I spotted Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. by Judy Bloom and grabbed it thinking my daughter and I could read it before we go see the movie - because the only way to see a movie based on a book is to read the book first. But also because I know it is a controversial book and has even been banned from some libraries. So I wanted to read it to see if I could figure out why...
Originally published in 1970, this book is written mostly about an 11/12-year-old girl and her friends who are waiting to get their periods. The group of friends regularly gets together to talk about bras, boys, developing bodies, and kissing. Shocking, I know.
Throughout the book, Margaret talks to God (but not Christian God, just a generic god), in an almost "dear diary" sort of way. She begs for him to help her get her period soon (so she isn't last), she asks him to help her grow, and she confesses to him that she had been mean to someone one day.
Margaret's parents are of conflicting religions and choose not to force her into one or the other but rather give her the freedom to choose if she would like religion in her life. Margaret does what I think most parents would like their kids to do, which is try to make up her mind on her own; she samples from a few different religions available to her (those that her friends practice).
“Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret. What would you think of me doing a project on religion? You wouldn’t mind, would you God? I’d tell you all about it. And I won’t make any decisions without asking you first. I think it’s time for me to decide what to be. I can’t go on being nothing forever, can I?”
Some argue that the open/casual discussions of reproductive biology were obscene, and the concept that a child might choose her own religion was seen as dangerous. I, however, thought it was a delightful book and that this book, when read by both parent and kid (my daughter read it also), helped to break down a few barriers and gave us things to talk about (Do you have any friends like Nancy? What do you think about religion? Do you ever want to know about any religions?). It opened new doors for conversation. It prompted her to ask why it was banned - and for me to tell her I honestly wasn't sure ... but that I was glad we read it and could talk about it together.
Whitney is a wife, mom, and avid reader. She is working on reading a stack of books this year and happily sharing a synopsis so we can find our favorites!
