I came home from school one afternoon in fourth or fifth grade with a Judy Blume book. My vigilant mother quickly took notice of the author, informing me that she would not have me read such “trash.” Today, as a mother myself, I read Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, my first Judy Blume book. As I briefly joined 11-year-old Margaret Ann Simon in her quest for belonging, identity, friendship, loyalty, faith, and even womanhood, I kept a list of what my mother might have found objectionable.
- Playing Spin the Bottle
- Looking at Playboy magazine
- Studying male reproductive organs in Dr. Potter’s anatomy book
- Keeping a list of desirable boys
- Experimenting with pillows
- Comparing breast sizes
- Sanitary pad shopping
- Learning about menstruation
- Using such vulgar terms as rear end and big behind
Margaret might also be dangerous because she challenges organized religion with surprising innocence and plausibility. The disillusionment that both her parents experienced with Judaism and Christianity sets Margaret on a year-long spiritual journey. With remarkable insight into the complexities of religion, Blume aptly targets the belonging that Margaret seeks. Will she join the Jewish Community Center or the YMCA because as Nancy tells her, “…everyone belongs to one or the other” (p. 35). Despite her efforts, Margaret fails to find God in any church or temple, but she recognizes His divine intervention when she finally starts her period. Is Blume really debasing God with Margaret’s nightly pleas for her breasts to grow and her monthly to start?
After all, good girls do not kiss boys in the bathroom or use Tampax, and they absolutely do not question God. No, Blume's character was not compatible with the conservative, religious context of my upbringing. So it was preferable to reject Blume entirely than to acknowledge that preteen culture might hold different values and practices than our parents. However, as a child and adolescent in the 1980s, I saw my preteen reflection in Margaret. I shared her need for acceptance, insecurity, fascination with boys, and anxiety about her appearance and physical development. I remember watching that horrible sex film in elementary school, giggling alongside my friends. I remember the mortifying experience of bra shopping with my mother. Margaret’s life sounded all too familiar, not a trashy novel about a fictional girl, but the story of my friends and me in those all-too-awkward preteen years.
The 1970 setting is dated now with references to loafers, knee high socks, and polos. However, Blume’s depiction of puberty and the musings of the pre-adolescent mind feel very accurate. Blume immerses us in Margaret’s world with all its conflicts and all its unanswered questions. She shows us that religion and faith are not the same. She does not pretend that Margaret, Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie are anything more than what they are. They are imperfect. They crater to social pressure. They talk about boys and bras and bleeding and kissing. They are insecure. They sometimes show courage. They are emotional. And they are good girls. Good girls. Not trashy ones. Because we do not talk about the lives of our children that way.
And that might be Blume’s message for moms. Censorship is often just denial.
When Blume wrote this ground-breaking novel, she helped define contemporary realistic fiction. She gave us a precedent for literature that frankly reflects real life and authentic problems. She gave us a precedent for raw and honest characters. That pattern has continued in the genre today as youth culture has become increasingly complex with themes like homosexuality, abuse, and exceptionalities. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret still has its place among realistic fiction though because girls still worry about fitting in, they talk about boys, they eagerly anticipate their periods, and they wrestle with their emotions and peer pressure. This book will be waiting on the shelf for my daughters when they too are forced to watch the 21st century version of that awful, coming of age video.
Pecan Pie Baby, written by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by Sophie Blackall, shares the anxiety of Gia, a young girl whose mother is expecting a second baby. Gia’s tale reflects the timeless conflict experienced by many older brothers and sisters when they lose their positions of dominance, usurped by a new baby. Gia harbors no positive feelings toward that “ding-dang baby,” fretting over where the baby will sleep and the potential loss of her mother’s affection.
As a contemporary realistic fiction picturebook, Woodson honestly shares Gia's frustrations and concerns. Blackall’s illustrations in ink and watercolor are detailed and fairly realistic, following the authenticity of the storyline. Woodson further contextualizes her tale in contemporary culture by portraying Mama as a single parent and by demonstrating the interracial blend of Gia’s aunts and uncles. Blackall elaborates on the words of the story to capture the depth of Gia's anger and loneliness. For example, as Gia thinks about special times with Mama, Blackall use thought bubbles to illustrate each memory.
Genuine conflicts, especially complex ones, are not easily resolved in real life, and Woodson does not fully resolve this one. She does not offer a sensational or idealized ending to her story. Mama and Gia reach a truce, and Gia feels assured of her mother’s love. The reader is left with confidence in Mama’s love as well as her ability to negotiate the care of two children. Although the ending hints at Gia’s acceptance of the baby, it also suggests the courage and trust required of Gia in the future. This is then the message for young readers facing the same situation. A new baby requires work from parents and big brothers and sisters alike. In Pecan Pie Baby, Woodson gives us a story that is honest, realistic and relatable. It will help young children to identify their fears about a new baby, and it might give them hope for the future.
Blume, J. (1986). Are you there, God? It's me, Margaret. New York, New York: Random House Children's Books (Original work published 1970).
Woodson, J. (2010). Pecan pie baby. New York, New York: G.P. Putnam Sons.
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