[Editor’s note: Following is the conclusion of an article originally published in The Journal for Better Christian Homes, edited by Robert L. Waggoner in September, 1990. It finishes reviewing books for “children” written by Judy Blume.]
Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great
The theme of disrespect flows through this novel as the title character proves to be a snotty, prideful girl who frequently lies to cover up her fears. She also experiences problems with inferiority which she eventually learns to handle in some measure. Although the story is fairly entertaining, Sheila’s parents do not discipline her—even when she kicks the closet door in someone else’s house and leaves a mark upon it. At other times, she defiantly taunts here parents with the age-old, “You can’t make me.” Unfortunately, they don’t.
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing
Peter Hatcher is a fourth grader, whose main problem in life is his sadistic little brother Farley Drexel, otherwise known as Fudge. Little brother receives more than his share of attention; he fears nothing because his parents refuse to discipline him.
Superfudge
This sequel also relates basically a series of unrelated events. If anything, it was even funnier than the original, and (believe it or not), Farley Drexel gets disciplined when he fails to show proper respect for his new baby sister. Despite the fact that he calls his kindergarten teacher “ratface,” he has toned down considerably, which may be Blume’s answers to problems in life—just leave them alone, and they’ll eventually get better. The book also contains toilet humor and some crude language.
Blubber
Jill watches how the other girls bully the overweight Linda, who is insulted, embarrassed, and humiliated by the class leader, Wendy. Jill takes part in the cruel process, not suspecting that some day she might be the victim. The children do mean and vicious things to the fat girl they call “blubber.” Through a series of events Jill breaks up the class hierarchy, but there are few if any observable lessons.
The kids are characterized as rotten and callous in their treatment of one another; the adults never seem to know what is happening. The teacher leaves her classroom unsupervised (if you can imagine that). Parents are usually so involved in their own worlds they fail to notice what their children are doing or feeling. Such is usually the case in Blume’s writings. Seldom does one find an understanding, compassionate adult in her works. At school or on the bus, discipline remains absent.
The reader cannot help but notice several instances of foul language, unnecessary references to the girls’ undergarments and bathroom habits, passing around a National Geographic that showed a full page of naked people, and poems for the “john” (103). The doctrine of reincarnation is mentioned twice (110, 116). The book’s only strength is that it might prompt the reader to think about how we ought to treat others. It might also encourage consideration about why certain students are leaders and whether or not they should be followed.
Deenie
Deenie is a beautiful girl whose mother is working very hard on her daughter’s behalf so that she can become a professional model. Tragically, she is diagnosed as having scoliosis and must wear a back brace for the next four years. She eventually learns to accept herself and her deformity, but at the beginning of the story she feels discomfort being around handicapped people.
This could have been a powerful and emotional story that everyone would have recommended to young people (and Blume did research scoliosis in order to accurately describe the problem and reactions to it), but the author also decided to present masturbation in a favorable light (59, 90-93, and 147-148). Deenie’s teacher says that it is normal and harmless, but of course, gives no practical advice concerning it or reasons why young people might wish to refrain from it. (The author herself is on record as stating that she frequently engaged in the practice as a young girl.)
Sexual awareness is one of the themes of Deenie; she main character wonders what it would feel like to have sexual intercourse (153). Blume encourages young people to be sexually aware. She seems to want them to know that (in her view) experimentation (without restrictions) is all right. Her position appears to be that sexual involvement is neither right nor wrong in and of itself.
Tiger Eyes
The best thing to say about this book is that if all of the unsavory aspects of it had been left out, it would have made a touching story. In fact, this book may well be the author’s best work—as far as plot and characterization are concerned. The story concerns a girl and her mother who must cope with the violent death of the father/husband. The family departs from New Jersey and lives in Las Alamos, New Mexico for a period of recuperation and a vast change of scenery. “Tiger Eyes” is the name “Wolf” gives to the heroine; he is a teen-age boy whose own father is dying of cancer. The problem of dealing with death is one of the most successful themes in the story.
BUT the vulgarities are numerous and varied; “Wolf” makes a crude remark the first time he meets the “Tiger Eyes,” and she responds in kind. Base humor and similar pointless remarks are included. Comments made about death are not excessively wise or accurate. One person wonders what it feels like to be dead; the other answers, “Peaceful” (9). Later on the comment is made that an afterlife is a nice idea, but it is difficult to believe in (164).
More disobedience to adults is spotlighted; in fact, the adults are usually wrong. In a discussion about sex education, her mother tells her she is too young to know about that (118). (We understand mom’s been through great trauma, but any conscious adult could give better advice than that). The kids drink all the time and drugs are easily available (95). Once again, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages in Blume’s writings. Too many questions are left unanswered, and in most cases, the stories could have been written in a more tasteful fashion.
Forever
This book is classified more as “adult” literature, but it is read by girls in seventh and eighth grades, most of whom are not ready for the explicit sex involved. The story revolves around two young people who grow progressively intimate with each other. Michael’s sister and her husband (who often smokes marijuana) invite him and his girlfriend Katharine to Vermont to go skiing and do not at all object if they sleep together while there. Katherine’s grandmother also holds very permissive views of sex, probably indicative of the author.
In fact, the book not only reflects the humanistic philosophy; it’s pure propaganda for Planned Parenthood, whom Katherine visits in order to obtain birth control pills. The young couple practices fornication but ends up separated over the summer, at which time they realize they do not want to spend “forever” together after all. The reader might think, “Aha! A moral lesson at last! Stay a virgin because you may give yourself too freely to one you will not be marrying.” But no such obvious lesson is intended by the author. And even if it were, the story could have been told more tastefully.
