Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume is a coming-of-age story for a young girl on the verge of puberty. This novel is a classic to middle-grade readers way before there was a young adult section of books. This novel is a bit controversial because of the subject of burgeoning womanhood dealing with periods and the development of breasts. The subject of feeling misplaced in religion is also discussed but is less controversial in this novel. I’ll be honest this book wasn’t on my radar at all I was a kid in the 1980s so for me Judy Blume was all about Super Fudge, Fudge Forever, and Freckle Juice. I did not know she had any controversy and was ever banned. I watched The documentary Judy Blume Forever and it made me want to seek out her works, so I started with her first story. The first thing that is evident in this book is the truth, it is something that can not be faked and feels so real. You feel like you are on this journey with Margaret as she finds herself. I understand the controversy of the book, she’s talking about stuff you’re not supposed to talk about only with your best friends or with God because they don’t judge but everybody else does. The reader gets to be both God and Margaret’s best friend. The controversy about the book is the questions that your child could potentially ask “you” the parent. We want to protect our children a not have awkward conversations, that is the biggest danger of the novel awkward conversation. And the big one you might make your little girl think about adulthood before they’re ready. Should we ban the book, I don’t think so, but should it be available for every age, not without parental consent? The sad thing is there are going to be adolescents dealing with these issues who will need this book to not feel so alone and will not be able to read it. The book is a time capsule to that adolescent age that as an adult takes me back to when I was a 12-year-old. The topic of religion is taken very seriously and has some great conversations as a result. Blume nails the mind of a 12-year-old and what she goes through. Judy Blume has called Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
not auto-biographical but the spirit of her as a girl. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret was published on January 1, 1970.

Plot Summary: Margaret has just moved from a New York apartment to a New Jersey house. Margaret who has only attended private school will have to go to public school. Margaret has a Jewish dad and a Christian mother, religion has caused a lot of strife in Margret’s parent’s life, so there is no religion in the house and Margret can pick when she’s older. Margaret makes a new friend in Nancy a girl down the road that is obsessed with maturity and reaching puberty. Margret joins a secret club that is all about femininity and reaching womanhood. In school, they all hate the one girl who has reached puberty and they are convinced that every boy likes her, even the new young male Teacher Mr. Benedict. The teacher assigns the class a special topic that they can pick themselves for a report, Margaret has chosen to do a report on religion and what religion she fits in. In this school year, Margaret will do a lot of growing up.

What I Liked: The truth in the writing is what other writers will kill for. I liked all the consent with the kissing it was nice to see the respect. I liked Mr. Benedict as a teacher who cared. The peep bird scene was great and such a good-natured prank. I liked the respect for other religions. I liked how religion was treated about people’s choices. The thoughtfulness of Margaret’s conversations with God where great and reminded me of my prayers as a child. I loved Nancy’s simplified thoughts on 14-year-old boys they are disgusting and all they want to do is to see naked ladies.

What I Disliked: The ending felt unfinished with Margaret running away from Mr. Benedict when she turns in her project, I really wanted their conversation about it, and I feel a little cheated that as a reader I did not get it. Mr. Benedict feels like the kind of teacher that would not let it go. The Playboy scene now really dates the book and is unfortunate.

Recommendation and Rating: As an adult, I had a lot of fun with this book and it made me think a lot about my childhood. I was not a reader when this book would have affected me. I found the love of reading in college. I hate to see any book banned because kids more than ever need to read. Middle school-aged kids can handle the material but this is a book that needs a conversation, or an open door to have a conversation about it later. I rated Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume 4 out of 5 stars. It was fun reading and reminiscing I will read another Judy Blume book in the future.