I have posted about Judy Blume before. She is a prolific author of literature for young people and even a few for adults. National Public Radio did a great story on her recently.
Some of the article is about censorship. That section reminded me of when I was growing up. I was an avid reader. There were quite a few times when I had read all of the books from a particular shelf in the school library and had to go to the public library in town to find more books on a subject. My grandmothers were not very happy that I was allowed to read The Godfather by Mario Puzo. I remember my father telling his mother, “If she only read that book, I might be worried. But she is reading everything in print. That gives her the right to choose for herself.”
So, what do you think about censorship? Did you know there are many Pulitzer prize books that are banned in some schools? I find that really frightening. There are many people who think they are protecting others by censoring what they read. But, if information is the key to understanding others, what do you gain by limiting the information? I am reminded of a quote from Benjamin Franklin. “Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both.”
by Betsy Byars is a book about 3 youngsters who have been brought together in a foster care situation. Each child has a very different personality and a very different reason for being in foster care. Ms. Byars does a great job of bringing these children to life and keeping it real. (She has quite a few other books for young people as well.)