With the new film adaptation out, I thought it would be fun to reread my childhood favorite Are you there God? It’s me Margaret by Judy Blume. I was wondering if it would still hold up. I have been disappointed in the past. I did not enjoy Little Women and O Pioneers! when I read them as an adult. Well, this time was different. I enjoyed this book as an adult reader. I am also looking forward to seeing the new film.
Are you there God? made a huge impression on me as a kid. I was like many young girls, worried about fitting it, worried about growing up, just plain worried. Margaret struck a chord with me. She was just a regular kid coming of age. I never forgot her chorus of “We must, we must, we must increase our bust!”
Not surprisingly, I had forgotten much of the basic plot. I also did not remember any of the other characters. The book is short but thought provoking. There are a few important threads in the story. Margaret is trying to make friends in a new place, she is struggling to decide what her religious beliefs are, and she is worrying about her body not maturing. These are heavy topics, but Blume handles them brilliantly.
Margaret is real, she acts like a girl her age would act (as do her classmates). I really enjoyed her relationship with her beloved grandmother. Having been very close to my grandmother who lived with us when I was that age, I am sure that was something I related to when I first read this book as a kid.
If you feel like going back in time and reliving your youth, pick up this book and give it a reread. I read this book as a passport read – juvenile book genre.
