Judy Blume
Judy Blume
Judy Blumeis an American writer known for children's and young adultfiction. Some of her best known works are Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Deenie, and Blubber. The New Yorker has called her books "talismans that, for a significant segment of the American female population, marked the passage from childhood to adolescence."...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionChildren's Author
Date of Birth12 February 1938
CityElizabeth, NJ
CountryUnited States of America
If no one speaks out for [young readers], if they don’t speak out for themselves, all they’ll get for required reading will be the most bland books available. Instead of finding the information they need at the library, instead of finding novels that illuminate life, they will find only those materials to which nobody could possibly object... In this age of censorship I mourn the loss of books that will never be written, I mourn the voices that will be silenced — writers’ voices, teachers’ voices, students’ voices — and all because of fear.
A lot of people worry much too much about what their children are reading... If a child picks up a book and reads something she has a question about, if she can go to her parents, great. Or else they will read right over it. It won't mean a thing. They are very good, I think, at monitoring what makes them feel uncomfortable. If something makes them feel uncomfortable they will put it down.
Censors never go after books unless kids already like them. I don’t even think they know to go after books until they know that children are interested in reading this book, therefore there must be something in it that’s wrong.
I love movies, and theater, and kayaking, reading, biking, walking - oh, and dancing. I love to dance!
Are you there God? It's me, Margaret. I just told my mother I want a bra. Please help me grow God. You know where. I want to be like everyone else.
You'd think he was the first person to ever lose a tooth!
One of my concerns is that writers will begin to feel the censor on their backs, and we won't get their very best. Instead their fear, or the fear imposed by the publisher, will limit them. When I lock myself up to write, I cannot allow myself to think about the censor, or the reviewer, or anyone but my characters and their story.
Those who would challenge or ban a book have to find out about it first,
Don't buy anything controversial. We don't want any trouble in our community.
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.
It's all about your determination, I think, as much as anything. There are a lot of people with talent, but it's that determination.
I wanted to write what I remembered to be true.
My only advice is to stay aware, listen carefully and yell for help if you need it.