I love to rewrite! Once I have a first draft I’m able to relax. It’s as if I have the pieces to a puzzle and all I have to do is figure out how to put them together. I actually enjoy second and third drafts. Only then do I share a new book with my editor. After we talk I do another rewrite and then a final polish. Image: Abby Ryder Fortson stars in Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Pic: Dana Hawley/Lionsgate UK

To finish her project for Mr. Benedict, Margaret writes him a letter detailing her experiences at church, temple, and confession. She admits that she doesn’t know what religion she is—or if she wants to choose—but she does know that if she has kids, she’s going to tell them what religion they are. Trying to figure it out later in life is too hard. Recommended for young readers; teachers looking for curriculum reads; Judy Blume fans; fans of middle grade fiction with a lit fic feel

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Walsh, Savannah (March 3, 2020). "All About the 'Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret' Movie". ELLE . Retrieved February 21, 2021. Margaret's family plans to spend the spring vacation with Sylvia in Florida. The day before the family's vacation, Margaret's conservative Christian grandparents, Mary and Paul Hutchins, visit. Because they disapprove of their daughter's interfaith marriage, Mary and Paul have been estranged from Margaret's mother for fourteen years. Margaret's mother cancels the Florida vacation, saying that "it's not the end of the world" and that they can always go to Florida another time. Margaret is upset but tries to be polite to her grandparents. When her grandparents mention religion, an argument begins. Margaret explodes, declaring that she does not need religion or God. My favorite part of this book and I have heard from other girls that I'm not the only one. The 4 girls are together and they have a mantra they repeat together. "I must, I must, I must increase my bust" while opening their chest. I would sit in my room as a kid saying this over and over, just like the characters do. When this title is brought up, many women will talk about this line from the books. It's totally famous.

I am such a fan of the book and such a fan of Judy. It was important to me to do right by her, to make a film that felt like a reflection of her and the spirit of her book," Craig says, describing the moment when Blume gave her the rights as "wildly surreal". The first Judy Blume books I read. . . served as a kind of introduction to myself.”— John Green quoted in The New York Times

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Lest you think censorship to have stopped Judy from pursuing her passion and writing about topics that are near and dear to her heart, think again.

Blume, Judy. "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret". Judy Blume on the Web. Archived from the original on November 26, 2013 . Retrieved November 30, 2016. a b Blume, Judy. "Judy Blume on the Web: Judy Blume Talks About Censorship". judyblume.com. Judy Blume. Archived from the original on December 1, 2013 . Retrieved November 30, 2016.

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Another important element of this book that is very applicable to everyone today is the pressures Margaret goes through – social, religious, relationships, etc. She just wants to live, but people are filling her head with lies and arguments that make it difficult for her to make decisions for herself. All it does is make her miserable. This reminds me of how some people seem to be willing to treat others today (especially with the anonymity of the internet). While it isn’t everyone, it seems like many people like to force their opinions down people’s throats and make them feel bad about their own feelings. Those people don’t consider – or don’t care - how this makes others feel. It makes me very sad! And, it made me very frustrated for Margaret!

For over fifty years, Judy Blume's classic and groundbreaking novel Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. has impacted generations with its timeless coming of age story, insightful humor, and candid exploration of life's biggest questions. In Lionsgate's big-screen adaptation, 11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), who isn't happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets.

Most Frequently Challenged Books: 1990–1999". ALA.org. American Library Association. Archived from the original on November 13, 2016 . Retrieved December 18, 2016. When I was faced with early puberty, things became even more challenging. How do you tell a silent mother the changes that are occurring within your body, when you've never even met her parents or heard a single story from her childhood and she is as cold and remote to you as the Statue of Liberty?? Movies, storytelling is sort of a safe buffer to inspire difficult conversations," she says. "I think it could be a great way in for parents to talk about something that is still uncomfortable. I mean, we can't deny there is a reason why [talking about sex] is still uncomfortable and kids just want to, like, die when you bring it up. But also... The story is that of Margaret, an 11-year-old, who just moved from NYC to "the country" (Jersey). Now she has to go to a new school, find new friends, buy some bras with her mother (for the first time), talk about periods, find a way to still spend time with her beloved grandma and generally navigate the treacherous waters of growing up.