Margaret feels uncomfortable with her lack of religious affiliation. She frequently prays to God, beginning her prayers with, "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret." Her mother is Christian and her father is Jewish, but Margaret was raised without an affiliation to either faith. When she is 11 years old, Margaret Simon's family moves from New York City to the New Jersey suburbs. Background īlume said that she felt a connection with the character Margaret, which allowed the story to come "pouring out." Blume wrote that while the story was not autobiographical, "the character of Margaret, both physically and emotionally, is pretty close to the girl I was." Growing up, Blume said while her family was very different from the one portrayed in the book, she felt that, "like Margaret, I had a very personal relationship with God that had little to do with organized religion." Plot The recipient of national honors and book awards, the novel has been challenged for its frank discussion of sexual and religious topics. This contemporary realistic novel was popular with middle-grade readers in the 1970s for its relatable portrayal of a young girl confronting early-adolescent anxieties, such as menstruation, brassieres and boys. Its protagonist, Margaret Simon, is a sixth-grader who grows up without a religious affiliation because of her parents' interfaith marriage.
is a middle-grade novel by American writer Judy Blume, published in 1970.