Places I Never Meant To Be: Original Stories by Censored Writers - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689820348 ISBN 13: 9780689820342

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 1999

Synopsis

Complete with work from twelve censored authors, this book provides a diverse collection of tales for young adults with authors' notes on censorship and the effects it has had on their work.

About this title

Review:

In this provocative collection, Judy Blume, the censors' favorite target, assembles an all-star cast of young adult writers who have themselves felt the pain of censorship. Each contributes an original short story and some highly quotable observations on their own experiences and feelings when under attack. "Where once I went to my writing without a backward glance," writes Norma Fox Mazer, "now I sometimes have to consciously clear my mind of those shadowy censorious presences." The entries range from Jacqueline Woodson's ironic story of a neighborhood's casual acceptance of arson, to Harry Mazer's touching tale of a tough kid redeemed by a little boy's adoration. Two stories are especially intriguing to connoisseurs of teen fiction: Chris Lynch's "Lie, No Lie"--a selection that appears not to have made the cut for his novel Whitechurch--in which Pauly sets his friend up for embarrassment in a gay bath house; and the late Norma Klein's "Something Which Is Non-Existent," a previously unpublished story written in 1959 when this much-censored author was in college. Other stories by Katherine Paterson, Rachel Vail, Julius Lester, Walter Dean Myers, Susan Beth Pfeffer, Paul Zindel, Norma Fox Mazer, and David Klass contribute to this showcase of stellar talent. (Ages 11 to 16) --Patty Campbell

About the Author:

Judy Blume, one of this country's most censored writers, is the author of some of the best known and widely read novels ever published. More than 65 million copies of her books have been sold, and her work has been translated into twenty languages. Her novels for young adults include Tiger Eyes; Deenie; Then Again, Maybe I Won't; and Forever...; her novels for younger readers include Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret; It's Not the End of the World; Blubber; and the Fudge books; her most recent title is the adult novel Summer Sisters. She is a recipient of the American Library Association's Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement.

Judy is an active spokesperson for the National Coalition Against Censorship, working to protect intellectual freedom. She lives in Key West, Florida, and New York City with her husband, George Cooper.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0689820348
• ISBN 13: 9780689820342
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208
• Editor: Judy Blume