Forever

Forever
Judy Blume

New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc., 1975

Annotation: Katherine is about to enter her senior year when she meets Michael at a party. What starts as a mere crush turns into full blown love and Michael and Katherine discover a whole new side to romance. While Katherine and Michael form an attachment and fall in love, Katherine is faced with the hard lesson that falling in love is not necessarily forever. In the midst of her romance, Katherine's friends are also dealing with issues of their own, from teen pregnancy to questioning sexuality. And Katherine's summer away at camp teaches her about feelings and friendships.

Reason for Nomination: I felt that this book addressed a lot issues relating to teen sexuality very well. Blume did not exaggerate on either side of the spectrum, but rather tried to show the reader all the different aspects that can come from exploring sexuality. She did not punish the main characters, nor did she reward them based on certain characteristics. And most importantly, the learning experience and bridge between being a teenager and an adult is very evident in this book.

Genre: Censored/Extra Credit