Judy Blume - Library Champion

The phrases "beloved children's author" and "Judy Blume" often go together. Generations of readers have loved her books, which include the Fudge series, the groundbreaking Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, and many others. Her books have been a frequent target of censorship attempts, which has prompted her to be an outspoken supporter of Freedom to Read efforts by the American Library Association.

Judy is the spokesperson for this year's National Library Week: April 13-19, 2014.

In an interview with American Libraries magazine, Judy responded to a question about censorship and libraries:

I think of libraries as safe havens for intellectual freedom. I think of how many times I’ve been told about a librarian who saved a life by offering the right book at the right time. Yet librarians often have to be fearless. They have to be ready to explain to an angry person or group why they aren’t going to remove a book just because someone says they should. They stand up for their readers’ rights. Don’t try to threaten them because they won’t back down. They are my heroes.

If you want to follow Judy on Twitter search for @judyblume.  Rumor has she's enjoying this bit of social media immensely!