Forever … by Judy Blume was published in 1975. It was named in NPR’s 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels and Time Magazine’s 100 Best YA Books of All Time.
BANNED in Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Collier, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Hernando, Hillsborough, Indian River, Jackson, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Nassau, Okaloosa, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Santa Rosa, Seminole, St. Johns, Union, Volusia and Walton County Schools
Banned in 29 school districts, Forever … by Judy Blume is one of Florida’s most banned books. The young adult novel sparked immediate controversy for its depiction of teenage sexuality. The story follows Katherine, an eighteen-year-old high school senior, as she navigates her first serious relationship with her boyfriend. Although the couple promises their love will last “forever,” graduation and college threaten to pull them apart.
In January 2025, an Orange County resident submitted a formal objection to remove Forever… from school libraries. The objection cited several pro-censorship platforms, such as BookLooks.org and Library Exposed. BookLooks.org, which shut down in March 2025, was affiliated with Moms For Liberty.
The complainant argued the book could encourage “experimentation with the concepts in this book” and create “confusion.” The individual asserted that Forever… contained nothing of value.
Literary critics disagree. Forever… was featured in NPR’s 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels in 2012 and Time Magazine’s 100 Best YA Books of All Time in 2021. Many readers have praised the novel for portraying a confident young woman, a respectful romantic partner, supportive parents, and a responsible approach to protected sex.
The author of Forever …, a Florida resident named Judy Blume, is an outspoken anti-book banning advocate and member of the National Coalition Against Censorship. In the documentary Judy Blume Forever, she explained the inspiration for Forever … came from her fourteen-year-old daughter, Randy. Randy was reading novels in which female characters were punished for having sex. Blume saw an opportunity to portray young love and lust in a positive light that emphasized female agency.