Blubber

So, unfortunately I don't have the book on me, but recently I reread Blubber by who else but..... Judy Blume! It was super different than I remembered when I was little, but still fantastic.

The reason I reread Blubber is because I had a run in with book banning at work. I don't feel like getting into big details, but a member of the community genuinely felt that she had the town's best interest at heart when she demanded that a book be removed from my bookshelves. Needless to say, I was bent. That's putting it mildly. It made me think about banning books in general, and I always felt that Blubber was the most ridiculous book to ban on earth. It's always on the top of those lists, and I still think it's crazy. To all those moms out there who feel that they are protecting their children by cutting off everyone's freedom to read - give it a rest - you aren't protecting anyone.

But on another note, this book was way more cruel than I remembered. For those of you that need a recap.....

Wendy is the queen bee of the elementary school. Jill (the main character) is definitely "middle class" in the grammar school hierarchy, and is terrified of Wendy. Wendy leads a campaign against Linda Fisher, aka "Blubber", the class target. The book follows them through the school year, and poor Blubber's demise. A few things really struck me as I was reading:

1. Blubber isn't even the fattest kid in the class! It's all about attitude kiddos - show kids you're weak and they will terrorize and tease you, even if there are other people who probably deserve it more. So not only is Linda a moron for crying so much and all, but what fat or chunky girl doesn't think "hmmmm if I do a class presentation on a whale, that may come back to haunt me in the future". It really made me sad to see how she reacted to the teasing, especially since it really does happen. I don't know, I'm pretty sensitive too, but you have to make it out of the room before the tears begin. That's not just common sense; it's a survival skill.

2. Those kids were AWFUL! One part, in the girls' bathroom, surprised me more than any others. Wendy and her cronies gang up on Blubber in the bathroom (I think) and literally try to take her clothing off just to embarrass her. Did these things really happen? I'm often off in my own world, but I feel like I would have known if geeky girls often got strip searched in the elementary school bathroom. Please let me know if this happens for real - I'm genuinely curious.

3. This book reaffirms my belief that places like the bathroom, school bus, recess, etc. are by far the most dangerous places for children. Overprotective moms out there take note: Kids will hear far worse things on the school bus than in most books or on television. I may be biased due to several years of school bus fear and trauma, but I'm pretty sure it's not just me that feels this way.

4. The reasons this book gets challenged are some real gems, including characters that swear (all very mild - nothing worse than most moms or dads say) and the best - the ringleader of the cruelty never gets punished! Guess what? They almost never do! That's not worth banning - that is reality!

I'm sorry, I know this wasn't a funny entry like I've done before, but I really needed to vent. I've always been very against banning books, but this was the first time I'd had to deal with it in a professional context. Luckily, the board, local media, and community supported my decision to keep the book on the shelf. Even so, I don't like people infringing on the freedoms of others. Don't get me wrong, I totally encourage parents helping their children choose books that they feel are appropriate, but I don't get why they think they get to parent the whole community. I know that she genuinely thought she was doing the right thing, but really, I just don't get it.

So in closing, I will be in a better and lighter mood next time. But in the meantime, I hope all of you go read a book that has been challenged somewhere. You have a lot to choose from. I feel much better now, after writing here and submitting a formal notification of a challenge to the office of intellectual freedom at ALA.

Seriously people, don't fuck with my library :)