I absolutely LOVED this book.

How is it that I am 25 and just now reading this for the first time? This story had so many similarities with my life at that age. Margaret is trying to decide if she believes in God while at the same time begging him to let her “get it” (“it” being her period). She has the same kind of friends I had at that age, the group with a leader. In Margaret’s case the leader of her friends was Nancy. Margaret also has to deal with her parents and trying to get them to understand the new parts of her life, like how important is it that she doesn’t wear socks on the first day of school.

There is a quote on page 64 that I could totally relate to:

“During this time I talked to Nancy every night. My father wanted to know why we had to phone each other so often when we were together in school all day.”
My dad was constantly talking to my mom about how there was something wrong with me because I was on the phone with my friends the moment I got home from school.

Even though I truly wish I had read this book in 6th grade, I wonder if I would have appreciated it as much then. I know I would have felt an intense connection with the story, but I don’t know if I would have realized all the similarities at the time. Would I have loved it just because it felt familiar? I will never know but I am glad I finally read it. Now I am going to have to read more Judy Blume. ( )

During the summer after fifth grade, Margaret Simon and her parents move from New York City to the suburbs in New Jersey. Margaret makes new friends and adjusts fairly quickly. She and her friends worry about boys, bras and their periods.

Margaret’s father is Jewish and her mother is Christian and they’ve decided that Margaret should decide what religion she wants to be when “she’s old enough.” The problem is, she’s never been exposed to any religion so she knows nothing about any of them. When Margaret has a lot on her mind, she talks to God, but never knows what to say when people ask her about religion.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume is the story of the ups and downs of Margaret Simon’s sixth grade year. I read this book for the first time for The Shelf Discovery Challenge. In her essay for Shelf Discovery, Meg Cabot describes this book by saying, “It’s all delicious stuff, deftly and humorously handled,” and I couldn’t agree more. I loved this book and just adored the character of Margaret. She is so real and just brought back junior high so vividly – those insecure years when you do silly things to try to be “normal.” I could really relate to Margaret and my heart went out to her. I felt proud of her as she learned from her mistakes and grew as a person. I think young girls would adore this book because it would serve as a reminder that even though they feel awkward and unsure of themselves, they’re really normal for their age.

Unbelievably, this book is on the list of the top 100 challenged books of 1990 – 2000, and for the life of me, I can’t understand why. There is nothing remotely offensive or suggestive in this book. If I had a young daughter, this is exactly the kind of book I would want her to read. ( )

Banned Book. A must book to read! ( )

Based around the life of young, 13 year old Margaret, who is trying to figure out her own pre-teen body and how to fit into her peer group. Margaret's family has just moved from NYC into the suburbs in New Jersey. She is faced by girls who have "blossomed" at a very young age, while she still feels like a walking board. Not only does Margaret struggle with her body perceptions (that include getting her period), but she also struggles to know what religion she should belong to. Thanks to a Christian mother and Jewish father who have chosen to raise Margaret as no religion, she feels a lot of stress in deciding what world she should belong to.

Admittedly, I read this book because I surprisingly had not read a Judy Blume book during my teen years, and wondered why this particular novel appeared on so many "Challenged Books" lists. I really don't think that this book should be a threat to anyone, nor something to worry about having a young girl read. While I might not have been as cognizant of my body as Margaret was, I can relate to thinking even in a very obscure way, many of the thoughts she expressed here. Honestly, I think this is an excellent introduction into the transformation and confusion faced by young girls entering into puberty. ( )

This girl just moved to a new place and she doesnt fit in! She eventually get's friends and I really liked this book! This book is sad, funny, and interesting! ( )