Are you there, God? It’s me, and I’m like Margaret

When she heard that Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret by renowned author Judy Blume was being made into a film, Rachel Allcock was curious to see whether there was ever more to it than the bits she remembered (bras, boys, and periods)…  

It’s time to put some big batteries in the torch you got from Santa in 1991 because you need to read Are you there, God? It’s me, Margaret under the covers again before you watch its glossy makeover on the big screen.

90 million copies of this Judy Blume novel have been sold since its release date in 1970. Censored and disapproved of in many countries, I certainly never had my own copy. Passed around our secret clubs (ours was more ‘Care Bear Club’ than Margaret’s ‘Pre-Teen Sensations’) the well-thumbed paperback portrayed a gawky yet brazen pre-teen world that taught us what we all wanted to know - but were afraid to ask - about boobs, periods, and boys.