Judy Blume writes mostly about ______.

American children’s writer Judy Blume has won many awards. Her books have sold more than seventy-five million copies. They have been published in more than twenty languages. Now the National Book Foundation will honor her with its two thousand four Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Faith Lapidus has more about Judy Blume and her books.
   Judy Blume is sixty-six years old. But book critics say this grandmother has never forgotten what it feels like to be a child. She writes mostly about the struggles of growing up. She published her first such book in nineteen sixty-nine.
   Judy Blume says she writes about real life and real feelings. And she says children recognize themselves and their own problems in her books. These are problems like not having friends, or worrying about physical development, or being afraid to grow up. Some of the children in her books are trying to understand why their parents have separated. Others are not sure about their religious beliefs.
   Not everyone praises Judy Blume, however. Some parents feel that children should not read about some of the subjects that she writes about. Her books have often been removed from libraries or placed in restricted areas as a result of challenges by parents. The American Library Association says five of her books are among the one hundred most frequently challenged books.
   Not surprisingly, Judy Blume is active against censorship. She says people try to ban books because it satisfies their needs to feel in control of their children’s lives. She says they think if children don’t read about a subject, they won’t know about it. She argues that children need to know about ideas different from those of their parents.
   Judy Blume is the first writer of young-adult literature to receive the National Book Foundation Medal. This honor was established in nineteen eighty-eight. It will be given at the National Book’s Awards ceremony in New York City in November.