I thought I was running late for Banned Book Week, but turns out I'm running early, as it doesn't start until Oct. 1 this year. Regardless of my timing, here's a book that's been banned and challenged frequently by the closed-minded over the last fifty years. Through secondhand knowledge, I always thought the bans were just because it mentioned menstruation, but in reading the book I find also that the main character is an agnostic who struggles with her exploration of organized religion and the varied opinions of her friends and relatives.

Menstruation and religion, now there's a cocktail that book banners are gonna choke on.

The book itself is quite fine, giving its topics a reasonable if too-short examination. It perhaps crams in a few too many other things -- bras, rumors, classroom dynamics, estrangement -- and forces the plot to exactly fill a school year (one of my biggest pet peeves with children's literature) rather than letting the story find its own rhythm. But there were some chuckles, some drama, and a warm feeling of happiness upon finishing.

I look forward to checking out the recent movie adaptation now. ( )

Margaret has no religion, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a close relationship with God. It’s not until she moves from New York to New Jersey and begins hanging out with new friends does she realize it’s probably weird that she talks with God the way that she does. So, for a school assignment, Margaret sets out to do an experiment on religion and what that means for her.

So, I’m going to blame the fact that I didn’t read this novel until my 30’s because I was at such a high reading level as a kid, I basically skipped reading middle grade books for the most part and went directly to Young Adult. I totally should have read this as a kid because a lot of the novel is something nearly every young girl can relate to (minus maybe the religious parts of it).

It brought back a lot of memories as a young girl growing up. Exceptions for me: I didn’t want to wear a bra and fought my mom and older sister about it until I basically had to. And, when I got my first period, it was at the public library’s restroom, I shouted to my friend in the next stall I started, to which she replied, “Can I see?!” before I told her “NO!” and to “Go get my Mom!”

This book also talks about a young girl’s relationship with religion and how that affects her. Her parents are trying their hardest to raise her as nonreligious, so that she can choose a religion when she’s older. But, all of Margaret’s friends have some relationship with God, through Christianity or Judaism, and she feels almost like she’s left out.

Even though this book was written and set in the 1970’s it still applies to everyday pressures young girls still face. Margaret is trying to figure things out for herself but runs into a lot of misinformation or more of people’s opinions rather than facts. I remember a lot being a problem growing up.

Overall, I wish I knew of this book growing up. I think it would have helped me feel seen and know the fact that almost every preteen/sixth grader probably went through a version of the exact same thing. ( )

It definitely helped me through puberty and gave me hope. My mom read it at the age of about 12, and gave it to me to read. I remember it was funny and I read it several times. ( )

As a teenager, I was going about my own merry way until Margaret and her literary ilk sent me into a neurotic spiral of "why don't I worry about my body shape?" "Why don't I have obsessive, angsty crashes on guys?" "Why don't I care whether my friends have their periods?"

The answer, revealed years later is that I'm far wiser than these girls and their nonfictional counterparts -- a truth I wish I knew as a middleschooler when teachers harassed me about not being able to find ways that Margaret resonated with me.

A book about a petty and shallow girl, befitting petty and shallow preteens and the intelligent young women who want insight into why their peers have suddenly gone crazy. ( )

I have heard Judy Blume's name mentioned so often but I'd never read any of her books, and now my daughters are growing up, so I reckoned it was high time to see what all the fuss is about. This is an excellent starting point to a kind of young adult writing I haven't come across before - a book that really deals with real life situations in a witty, pacy way. Brilliant stuff. ( )