Sharp 1

Jason Sharp
Challenged Book Defense: Forever by Judy Blume
I have chosen to be a High School Librarian for the purposes of this assignment and I will
be evaluating and defending the highly controversial book Forever by Judy Blume. I will be
representing Whitehaven High School in the Whitehaven area located in the city of Memphis,
Tennessee. The Whitehaven area is almost exclusively African American; in this particular high
school, there are no Caucasian students or Asian American students and only a few Hispanic
students. The families in this area are generally low income; the crime rate is high and teen
pregnancy rates are high, although not quite as high as other areas of Memphis. Parents are not
typically involved in the education of their middle school or high school students in this area;
some parents are involved during the elementary school stages but typically transfer their
children to higher rated schools in Memphis to provide them with better opportunities. While
Whitehaven is its own distinct area, it is important to take into account the influence of the
Memphis City School System. Sexual education is contested issue in the greater Memphis area
as many parents believe that sex should not be discussed, leading to limited exposure to sex
education in the schools.
Forever details a young womans first love and her first sexual experiences. Katherine is
a high school senior who meets a fellow senior named Michael at a New Years party, with
whom she quickly begins dating. Michael frequently attempts to progress the relationship
physically, but Katherine is uncomfortable performing sexual acts too soon and they wait until
they feel a deep emotional connection before finally having sex. Katherine and Michael both
alter their college plans in an effort to stay together and deeply miss each other when separated,
but are forced to be apart for seven weeks when they each find separate jobs out of state. Despite
Sharp 2
frequent letters and assurances that they will be together forever, Katherine becomes attracted to
a co-worker and kisses him. Michael surprises her at her summer job and Katherine reveals that
she no longer feels as certain about their relationship. They break up and it is implied that
Katherine forms a new long distance relationship with the co-worker from her summer job. Side
stories include a friend who becomes pregnant during high school and delivers her baby shortly
before graduation, a male friend who questions his sexuality and attempts suicide, and the death
of Katherines grandfather.
Forever, released in 1975, has been frequently challenged during the past 38 years. The
most controversial issue today will be the detailed depictions of sexual intercourse and foreplay;
Katherine and Michael are very much in love and engage in frequent sexual acts. Katherine is
sexually inexperienced and frequently rebuffs Michaels advances, so the act of intercourse
doesnt occur until halfway through the book (101) and even then it is unlikely to be considered
erotic. Their couplings are brief and Katherine is frequently in pain or disappointed during sex
while Michael experiences premature ejaculation. While depictions of heavy petting, oral sex,
and intercourse occur at several points throughout the book, it is not the sole focus of the novel;
instead the focus is placed on Katherines feelings towards Michael and on her positive
interactions with her family. The sexual situations can even feel a bit sanitized at times; Blume
uses the euphemism Ralph for Michaels penis which makes the sexual content feel somewhat
removed from reality. For example, a passage that reads I began to stroke Ralph (97) does not
read as graphic as the alternative I began to stroke his penis.
Other sources of controversy and concern include everything from the use of birth control
to mild swearing to abortion. Birth control was a major source of controversy around the time
the book was released, but it seems unlikely it would still be an issue today as Katherine was two
Sharp 3
weeks away from turning 18 when she received the birth control pill. Others may possibly be
offended by the character Artie, a teenager who questions his sexuality and attempts to commit
suicide before being committed to a mental institution. The issue of confused sexuality is
unlikely to cause problems as we never see or hear of Artie acting on this question and it is never
clear if the character was gay or simply questioning. The suicide attempt is only briefly
mentioned and done in a nonviolent way by hanging from a shower rod; the character had been
known to suffer from mood swings and to have some serious family issues so it is not simply
included for shock value. Additionally, there is some swearing in the beginning of the book
although it is infrequent. Fucking (40), Bitch (47), and Shit (48) are each used once
during particularly heated moments and not used again. Marijuana is used by adults, but the
teenage main characters avoid it as Katherine does not like to lose control of herself. Alcohol is
used when the characters turn 18 (as it was legal when the book was written), but Katherine
drinks responsibly and her friends who drink excessively become horribly sick and seem to
regret it. Finally, some Pro-Life proponents may not appreciate Katherine and her best friends
view of abortion. The girls seem to have no qualms about having one: Id have an
abortionwouldnt you? In a minute (140); although those same detractors may be
pleased to see that a girl who actually becomes pregnant hides her pregnancy so as to keep her
parents from demanding she have an abortion. It could be argued that this was a product of its
time as the book was written shortly after Roe vs. Wade was first passed. One could also argue
that idle conversation is very different than actually being faced with an unplanned pregnancy.
These points of controversy must be taken in context. The characters engage in frequent
sexual activity, but there is a heavy focus on how sex without love is meaningless and Katherine
takes her time to ensure that she is not being pressured into something she is not ready for. She
Sharp 4
receives a substantial amount of information from Planned Parenthood and her adult family
members about the physical and emotional risks involved and we see many of these drawbacks
firsthand. Michael had gonorrhea at one point after having (presumably) unprotected sex, a high
school senior becomes pregnant, and Katherine experiences pain and disappointment during the
majority of her sexual encounters. This isnt glamorized Hollywood sex that many teenagers are
accustomed to, this is a book that takes a long hard look at sex and asks the readers to determine
if the costs are worth the benefits.
Although this book has been banned or challenged at several points since 1975, I do not
believe it should still be banned today. Judy Blume has won countless literary and lifetime
achievement awards and in 1996, YALSA awarded Forever with the Margaret A Edwards
Award for its lasting contribution to YA literature (1996 Margaret, n.d.). I think the main
concern is that young readers will confuse Judy Blumes childrens series Fudge for her Young
Adult book Forever, but I am not planning to put this book alongside those excellent books.
This is a book written for high school students about high school students and as such they
should be allowed the opportunity to read it. HW Wilsons Senior High School Library Catalog
labels this book as being appropriate for grades 9 through 12, recommending it as part of a Core
Collection, whereas parent reviewers from Common Sense Media rated it as being for ages 13
and up (Pavao, n.d.). This is not required reading, parents who do not wish their teenagers to
read this book can ask them not to, but parents who wish to use Forever as a discussion tool
should also have that opportunity. Given that children receive limited exposure to sex education
in the schools, but instead are exposed to sex via the media (many watch R rated movies in
middle school) or friends from middle and early high school who have become pregnant, this
book should be made available to all students in my high school. Furthermore, given the rates of
Sharp 5
early high school dropout and the notably young age of teenage pregnancy, limiting the book to
Juniors and Seniors limits its effectiveness during the time when my teens arguably need it the
most. Likewise, requiring parental permission to check out this book will only discourage my
teens from reading it given that explaining to a parent why they want to read a book with sexual
content will likely be too uncomfortable for most of them and they will instead seek less
reputable sources. I can understand much of the reasoning for this book to be challenged in
1975, but our culture has changed quite a bit over the past 40 years and we should look at this
book with fresh eyes in light of our current social climate. This is a thoughtful, intelligent look
at teenage sexuality by an award-winning, established writer and will remain in my collection.

Sharp 6
References
1996 Margaret A. Edwards Award Winner | Young Adult Library Services Association
(YALSA). (n.d.). American Library Association. Retrieved July 31, 2013, from
http://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsawards/bookawards/margaretaedwards/maeprevious/1
996awardwinner
Blume, J. (1975). Forever ...: a novel. Scarsdale, N.Y.: Bradbury Press.
Pavao, K. (n.d.). Forever - Book Review. Reviews and Ratings for Family Movies, TV Shows,
Websites, Video Games, Books and Music. Retrieved July 31, 2013, from
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/forever