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

Blume, Judy. Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Antheneum, c1970 reprinted 2001. ISBN-10: 0-689-841582

Plot Summary
Margaret and her family move from Manhattan to New Jersey just before Margaret begins sixth grade. Margaret believes the family moved to get away from her dad's mother who her parents worry has too much influence on Margaret. Margaret is sad to be leaving her grandmother, even if she does always ask if she has met any nice Jewish boys.

Margaret is not Jewish, like her dad's family. She is not Christian, like her mom's family, either. As a year long project, Margaret sets out to discover exactly what she is. Nothing seems to fit her personal relationship with God, in which Margaret is free to share her concerns and her deepest wishes.

As a pre-teen, many of Margaret's wishes center around being "normal". She worries about her developing body, her lack of a period and her feelings about boys. Margaret and the other members of the Pre-Teen Society keep close tabs on this sort of thing and share their worries together.

At the end of the year, Margaret has changed, but Margaret is also the same sweet, thoughtful girl.

Critical evaluation
Margaret is a very realistic character, who is understandably beloved. Her concerns are mostly timeless. Even her concerns about religion are universal in that they are also concerns about her relationship with her family. Her Jewish grandmother is always  asking if she's met any nice Jewish boys, while her parents discourage her form choosing a religion at all. Blume tells Margaret's story with respect and dignity. Margaret's problems are not fodder for jokes, nor are they treated more serious than they are. All in all, Blume strikes a balance of confusion, anxiety and joy that will be familiar to pre-teen readers.

Readers Annotations
Margaret and her parents move from Manhattan to New Jersey just before Margaret begins sixth grade. Margaret and her friends form a secret club - The Pre-Teen Society where they discuss all of the important subjects. Which boys are the cutest? Who wears a bra yet? Who has gotten her period? And perhaps more importantly, who hasn't?


In school, their teacher has asked them to spend the year working on an individual project of their choosing. Margaret decides to settle the subject of religion once and for all. Is she Christian like her mother's family or is she Jewish like her father's family?

Information About the Author
Judy Blume has written dozens of books for children and young adults and has been awarded many substantial honors. In 2004, she was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. In 1996 the American Library Association selected Blume for its Margaret A. Edwards Award for her contributions to young adult literature. Blume received the Library of Congress Living Legends award in the "Writers and Artists" category in April 2000 for her significant contributions to America's cultural heritage. Blume says that Margaret's experiences are based on her own.

Genre
Realistic fiction

Curriculum Ties


Booktalking Ideas
Menstruation
Secret Clubs

Reading Level/Interest Age
Grade 5-7

Controversial Subject Matter and Defense of Ideas
Some may object to the book's abivilence towards religion, neither upholding nor rejecting any particular religious ideas. However, some readers may identify with the ambivilence and find the book enjoyable for the same reason others find it objectionable.

Some may object to the book because of the frank discussions about menstruation. However, many girls do begin menstruating in the sixth grade. Some girls begin menstruating even earlier. Therefore, to say that the subject is to mature for sixth graders does not apply to all sixth graders.

Why Book Included
I thought it was about time that I read this famous book. I also liked the new cover and think this book will continue to be popular.