Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Reviewed by Abby 

  “Hi...I’m Nancy Wheeler… I know you’re Margaret and you’re going into sixth grade. So am I… do you want to come over and go under the sprinklers?” Why would Margaret say no? It's pretty hot and a new friend couldn’t hurt. Right? 

In Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume, Margaret Simon moves to New Jersey in the summer. An hour or so after moving, Nancy Wheeler, who would be going to the same school as her, comes to Margaret's house and introduces herself. At school the next day, Nancy invites Margaret to a secret club at her house along with two other friends, Jamie and Gretchen. In the club they talk about periods, bras, and adolescence, just what Margaret is worried about. In the middle of this, Margaret also has trouble deciding what religion she should be as she has a Jewish father and a Christian mother. How could she possibly keep up with everything?
The first reason I liked this book was because it was relatable. Margaret is worried about a lot of the same things I sometimes am. In the scene where it’s her first day of school, she says, “My mother said that it was natural to feel uneasy on the first day of school. She said when she was a girl she felt the same way.” I always feel like that the first time I do anything! 

The second reason I liked the book was that it helped me prepare for what middle school might look like. Even though it can’t be an exact replica of what is going to happen, it helps take off the stress of the unknown and shows that everyone is nervous. Margaret does various things, like wearing no socks to school and even stuffing her bra just to fit in. This is not to mention the friendship drama that happens in the book, too.

In conclusion, I recommend this book to all kids going into middle school or already in middle school, but mostly to girls because it's more centered around them.

It's a very helpful book, but I would give it a 9/10 because of some awkward scenes in the novel. Thanks for reading the review!

Macmillan Inc., 149 pages