Growing up is a messy, uncoordinated disaster. You're basically a collection of itchy sweaters, weird body smells, and a desperate, clawing need to fit in with people who are just as confused as you are. For decades, one book has captured that specific brand of pre-teen agony better than almost anything else: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Judy Blume didn't just write a book for kids. She wrote a survival manual for the transition into womanhood that felt so honest it actually got banned in libraries across America. Think about that for a second. A book about a girl waiting for her period was considered "dangerous." Honestly, that's exactly why it worked. It wasn't some sanitized, "after-school special" version of puberty. It was Margaret Simon, age 11 going on 12, talking to the ceiling because she didn't know who else would listen.
The Secret Sauce of Margaret Simon
What makes Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. so enduring? It’s the voice. Margaret doesn’t sound like an adult’s idea of a child. She sounds like a kid who is trying to figure out if she should pray to a God she’s not even sure she belongs to while simultaneously worrying that her chest is too flat.
The plot is deceptively simple. Margaret moves from New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey. She joins a secret club with three other girls—Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. They have rules. They have to wear bras (even if they don't need them). They have to keep a boy book. They have to tell each other when they get their periods.
But beneath that is a really heavy layer of identity crisis. Margaret is the product of an "interfaith" marriage, which in 1970, when the book was published, was a much bigger deal than it is now. Her mom is Christian, her dad is Jewish, and they decided she could choose her own religion when she grew up.
Margaret, being a kid, decides to "test drive" religions like she’s trying on shoes. She goes to temple. She goes to church. She realizes pretty quickly that organized religion feels like a lot of performance, but her private chats with God—those feel real.
Why the 2023 Movie Actually Didn’t Mess It Up
Usually, when Hollywood touches a classic, they ruin it. They add CGI or try to make it "edgy." But the 2023 film adaptation of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, actually stuck the landing.
Why? Because they kept it in the 70s.
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If you tried to set this story in 2026, it wouldn't work. The isolation is the point. Today, a girl like Margaret would just go on TikTok or Reddit and find a million people talking about puberty. In the book’s setting, you only had your friends and maybe a confusing pamphlet from the school nurse. That feeling of being on an island is essential to the story.
Abby Ryder Fortson played Margaret with this wide-eyed sincerity that was perfect, but it was Rachel McAdams as the mom, Barbara, who added a layer we didn't necessarily get in the book. We saw the perspective of the parent who is also trying to find herself in a new neighborhood. It turned the story into a multi-generational look at what it means to be a woman, which made the whole thing feel more expansive.
The Controversy That Never Really Went Away
It is wild to think that people were—and still are—trying to keep this book off shelves. According to the American Library Association, Judy Blume is one of the most frequently challenged authors in the United States.
The "offense"? Discussing menstruation and religious questioning.
Critics often claimed it was "profane" or "anti-Christian." But if you actually read Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., it’s one of the most spiritual books out there for young readers. It depicts a child actively seeking a relationship with the divine. It just doesn't do it in a way that fits into a neat little box.
Blume has always been a lightning rod because she refuses to lie to children. She knows kids are thinking about their bodies. She knows they’re thinking about sex. She knows they’re thinking about whether God exists or if life is just one long, awkward gym class. By putting those fears on paper, she didn't "corrupt" anyone. She made them feel less alone.
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The "I Must Increase My Bust" Chant
We have to talk about the exercise. You know the one.
"We must, we must, we must increase our bust!"
It’s iconic. It’s also kinda heartbreaking when you think about it as an adult. It shows the intense pressure girls feel to develop physically to prove they are "arriving." Margaret and her friends are obsessed with the physical markers of womanhood because they think that’s where the power is.
The reality, which Margaret learns by the end, is that getting your period or growing breasts doesn't magically solve your problems. You're still you. You're just you with a belt and a pad (remember, this was the era of the sanitary belt—the 70s were a dark time for period tech).
Religion as a Personal Journey, Not a Brand
The way the book handles the "religion project" is probably its most sophisticated element. Margaret’s grandparents on both sides are, frankly, a bit of a nightmare. Her Christian grandparents disowned her mother for marrying a Jewish man. Her Jewish grandmother, Sylvia (played brilliantly by Kathy Bates in the movie), is more loving but still pushes the Jewish identity hard.
Margaret is caught in the middle of a tug-of-war.
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When she finally visits a confessional and tells the priest she "doesn't even know who she is talking to," it’s a profound moment of honesty. She realizes that the labels—Jew, Christian, Baptist—are things people wear to feel safe. For Margaret, God is a sounding board for her anxieties about Moose Freed, her teacher Mr. Miles, and her fear of being the "last one" to grow up.
Key Takeaways for Today’s Readers
If you’re coming to this story for the first time, or if you’re a parent introducing it to your kid, here is what actually matters.
- Honesty over Hype: The reason this story sticks is because it doesn't sugarcoat the jealousy and pettiness of middle-school friendships. Nancy Wheeler is kind of a jerk sometimes. That’s real life.
- The Body is Not a Secret: By naming things—periods, bras, hormones—Blume stripped away the shame. That’s a legacy that has paved the way for every "period positive" movement we see today.
- It’s Okay to Question: Margaret’s journey shows that faith isn't about having all the answers. It’s about the search.
- The "Secret Club" Dynamic: Notice how the group of girls provides both support and immense stress. This is the blueprint for almost every teen drama created since.
How to Revisit the World of Margaret Simon
If you're looking to dive back into this story, don't just stop at a plot summary.
Start by reading the original 1970 text. It's a quick read—you can knock it out in an afternoon. Pay attention to the small details, like the way Margaret describes the smell of her grandmother’s apartment or the specific anxiety of a school dance.
After that, watch the 2023 film. It's one of those rare cases where the movie actually enriches the source material. It captures the visual aesthetic of the era perfectly without making it look like a costume party.
Lastly, look into Judy Blume's other work. Books like Blubber or Deenie tackle similarly "taboo" subjects with the same bluntness. There’s a reason she’s a legend. She’s the aunt who tells you the truth when your parents are too embarrassed to talk about it.
Next Steps for the Margaret Fan:
- Check your local library's banned book list. You might be surprised to see where this book still faces pushback and why.
- Compare the "puberty" experience. Talk to someone from a different generation about what they were told (or not told) about growing up. The differences in "period technology" alone are a wild conversation starter.
- Reflect on your own "God" conversations. Whether you’re religious or not, everyone has that internal monologue they play out when they're stressed. What would you tell the "ceiling" if you were 12 again?
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. isn't just a book about a girl getting her period. It's a book about the moment we realize the world is much bigger, and much more complicated, than we were led to believe. And that realization never really gets old.