As fast as it is, it is likewise jumbled. Adolescence is fast-a few years marked by an onslaught of hormones, brain development, childhood imagination and spiritual exploration. To quote Stevie Nicks’ iconic song “Landslide,” “children get older,” doing so without us noticing. They are constantly growing, constantly changing, their brains and their bodies. In reality, children-adolescents in particular-exist in liminal spaces. In our single-issue world, acknowledging this fact is difficult: We want to conquer one idea and then another, besting each other in arguments, especially regarding children’s sexual and spiritual development. I may not have wanted to talk to my family or friends about Judy Blume’s book, ‘Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.’ But I did talk to God. Their frank discussions about sexuality are often cited as the reason, yet this book-and the 2023 movie-is as much about Margaret’s spirituality as it is about her sexuality. Blume’s middle-grade novels, which have surpassed the 90 million mark in sales and been translated into over 32 languages, are some of the most widely banned books in the United States. I wondered if I was really worried about whether my parents would assent to me reading the novel or whether I was instead anxious about the conversation that might ensue. I never talked about the book with my parents, nor with my teachers or friends.Īs I watched the new film based on the book and relived Margaret’s coming-of-age story-including her emerging sexuality-I considered why a book I remembered so vividly is one I never discussed with others. While I never asked if I could read it, I felt as if I was doing something a little wrong while doing so, knowing perhaps the answer I would receive. ![]() I remember reading the novel in the fifth grade, somewhat furtively in my household. “I wasn’t allowed to read that book” or “I had to sneak and read it” are the most common comments I hear from my adult friends when discussing the 1970 Judy Blume book, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
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