Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret

Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret By Judy Blume Published in 1970, some things may seem dated although many issues are relateable to today.

Margaret and her parents have just moved from New York City to New Jersey over the summer. Nancy becomes her friend and asks her to join the secret club with two other girls. Margaret quickly discovers how Nancy seems to know everything about developing girls and boys and makes her feel dumb about it-all the girls can’t wait to wear a bra and get their periods. Although Margaret’s parents are not religious (mom raised Protestant? And dad Jewish), they want her to find her own religion when she is ready, Margaret talks to God about her problems. At the end of every talk with God, she tells him to make her grow you-know-where. Throughout her sixth-grade year, Margaret goes to church with a couple of friends and to Temple with her father’s mother. This grandmother moves to Florida and Margaret is supposed to visit her over spring break, April 4th. Plans are upset when her mother’s parents decide after 14 years they want to see their daughter and granddaughter, on April 5th. They stopped talking to her when she married a Jew. The cranky, opinionated grandparents stay one day and decide to leave, although it is referenced they planned all along to go to NYC and visiting was just a convenience. No matter because other grandmother from Florida arrives the next day with her new gentleman friend and Margaret is delighted.
*Negatives: At Freddy’s birthday party on boy squirts mustard on the ceiling. The boys and girls play spin the bottle and two-minutes-in-the-closet, where Margaret gets kissed.