Thursday, March 10, 2011

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Author Tiffany King asked a question on her blog and it made me think of Judy Blume so I thought I'd pay my respects to this most awesome author and lovely lady! Here's a picture of Ms. Judy Blume, isn't she lovely? You can feel her wisdom and empathy just looking at her.



Thanks, Tiffany, for reminding me of how important what I read as a young girl and still re-read over the years still is! It's amazing the impact that a book I read at 10 years old can still have on me!


Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
by Judy Blume
Original Publish Date: 1970


When I was 10 years old I read this book---over and over and over again! The chant of "I must, I must, I must increase my bust" along with the recommended exercise cracks me up now but at 10 years old I was certain it would help my stick thin figure and barely there breasts.
Still doing it and I still have no breasts? What's up with that!?
Speaking of---I think that V. Secret & the like lies about their *Wonder* & *Miracle* bras cuz it sure didn't do any *Wonder* for me and I'm still waiting for the *Miracle* and I still wear a 34 barely B!
It took me a while but I finally figured out that you have to have large bazoomba's in order for you to get 'the line' and there is no bra on this earth that will ever give me 'the line'! Anyways...I digress...

Young Margaret's 12 years old and she's struggling with the 'difficulty' and the 'excitement' of entering womanhood along with the problems that plague her at such a young age. She's in a new school and is struggling with her religion. She talks to God when she can't talk to anyone else--I still do that, I think that's something that a lot of us still do---it's called praying.

This book had a profound effect on me and I think the first time I read it was at exactly the right time, when I felt the pressure of my pre-pubescent body and all the pressures that go with feeling like you're being somehow left behind everyone else.

Eventually I was inducted into the world of Womanhood and got to go down the 'Big Girl Aisle" at the drugstore, looking back, I realize what an impact Ms. Blume had on my life. I have re-read Are you there God? It's Me, Margaret, at least 20 times throughout the years and each time I read it I reflect back on different periods of my younger self and where I am at that phase in my life and I realize just how thankful I am.
For everytime I've said, Are You There God? It's Me, Kristi, I always seem to find an answer somewhere in my heart.

10 comments:

  1. Haha this blog cracked me up! Oh how I remember I must, I must, I must increase my bust hehe. I loved that flippin' book and I bet I read it a hundred times. Awwww good times! :o)

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  2. It's great, isn't it? I remember reading it with my friends and we were so sure it would increase our breast size. My friends breasts grew... um... mine, well, they just forgot to grow and I've given up on en'!

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  3. This post was awesome.

    In high school, my friend and I used to do the "I Must" chant to increase our 32A bra size. It does not work! I've come to terms with the fact that I'll probably be a 32A for the rest of my life. My friend? She just recently got "surgically enhanced".

    I remember reading this book when I was younger-- the summer before 8th grade, right before I turned 13. It was so relevant to me at that age. I was a late bloomer amongst all of my friends, and I remember relating to Margaret who seemed so so pressured and eager and worried about all the changes into womanhood.

    I haven't read the book in ages, but I do think of it from time to time. I think I need to dig it out of my moving boxes and give it a re-read!

    - Jackie

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  4. A childhood just isn't the same without Judy Blume. Shes the best.

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  5. Love this homage to Ms. Blume. I read every book she had when I was a child and until your post I completely forgot about that line!

    I have to re-read her book. I bet I'd still enjoy it just as much today!

    It's a great read for girls young and old, although not recommended for a book report! My BFF read this for school when she was 10. It was an oral report and it was quite fun watching her turn beet red, but glad it wasn't me!

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  7. lol. Oh, I think there where many of use singing "I must, I must, I must increase my bust." lol. I remember singing it myself.

    I think they still use Judy Blume books in schools. My son's class read one a few years ago in elementary school. And they all seemed to enjoy it. :)

    Great post!

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  8. Dropping by from the blog hop. I'm a new follower!
    The line "I must, I must, I must increase my bust" is the only thing I remember of this book. But it's definitely memorable. I was never too upset about having a small bust and still am not.
    My fav Judy books were Deenie, Starring Sally J. Friedman as Herself and Just as Long as We're Together.

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  9. Isn't it funny all the memories that come flooding back? Judy Blume has a ton of other great books. Super Fudge, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Freckle Juice.... I think she's helped out a lot of MG kids out there and I've always respected her work!

    For my new followers, Thank you!
    I'll be stalking you!

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  10. I never did the chant. It must be why I'm so tiny. (Nearly A over here, honey, so your chanting must have paid off a bit!)
    I loved this book as a child and had a copy along with Sally J. That one appealed to me as a writer(yes, even at a young age I had all these grand thoughts for myself) -that you could dream up your own worlds.

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