Let's Bust a Recap : Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

To close out Library Week here on the blog, we're talking about the last library book I have in my To Be Blogged pile (for now). The 1970 classic Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. 

(Sidenote: I just Googled National Library Week and it was actually April 23-29 this year. So we're only a month late and actually, that's perfect because that's the week the movie came out.)

And instead of pulling a cover image for the book from the internet, I snapped a quick photo of my movie tickets with these adorable tumblers they were handing out with the tickets at the theater because I 100% checked this book out from the library in anticipation of the new blockbuster adaptation that came out at the end of April. (Tumblers pictured with my iced strawberry-watermelon lemonade because your girl is not much of a drinker.) 

I remember going through a real Judy Blume phase with my best friend when we were in fifth grade. We were the exact demographic for her books, and I spent a lot of time that year under my comforter with a flashlight and a Judy Blume book when I was supposed to be sleeping. As soon as I saw the trailer for the film earlier this year (or maybe even at the end of last year), I knew I'd be grabbing a girlfriend and going to see it, and naturally I needed a refresher with the book before I went. 

In this quick, middle grade read, we meet 11-year old Margaret Simon who is moving from New York City to the New Jersey suburbs right before starting sixth grade. Sixth grade. The wonderful time in a girl's life where she's starting to navigate the tricky terrain of first bras, kissing boys (or thinking a lot about it), and *gasp* puberty. Added to the drama of all this, our protagonist Margaret has been raised without religion because her mother's strict fundamentalist parents cut her off for marrying a Jew, and Margaret's parents don't want to push any religious affiliation on her telling her she can decide that for herself. This leaves Margaret confused and for a school project, she decides to study different religions hoping to find the one for her. The book is peppered with Margaret's frank prayers which typically begin with, "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret." 

The book is so relatable and heartfelt and funny. The turmoil and angst every girl experiences during that challenging time of life is mirrored right back to her in those pages. Leading up to the release of the movie, I saw comments all over the internet from women who loved this book and shared it with their daughters and couldn't wait to go see the movie together. For three generations now, Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret. has been the book for girls to read when hitting puberty. Consequently, since its publication in 1970, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. has been on the American Library Association's list of of the 100 most frequently challenged books because of its candid discussion of menstruation and—the horror—its depiction of a child being allowed to choose her own religion. 

On the flip side, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. was selected by the New York Times as the Outstanding Book of the Year in 1970, Time included it in its list of All-Time 100 Novels in 2010, and Scholastic has this book on their 100 Must-Read Books for Kids. 

Personally, I think this is a great book for mothers and daughters (and sisters and aunts and grandmothers and girls) to read together. It brings up a lot of important talking points on several uncomfortable topics, and if you have a daughter (or granddaughter or niece or goddaughter), and you're having a hard time figuring out how to broach some of these subjects, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. gives you a natural way to do it. 

As for the movie, my sister-in-law Caroline went to see it with me and it was phenomenal. I told Caroline (who has not read the book) that it was the best book-to-film adaptation I have ever seen. Abby Ryder Fortson is Margaret and I will never again picture Margaret Simon without picturing Fortson's face in my mind. We laughed, we cried; it is a total girlfriends movie in the best way. 

So yes, I'd recommend Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. but my recommendation comes with the direction to read it with a girlfriend. Laugh, reminisce, commiserate. If you want the young woman in your life to read it, read it with her and be ready to discuss it. This book is meant to remind you you're not the only one and for that reason, it's better shared. 

What can we talk about in the comments? Embarrassing puberty stories? Ehh, maybe not. ;)