Judy Blume (Greenwood Biographies Series) »

KATHLEEN TRACY is a Los Angeles-based journalist. She is the author of over 20 titles, including Elvis Presley: A Biography (2006).

Judy Blume is one of the most popular authors of children's and young adult fiction in American history. For over 30 years, her books and career have withstood the test of time and she continues to resonate with new generations of young readers. While she is arguably one of the most important authors of the twentieth century, she is also one of the most banned. What is perhaps the most surprising aspect of Blume's career is that despite today's proliferation of cable channels and easy Internet access, books of hers written decades ago about every day life events that all teenagers experience still manage to find themselves at the center of censorship debates. Rather than change her style, the efforts to censor her books turned Blume into an activist and champion for the First Amendment. Inside this biography Kathleen Tracy explores the life and career of Judy Blume, one of the most successful-and most controversial-authors of twentieth century.

In addition to tracing the events of Bloom's life, this engaging biography discusses historic and current censorship issues in classrooms and libraries across the country. Her association with the National Coalition Against Censorship, a group that Blume says changed her life, as did her friendship with the organization's longtime director, Leanne Katz, is examined in detail as well as how libraries, teachers, publishers and grass-roots activists have responded to the ever-growing attempts to censor children's reading material. In-depth chapters are supplemented with a bibliography of print and electronic sources that provide suggested readings for students and general readers alike. Also included is a timeline, photos, and an appendix of free speech resources.

VOYA

Designed especially for student research, books in this Greenwood Biographies series profile a surprising mix of historic and popular culture figures, dead and alive, famous and infamous. From Sylvia Plath to Stephen King to The Notorious B.I.G., the biographies are written in an accessible style without talking down to the young adult audience or shying away from more complicated issues. In LeBron James, for example, Freedman uses surprising words such as "cognoscenti" and "apoplectic." In Judy Blume, Tracy discusses Blume's failed marriages and others' attempts to censor her books. Each title has a similar format—introduction, time line, chronological biography—but a different author is assigned to each book, so every biography has its own style. Even though some authors are prone to hyperbole—Freedman writes, "By the time LeBron James was a junior . . . he was as well known to basketball aficionados as Meryl Streep is to the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences"—the result is highly quotable material that is perfect for basic student research. The goal of the series is not to glorify the subject, and it is clear that the field experts and professionals who write the biographies work hard at neutrality. Although the biographical facts are not uncharted, having the information in one place makes it a fine resource. Biographies of the living subjects—Barack Obama and Martha Stewart, for example—will become dated rather quickly, but overall the series is well written, user friendly, and provides a quick and enjoyable read. Reviewer: Jennifer Miskec