Aldine Scrapbook, Volume 2 (1976 - 2004)

Page 10 Houston Kid Times June 1986 Interview An Interview With Children’s Choice Winner Judy Blume by Sandra Long Judy Blume is just like you’d think she’d be. When I interviewed her she was, in fact, nice, pretty, open, honest, thoughtful, sincere, caring, gracious ... All those things you’d think she’d be. And I guess it’s ‘all those things’ that keep our kids gravitating to her. (Thirty million of them, according to her publishers). For those who might not know, Judy Blume is a writer of children’s and young adult books. A dentist’s daughter, Blume has a teaching degree from New York University and was married to a lawyer for a number of years. They had two chil¬ dren then divorced about 10 years ago. Her first book was published in the late 1 960’s and she has gone on to Literary Superstar status - awards, honors, readers, readers, and more readers. Blume has won the Harris County Public Library Children’s Choice Award every year since 1978. Dr. Seuss won the year before that, the year they began the awards. She was in Houton to accept the Children’s Choice Award at a small mid-morning ceremony held at the Aldine Branch Library with two classes of children invited to attend. “Is it hot in here or did I just get excited?” Blume asked as she came into the back room of the library. Two hours of fielding ques¬ tions from elementary-aged school children had taken only a small toll. Blume was still fresh, still looked energetic and comfortable in a yel¬ low cotton skirt and knit top, espad- rille shoes. “Just let me blow my nose, okay? I refuse to do it in public. It’s too disgusting.” The woman was suffering from a whopper of a sinus infection. Flying around the country on a publicity tour was undoing the work on two decongestants and an antibiotic. “My ears are making the weirdest noise inside,” she told me, pointing to her left one, as she finally sat down across from me, ready to do another in a long series of interviews. I asked first about her new book, Letters to Judy: What Your Kids Wish They Could Tell You. As the title suggests, it is a large collection of letters to Blume and her responses to them. In it, she tells kids stories from her youth and tells Author Judy Blume. (Photo by Thomas Victor/Courtesy of G.P. Putnam’s Sons). Divorce is one of the most stressful life experiences for both children and adults. It is often difficult for parents to manage their own reaction to separation and at the same time attend to the needs of their children. The key to suc¬ cessful adjustment to divorce for children is the opportunity to communicate with others who share similar life expe¬ riences. Support groups are now available. For More Information, Call: Marsha Baumann, M.S.W., C.S.W. 528-0872 Louise W. Raveila, M.A., L.P.C., A.T.R. 521-3324 adults her own parenting tales. “I hope that families will share the book,” said Blume. “This hard- covered edition is not accessible to children. It’s too expensive. But I hope that parents buy it and read it and leave it around for their kids. I hope it gets them all talking.” She went on to say that she gets many letters that start out ‘I know I’m weird but . . .’ “Kids need to know that they’re not alone, they’re not the only one in the world who has uncomfortable feelings, questions, thoughts. Parents tend to forget their own childhood. They need to be more aware of their own kids and what they’re thinking.” Her publishers estimate that Blume gets 2,000 letters per month and some are answered personally. “I have one assistant who truly cares about kids,” said Blume. ’’She’s the first reader on the letters. All of them get a brochure sent to them. Then all the ones that she feels I must see go in a folder on my desk. It gets really back-logged while I’m away but I always respond to the heart-and-gut letters. In fact I spend about half my work days writ¬ ing letters.” All Blume’s royalties from Letters to Judy will go to the Kid’s Fund, a foundation she has established to provide grants to non-profit organi¬ zations for the development of pro¬ grams that address questions of concern to young people. When asked if she has seen a change in the types of problems kids write her about Blume answered that the only real change was an increase in the talk about divorce. “Divorce is really hard,” said Blume. “There’s just no way to make it easy. I know from my own life that at the time that you, as an adult, are going through the worst period in your life, that’s the time your kids need you the most. There are no easy answers. People ask me for advice and all I can say is that I wish I had had a support group to go to with my kids or that the kids had at least had one. Blume said the letters she re¬ ceives helps keep her in touch with “the universality of the young. Everything is new to them.” she said. “They have the same questions about life year after year. The same thing is on their mind as was on my m i nd . They want to know about f am i - lies, friends, death and the pain of loss, sexuality. They’re just learning about life, about getting along in the world. We tend to think of childhood learning as meaning math and read¬ ing. But that’s not the main point of it. It’s really about how life works and how to cope with it.” The only time I saw Blume get the least bit flustered was when I asked how she copes with her superstar status. She was embarrassed, waved the question off with her hand across her face. “I don’t think about it,” she said. “Ask my kids. They’re wonderful in terms of my public life. They don’t read articles about me. Maybe they’ll watch me on the tube, maybe they won’t. “It didn’t happen when I was young. I was not discovered over¬ night. I think that could be really des¬ tructive. If anything, my kids hide who I am. They would never meet a group of people and announce who their mother was.” Does she have any advice for parents? She thought for a minute then said: “If there’s one thing that happens today it’s that we are so (Continued on p. 12) Montessori Morning i Glory if School A community group in а home setting An affiliate of: The American Montessori Society Full day of activity Monday-Friday Open 7 AM - 6 PM Children may attend Vi day or attend the extended afternoon program. Continuous School Year - 12 months accepting enrollment at any time during the year that an opening is available. Children ages 12 months to 6 yrs. old Our Program includes Kindergarten and 1st grade Parent/Infant Class Beginning September 1986 737 Bunker Hill Houston, Texas 77024 (713) 932-0126 Yj X G Y M N A Olympic Style Gymnastics Boys & Girls 2 — Adults Year-Round Program Summer Swimming 668-6001 5756 S. 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