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Literacy Narrative: Reading Judy Blume's Me

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Literacy Narrative
When I was around the age of eleven, my mother bought me the book Are you there God? It’s me Margaret (Blume, 1970). As far back as I can remember, I have treasured books. I love the way they smell and the way they feel. I love how some authors grab my imagination and suddenly I am a character of their stories. My favorite place to be as an adolescent was not the mall or the movie theater; it was the library. Even today, I can wander around a used book store for hours. It was not uncommon for my mother to buy me a book. However, the book she bought me was anything but common. Reading Judy Blume was an important moment in my literacy development because she discussed the controversial subjects of being an adolescent …show more content…

Growing up there was no internet so I couldn’t Google questions and in half of a second have 25 answers at my fingertips. I grew up in a very small town, in Catholic home and went to a Catholic school from kindergarten through high school. My father was a deacon and we attended mass daily. Yes, I said daily. My mother’s approach to teaching me about periods and teenage sex was to hand me books. She knew I wouldn’t listen to what she was telling me, but if I read it for myself, I would. Blume wrote about playground bullying and unnerving body changes and teenage sex and she wrote about parents’ failings. (Dominus, 2015, p. 1). I didn’t have many girlfriends growing up and had a lot of anger, sadness and a sense of isolation. Blume’s connection to me became strangely personal and she became my confidant. I felt confident that she understood the pact: Blume had gotten there first, and she would tell me absolutely everything (Dominus, 2015, p. 1). After reading this first book written by Blume, it soon became clear that I was going to need to read everything she ever …show more content…

At some point along the way, she inspired me to begin journaling my thought and feelings. The journaling continued through high school and the once angry, sad and isolated adolescent became a happy, personable, social teenager. In my thirties I became the person that everyone came to for advice and for a sympathetic voice. I am still to this day the go to person to help people sort through their feelings and frustrations for friend and co-workers. So many people have said “You should write a book.” During a difficult time in my life, I did just that. This book was not for anyone to ever see or publish, but was a collection of writings and stories of how I became who I am today. Maybe someday someone will find it and believe it is interesting enough to publish. Once again, there goes my

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