Margaret shares her secrets and her spirituality in this iconic Judy Blume novel, beloved by millions, that now has a fresh new look.
Margaret Simon, almost twelve, likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She’s just moved from New York City to Farbook, New Jersey, and is anxious to fit in with her new friends—Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. When they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong.
But none of them can believe Margaret doesn’t have religion, and that she isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don’t know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush.
Margaret is funny and real, and her thoughts and feelings are oh-so-relatable—you’ll feel like she’s talking right to you, sharing her secrets with a friend.
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Children's Literature - Anne Pechnyo
Blume’s classic, originally published in 1970, is reissued with a new cover. Margaret Simon is eleven years old, going on twelve, and has to tackle all of the challenges that come with moving from New York City to a New Jersey suburb. Margaret begins to talk to God about her problems, the main one being her desire to be viewed by her new peers as “normal.” However, this seems to compound her problems even more, since she talks to God but is not a part of an organized religion like all of her classmates. Margaret joins a group of girls, and learns lessons about boys, bodily changes, and friendship along the way. Margaret narrates the story, with her thoughts to God italicized throughout the book, always beginning with: “Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret.” Readers today will still relate to Margaret, and will sympathize with and support her throughout the story. Lauren Rille designed the new jacket to look like Margaret is texting God and awaiting a response, and the jacket illustrations are by Debbie Ridpath Ohi. This story remains a classic for adolescent girls. Reviewer: Anne Pechnyo; Ages 8 to 12.
