 First edition cover | |
| Author | Judy Blume |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Contemporary realistic, coming-of-age |
| Publisher | Bradbury Press |
Publication date | 1970 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 171 |
| ISBN | 978-0-13-045856-8 |
| LC Class | MLCS 2006/13809 (P) |
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. is amiddle-grade novel by American writerJudy Blume, published in 1970. Its protagonist, Margaret Simon, is a sixth-grader who grows up without a religious affiliation because of her parents'interfaith marriage. This contemporary realistic novel was popular with middle-grade readers in the 1970s for its relatable portrayal of a young girl confronting early-adolescent anxieties, such asmenstruation,puberty, bras, and boys.[1][2] The recipient of national honors and book awards, the novel has beenchallenged for its frank discussion of sexual and religious topics.[3][4][5]
The book was adapted into a2023 film of the same name starringAbby Ryder Fortson,Rachel McAdams, andKathy Bates.
Blume said that she felt a connection with the character Margaret, which allowed the story to come "pouring out." Blume wrote that while the story was not autobiographical, "the character of Margaret, both physically and emotionally, is pretty close to the girl I was."[6] Growing up, Blume said while her family was very different from the one portrayed in the book, she felt that, "like Margaret, I had a very personal relationship with God that had little to do with organized religion."[7][8]
When she is 11 years old, Margaret Simon's family moves from New York City to the New Jersey suburbs. Her mother isChristian and her father isJewish, but Margaret was raised without an affiliation to either faith. She frequentlyprays to God, beginning her prayers with, "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret."
Margaret feels uncomfortable with her lack of religious affiliation. For a school assignment, she studies religious beliefs, hoping to resolve her faith-based issues. Her study includes attending differentplaces of worship to learn about religious practices. Her Jewish grandmother, Sylvia Simon, takes Margaret toRosh Hashanah services and hopes her granddaughter will embrace Judaism.
Margaret befriends Nancy, a neighbor who is the same age. Nancy seems confident and knowledgeable about many subjects, including sex, and kissing. Nancy, Margaret, and their friends Gretchen and Janie form a secret club called the Pre-Teen Sensations. The Pre-Teen Sensations discuss boys, brassieres andmenstruation. The girls anxiously await theirfirst period, preparing by buying beltedsanitary napkins.[a] They also perform exercises to increase their bust sizes while chanting: "We must, we must, we must increase our bust!"
Gretchen has her first menstrual period, which causes Margaret to worry that she is abnormal because she has not started menstruating. Margaret envies her classmate, Laura Danker, who started menstruating and wears a brassiere. According to Nancy, Laura dates an older boy. The Pre-Teen Sensations gossip about Laura letting boys touch her breasts. Margaret feels guilty when she learns that Laura is a devout Catholic and is hurt by the rumors. Margaret is attracted to a popular boy in her class named Philip Leroy. They kiss while playing "two minutes in the closet" during a party. Nancy lies to the Pre-Teen Sensations that she had her first menstrual period when away on vacation. Margaret discovers the truth when they are at a restaurant, and Nancy gets her actual first menstrual period.
Margaret's family plans to spend the spring vacation with Sylvia in Florida. The day before the family's vacation, Margaret's conservative Christian grandparents, Mary and Paul Hutchins, visit. Because they disapprove of their daughter's interfaith marriage, Mary and Paul have been estranged from Margaret's mother for fourteen years. Margaret's mother cancels the Florida vacation, saying that "it's not the end of the world" and that they can always go to Florida another time. Margaret is upset but tries to be polite to her grandparents. When her grandparents mention religion, a heated argument ensues, during which Margaret angrily declares that she does not need religion or God.
Margaret then stops talking to God. By the end of her school project, she still has not resolved her religious identity. However, she has learned about herself and has become more comfortable with her lack of affiliation. On the last day of school, Margaret gets her first menstrual period. Relieved, she resumes her relationship with God, saying, "I know you're there God. I know you wouldn't have missed this for anything! Thank you, God. Thanks an awful lot...."
In 1970,The New York Times selectedAre You There God? It's Me, Margaret. as the Outstanding Book of the Year.[10]
In 2010,Time includedAre You There God? It's Me, Margaret. in itsAll-Time 100 Novels written in English since 1923. The magazine wrote, "Blume turned millions of pre-teens into readers. She did it by asking the right questions—and avoiding pat, easy answers."[11]
Scholastic selected the novel for its100 Greatest Books for Kids/100 Must-Read Books.[12]
Beginning in the 1970s,Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. has been frequentlychallenged because of its frank talk about menstruation and its depiction of a child being allowed to decide for herself what religion she would prefer to adhere to.[2][4] TheAmerican Library Association's (ALA) list of the 100 most frequently challenged books of the 1990s ranked the book at number sixty.[13] The novel ranked 99 on ALA's list of the 100 most frequently challenged books of the 2000s.[14] The book dropped from the ALA list for 2010 through 2020.[15]
Blume's success withAre You There God? It's Me, Margaret. inspired her to writeThen Again, Maybe I Won't, a novel focused on similar themes from a boy's perspective. The narrator ofThen Again, Maybe I Won't is Tony Miglione, a twelve-year-old boy who is also dealing withpuberty.
The book has been referenced in a number of media includingChuck Palahniuk's novelDamned,[16] television shows such asTed Lasso[17][18],The Simpsons,[19]South Park,[20]The Venture Bros.[21],Summerland[22], and the television seriesLost.[23]
The book is also referenced in the filmDeadpool,[24]Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,Chelsea Handler's book,Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea, in 2008,[25] and Ellen Coyne'sAre You There God? It's Me, Ellen, in 2020.[26]
Other television references have includedFamily Guy,[27]Supernatural,[28] andBob's Burgers.[29]
Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants, byDav Pilkey, references the book in a chapter title, after George and Harold's names are legally changed to Fluffy Toiletnose and Cheeseball Wafflefanny: "Are You There, God? It's Us, Fluffy and Cheeseball."
In 1998, a short film starringMelissa McCarthy calledGod was produced, and is loosely based off of the novel as McCarthy's character is named Margaret and the film showcases the character's relationship with God.
In October 2018, afilm adaptation of the book was in the early stages of development byJames L. Brooks andKelly Fremon Craig.[30] In 2020,Lionsgate won the rights to adapt the film at auction, allocating it a budget of $30 million.[31][32] In April 2021, Lionsgate started filming inCharlotte, North Carolina.[33][34][35] Production concluded on July 1, 2021.[36][37] Judy Blume was one of the film's producers,[9] and she claims it is better than the book.[38] The film was released on April 28, 2023, to widespread critical acclaim.
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