Blume’s message is clear: “It’s all right for young people to engage in sex as long as they protect themselves, and it is part of a meaningful relationship.” This is by far the worst of her novels (for young people). Besides containing vulgar language and graphic descriptions, there is absolutely NO sense of moral value or conscience involved. The book could even be described as “preachy”—not for moral values, but the immoral ones. Blume has endorsed smoking marijuana, premarital sex, and Planned Parenthood. She seems to enjoy telling kids it is all right to do things they ought not to do.
For this reason, we would recommend none of her books, although she did write three for small children that are fairly harmless. The tendency that most of us have is to read additional novels by an author once the first one we try has proven enjoyable. It would be better for young people never to begin to read stories by Judy Blume, lest they wind up eventually being influenced by her secular humanistic philosophy.
[Editor’s note: Although this was the conclusion of Part 3, in Part 4. published in October of 1990, parents were warned about other books and authors. In the past twenty years, much more could probably be written, but the warnings against some are still worth mentioning.
In Rosa Guy’s Edit Jack, the heroine becomes pregnant after a brief fling with a playboy and decides that “the mature thing to do is have an abortion” (105). Surely, Christian parents would prefer that their youngsters read something else (4).
Among those books that opened the door for young people to consider homosexuality were John Donovan’s I’ll Get There, It Better Be Worth the Trip (1962), The Man Without a Face (1972) by Isabelle Holland, and from the same year Lynn Hall’s Sticks and Stones. Rosa Guy chimed in with Ruby in 1976, and Nancy Garden wrote an oft-recommended book in 1982—Annie on Her Mind. Other books promoting this sin are Trying Hard to Hear you, Hey Dollface, Happy Endings Are All Alike, and Bouquets for Brimble.
Three other books for adolescents should definitely be avoided. The first is Go Ask Alice, which, on the positive side, shows the reality of what drug-using is like, but it is filled with profanity. Two sex education books that have been highly promoted are Our Bodies, Ourselves; Planned Parenthood promoted this one for years. Judy Blume’s Deenie could have written it….Another book that was once frequent in libraries is Show Me. Although those who defend against all “censorship” will defend it, most would consider it overly graphic and in poor taste.
Certain subjects should be addressed by parents. Children do not belong to the state, and parents should not relinquish control of the education of their children. Parents are responsible to God for the rearing of their children and ought to be taking an active interest in what the children are taught and what they are required to read. Part of bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord involves overseeing their education.
Christians teach their children at a young age not to accept candy from strangers and are careful to keep poisons away from their bodies. Likewise they need to be protected mentally and spiritually until they can stand on their own faith.]
DELIVERED UNTO SATAN
Stephen Russell
Paul wrote to the Corinthians that they should deliver the erring brother to Satan that, “his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.” This is strong language and it demands attention. We dare not take lightly the business of delivering an individual to Satan lest we find ourselves in danger of judgment.
So what should we do when a brother or sister strays from the faith? Let us note firstly that it is the faith that he has strayed from. It is not his loyalty to a group of people or any individual that is in question but his service to God almighty. There is no place for personal ego to enter when we are in a discussion of fellowship in God’s kingdom. So if it is the faith that is forsaken then it is the source of that faith that we should turn to. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16). It is not man’s wisdom that we should use to appeal but the perfect word of God that is the “power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16). If we admonish a brother without making it very clear to him what part of God’s will he has violated then our admonition is pointless. Or perhaps it is our own will and not God’s that has been violated.
So how does the process work? Admittedly there is no specific way that we are to withdraw. We do find, however, principles that should guide us depending on the specifics of any situation. To begin with, attempts should be made to handle the matter one-on-one if possible (Matt. 18:15). It may be that this will not work so then we ought to take reliable witnesses with us so that every word may be established (Matt. 18:16). The writer here feels the responsibility to point out that the witnesses are to establish every word so that if a man is not reliable to remember what has been said then he is no good as a witness. If the brother still refuses to repent then the matter ought to go before the church (Matt. 18:17). This procedure, specified by the Lord, assumes that the sin was not public to begin with.
It should be a matter of common sense that at this point a reasonable amount of time should be given for the church, who has just been made aware of this brother’s actions, to make appeals of their own to the brother. If there still is no resolution the church must cut ties (Matt. 18:17). It should also be a matter of common sense that the individual being withdrawn from should be notified of the action so that it may have its effect. We would not want to find out through the grapevine that we are to be withdrawn from and this is our brother we are taking this action against (Matt. 7:12; 2 Thess. 3:15).
What is the purpose of such serious action? There are two main reasons given for withdrawal in the New Testament. One is concern for the soul of the one withdrawn from (I Cor. 5:5). The other is for the purity of the church (I Cor. 5:6). If we are withdrawing for any other reason, then it is sin. Withdrawal should not be political nor should it be used as a bullying tool. It is something done with concern for souls.
A final word. If we refuse to fulfill our responsibility in this area we are not somehow going to help the erring brother by continuing in fellowship with him. He will be lost whether or not he is in our church directory. The truth is, we put ourselves in danger of the severity of God when we refuse to act as He has commanded us to. Then there are those occasions when a brother is withdrawn from by those who love the preeminence as did Diotrephes (3 Jn. 9). These men should know that when they withdraw fellowship from godly men, they have not done one thing to change this man’s standing before God. They have, however, considerably endangered their own souls as well as all of the souls of those they persuade to follow them in their sinful behavior.
“But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thess. 3:13-15).
[This article appeared in the bulletin of the Blue Spring (MO) Church of Christ on January 24, 2010, and was edited by Don Boyd.]