Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret

by Judy Blume

This is another book I picked up to release during Banned Books Week. Several of Blume’s books appear on the list of the most challenged books of 1999-2000, which is a complete mystery to me. I remember reading Blume’s books as a kid, and loving everyone one of them. This, however, was one I hadn’t read before.

Margaret is an 11-year-old girl with a Jewish father and Christian mother. Her parents gave up their religions when they married, and have been cut-off from her mother’s parents. Her father’s mother, however, has stuck by the family, and looks at Margaret as “her Margaret”. Margaret has grown up without a religion, which didn’t matter until her family moved to a suburb of New York where the girls talk about going to Sunday School or the Jewish Youth Center. Margaret is confused about where she belongs and her parents are no help.

We follow Margaret through her sixth grade year, anticipating “developing” and her first period. She also attends temple for the first time with her Grandmother for Rosh Hoshanna and church with a friend for Christmas Eve services.

As with most of Blume’s books, this as a good, honest coming-of-age tale for girls.