
The Grapes of Wrath
Invisible Man
Native Son (this was the first book that I picked on my own to read for leisure. It was not required reading for school)
The Call of the Wild
Go Tell it on the Mountain

And the list goes on. It's sad that there are people out there trying to get these books taken out of our libraries and our schools. These books are Great American Literature.

To celebrate Banned Books Week, I'm going to pick 1 or 2 books from the list and read (or re-read) them. I'm not going to purchase them. I'm going to support my local library by checking out the books. I suggest everyone do the same.  We can not let these books be taken out of our schools, libraries and bookstores.

Here's the list of banned and challenged books for 2008-2009