SLIS 5420 Are you there God? It's me, Margaret.

Week One: Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret. by Judy Blume

Summary:

     Margaret’s parents move her from New York City, where her Grandma lives and spoils her, to a house in Farbrook, New Jersey, where she is almost instantly befriended by Nancy. Nancy has a strong personality that quickly pulls Margaret in, and their friends create a secret club to talk about bras, boys, and their periods. As Margaret progresses through sixth grade, she attempts to find her own religion (a source of family dispute from her when her parents married), kisses the cutest boy in her grade, and longs for her period as a sign that she is growing up. Throughout her story, Margaret talks to her God, asking him to help her with big issues like finding a religion as well as pleading with him for her breasts to grow, etc. As Margaret grows over the course of a year, the reader is dropped into the mind of an 11 to 12 year old girl in extreme realism that isn’t found in many books for this age group.


APA Reference:

Blume, J. (1970). Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.


My Impressions:

     I feel this book is a realistic look into the mind of an 11 to 12 year old girl. Because Margaret shows no signs of shyness as her story is told, this is the perfect type of book for a young girl who is unsure of herself and feels alone. Margaret shows girls their thoughts and feelings are normal. I feel it is a relevant read for girls of this age. Even if her particular worries aren’t religion, there is sure to be another worry of Margaret’s that she can relate to. I have purposely used only female pronouns in discussing my thoughts on the book since I feel there are very few males, of any age but especially young teens, that would truly enjoy this story. It is hard to believe this book is over 40 years old; the way kids act when it comes to certain parts of growing up hasn’t changed as much as most people would believe.


Professional Review:

     “God and menstruation were two topics mainstream children's books neatly sidestepped until Blume boldly mixed them in this now-classic book. A forerunner of many first-person stories centered on kids, personal concerns.”

Groundbreakers: 25 books that span the decades [Review of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by J. Blume]. (1995). 
          Booklist, 91(19/20), 1760. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com




Library Use:

     This would be a great book for a preteen book club to read in order to get conversations starting between girls who might not otherwise feel comfortable talking about personal thoughts. Sometimes talking about the same topics, but from a character’s perspective, makes it easier.