Surprise, Judy Blume’s Forever was on the ALA Banned Books list…again. I can’t for the life of me figure out why any mother in America would want to stop her daughter from reading this book. I’m pretty sure my mother was relieved.

Over the course of Forever, Katherine meets Michael, they fall in love, have sex, and fall out of love. It’s very traumatic for them, but very instructional for us. (Or at least for teenagers, it’s a bit nauseating from my adult perspective. They’re too cute.) Katherine is able to talk to her mother (and her grandmother) about sex. She goes to Planned Parenthood for birth control and before that she and her boyfriend use condoms. She moves carefully and intelligently through the entire experience. In short, she handles her first sexual experience with the grace and aplomb that wish I had had. It’s a complete birds-&-bees talk with real world references and likeable characters.

But Kath and Michael do pet and they do have sex. That is the point. The sex is described in enough detail that you know what’s going on without being embarrassed. The visit to Planned Parenthood is described in much more detail. Probably because it’s more important.

So why would anyone want to stop any teenage girl from reading this book? I suppose it could be viewed as a blueprint for how to have sex and get away with it, but wouldn’t you rather supply a blue print for getting away with it than to have a daughter with a sexual disease or a surprise baby?




Recommended: Yes