Inspire Celebration: 50 Years of Judy Blume's "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret"

 "Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret. I just told my mother I want a bra. Please help me grow, God. You know where." - Judy Blume, "Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret" 

Every preteen and teenage girl must read a Judy Blume book. It's a rite of passage. One of her most popular books, Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret, would become one of the most important books for young readers. 

The book turns 50 years old this week, and I just knew I couldn't let the week pass by without celebrating this revolutionary, classic book. The coming-of-age story focuses on 11-year-old Margaret Simon as she goes through puberty. She has many questions about her changing body, her faith, and who she is supposed to be as she grows older. 

Judy Blume's 1970 novel, Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret (photo/Pinterest).

The book was closely inspired by Blume's personal life. When she was in the sixth grade, she wasn't maturing and going through puberty at the same rate as her female classmates. She hid in her closet and stuffed her bra with cotton balls. She tried all kinds of exercises to get her bust to grow. Blume, who also had a close relationship with God, openly asked God why she was so different from her friends. Why hadn't she had her period yet? Why was she smaller than everyone else? Was there something wrong with her? Too scared to talk to her mother, Blume turned to God--just like Margaret. 

When Blume was a preteen, she desperately wanted to read a book about puberty for young girls. She wanted to read about a girl who shared her same thoughts and questions. But no such book existed in the early 1950s. A book wouldn't discuss female puberty until Blume decided to write the story herself in 1970. 

"It was my third published book, but the first real book, the book where I just let go. I didn't know what I was doing. I just did it -- and this is what came out." - Judy Blume

The book doesn't shy away from talking about the questions a young girl has about her breasts, experiencing her first period, buying a bra, early sexual impulses, and other traditionally taboo subjects other teen books avoided. In 1970, the book was named an outstanding book of the year by the New York Times, and it has been highly praised since then. 

However, the book has also been criticized and it's one of the most challenged or banned children's books of all time. A male school principal told Blume, "You know, girls in sixth grade are too young to read about this. We can't have these books in our library." Blume argued with him, emphasizing that girls in the sixth grade are having their periods and they have questions. The author believes censorship grows out of fear. 

"Book banning satisfies their [parents] need to feel in control of their children's lives. They want to believe that if their children don't read about it, their children won't know about it. And if they don't know about it, it won't happen." - Judy Blume

Blume added, "Books that make kids laugh often come under suspicion; so do books that encourage kids to think, or question authority; books that don't hit the reader over the head with moral lessons are considered dangerous...Censors don't want children exposed to ideas different from their own. If every individual with an agenda had his/her way, the shelves in the school library would be close to empty." 

Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret should never, ever be banned or challenged. It was never Blume's intention to write a controversial book. Instead, she simply wanted to write the "honest" truth. She reflected, "I didn't really think about that. I just wanted to be real. I wanted to be honest." To Blume, there is nothing wrong with talking about what a young girl goes through when she gets her first period, starts developing breasts, etc. It's far more concerning to ignore these topics--to pretend they don't exist. 

Because they do. Girls have periods and they notice when their bodies are changing. They have questions. They want to read about it, and thankfully, they have Blume's book to be the source of material when they feel lost and alone during the most confusing years of a girl's life. 

(photo/World's Best Story)

Blume knows her book has made an impact on readers. She has received countless letters from her loyal fans over the past 50 years--with many of them explaining that her book was the only thing they had to understand what was going on inside their bodies. It helped them feel like they weren't alone. Someone else understood what they were going through, and that's important for a young girl. 

"I can't explain. What is it about a book that gets inside a person and stays there forever?" - Judy Blume 

While many of Blume's books have withstood the test of time, Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret is different. There wasn't a book like it prior to its publication and Blume's writing inspired other authors to start discussing taboo subjects in their own books. Blume opened the door for more representation in literature, and we'll always be thankful for that. 

Judy Blume (photo/Today Show)

Blume demonstrated that it's okay to write about a girl's period and breasts. For the past 50 years, Blume has made young girls feel more confident as they go through puberty. The author is amazed that the book is still important 50 years later, but she's thrilled her book has made an impact on so many lives. She reflected, "I'm just grateful, very grateful, that it happened." 

Margaret Simon perhaps said it best: "Thank you, God. Thanks an awful lot." Thanks for giving us a book we need to read. And, thank you, God, for blessing us with Judy Blume's writing. 

-KJL-