Margaret is twelve years old, and just moved from New York City to Farbrook, New Jersey. When she lived in New Jersey, no one questioned the fact that she was "no religion", and she had yet to be engulfed in the throes of prepubescent drama. But when Margaret moves, EVERYTHING CHANGES! She makes friends with three other girls, who spend their entire lives agonizing over boys, boobs, religion, and getting their periods. All in all, quality reading that I loved when I was younger, and still (yes, I'll admit it) love today.
However, the more absurd points of this book escaped me when I was younger. For example...
* How is it possible that Margaret NEVER got questioned about her religion when she lived in NYC? I just find it hard to believe that no one ever asked her if she went to Sunday School before. Apparently everyone in NJ is pretty obsessed with finding out what religion everyone else practices.
* Nancy won't let members of her club wear socks. That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard! What kind of club is anti-
socks?!
* Laura Danker is the token well developed girl in the sixth grade class. Word on the street is that she "goes behind the A&P" with Nancy's brother and his friend Moose. Now I am willing to bet a lot of money that no characters in this book have any idea what goes on behind the A&P. In fact, I am willing to admit that I still do not know what you would do behind the A&P! I mean, I've heard of fooling around at the movies, parties, cars, playgrounds, empty classrooms. Hell, every once in awhile we catch kids making out in the library. I just can't buy the fact that in suburban NJ, the best place to sneak off and fool around is in some back alley or near the dumpster at the A&P. Isn't an A&P a convenience store of some sort? I still just don't understand.
* Speaking of Laura Danker, why does having boobs mean you are a slut? I had boobs well before I should have, but I'll be damned if any prepubescent boys were going to be touching them! Nancy seriously needs to get a life, because I am pretty sure it is her spreading all these rumors. I bet Nancy would go behind the A&P before Laura would.
* Mavis is really not a sensational name. but as I write this, I'm hoping no one named Mavis reads this. It's not a bad name, I just wouldn't choose it if I could pick any name in the world. But I also wouldn't choose Veronica, Kimberly, or Alexandra, either.
* We must, we must, we must increase our bust! nuff said.
* Why would someone's boobs look particularly large while wearing a sweater?
* The PTA runs a square dance for Margaret's class. I can't believe that a bunch of sixth graders were willing to go along with having a square dance!
* Norman Fishbein, the class creep, has a supper party. From what I understand, his mom has the entire class over for supper, tells them all to wear their best clothing, and then serves them sandwiches, hot dogs, and beans. Isn't that picnic
food rather than formal dress fancy food?
* Margaret stuffed her bra!
* All the sixth grade girls have to go to a class about getting their period presented by the "Private Lady Company", which is supposed to be like Kotex or Always. "Private Lady" sounds more like some creepy porn shop or strip club to me.
* Since when do drugstores make home deliveries of "Teenage Softies" pads, or anything else for that matter?
* Nancy lied about getting her period, and then is humiliated when her secret is blown in front of Margaret. If I were Margaret I probably would have told everyone. That's what you get for being a catty liar, bitch!
* Page 116: Confirmation that no one knows what happens behind the A&P, and that Nancy is indeed a liar. Poor Laura Danker, I'd have kicked Margaret's ass.
Finally, the most important thing about rereading a newer edition of this book:
Judy Blume finally got rid of the belted menstrual pads! I remember reading this when I was little and having no clue what a belt had to do with your period. Thanks to Google images, I now know. Thank god I was not alive during the belted pad phase, because I'm pretty sure I would have been traumatized. Below is a menstrual belt ad from the 1960's.
Margaret and Janie still buy pads for practice, before they get their periods. This isn't so necessary now because sticky strips are pretty intuitive, but I think it's hilarious that Margaret locked herself in the closet to practice standing there wearing a pad. I am just so happy that Judy finally realized that young girls should no longer be terrified and confused by the idea of a belted pad! That alone made this worth rereading.
That's about it for this book, but I think I'm going to read Deenie or Then Again, Maybe I Won't next. I was originally going to read Forever, but I think I'm going to hold off on that one because it is so fantastic. I am totally reliving my childhood through Judy Blume and loving every second of it!
22 comments:
Nice! Can I suggest the Friends Forever book where they have a crush on Jeremy Dragon?
Haha I totally remember the "We must, we must" thing. And doesn't someone rip the pocket off of Nancy's dress at Norman's party? Hee. What a delightful book. Great review :)
I second the comment about the jeremy dragon book.
also, the a&p is now renamed food emporium and is a grocery store chain in the ny metropolitan area and possibly other places. and i believe that drugstores delievered at the time of the writing of the book.
this book made me seriously want my period.
Ah, Margaret...that book completely traumatized me. First of all, I read it when I was seven (having been lured to Judy by the more innocuous "Superfudge") and had no idea that a period was anything other than the end of a sentence. I remember wandering into the living room and asking my parents, who were sitting on the couch watching TV, and being confused when my dad rapidly stood up and left the room. Having my mom describe it as "bleeding from your vagina once a month" did not help either.
Secondly--the "belt" issue. Oh my God. Seriously, Margaret, you *wanted* your period?
Third, I am also half-Catholic, half-Jewish. At seven, I thought this was the most normal thing in the world. Margaret alerted me to the fact that the rest of the world didn't think so. Granted, I would have figured this out on my own, but still it would have nice to be innocent for awhile longer.
Speaking of innocent, you've got to do "Then Again, Maybe I Won't". Also read when I was seven. The whole book I kept wondering why this poor guy kept wetting the bed.
Believe it or not, in 1990 I had a brief stint with belted pads. I guess my mom had some left over from the last time she had her period years and years before, stashed way back in the linen closet. (She was older than most moms.) My first period caught us completely off-guard. It was definitely awkward-feeling to wear that belt. Thank goodness she didn't have too many of those left. That's the only reason I knew what Judy Blume was talking about in the original book.
I guess in the PTS's world, I would have been going behind the A&P as well, as I was bigger than their chest-size 28 and 32 selves when I was 12. (How I remember those sizes, I have no idea.) I had to laugh when Nancy was proud of being a 32AA. I was that size at like, 9. ;)
I'm pretty sure there are two Jeremy Dragon books, and next time I'm at work I'll have to see if I can find them so I can do one of them next time.
haha Nancy's damn pocket! Do dresses usually have pockets? I'm picturing it like a shirt pocket, and I can't picture dresses with those really. Although I do wish it had ripped harder and made a hole so the whole sixth grade could have sen her 32A's in all their glory. That girl needs an ass kicking.
Man, I'm still bitter towards Nancy. I first read this book about 15 years ago so maybe I'll just be bitter for life.
The Jeremy Dragon books are "Just as Long as We're Together" and "Here's to You, Rachel Robinson" - aka the best Judy Blume books ever.
PLEASE do "Tiger Eyes." I thought it was like the most romantic story ever when I read it at age 11. (My Catholic school library didn't carry "Forever," strangely enough.)
Aw, Margaret Simon. How I will always love thee, even though I never wanted to do any exercised to increase my bust!
I loved these books because i finally had someone who wanted their period as much as me. (By the time I was 8, I wanted it desperately. Of course, it didn't happen till 13 and my friends were all early developers...grr...)
Boobs were not that big a deal...but Blume is still one of my favorite authors. She empowered so many of us.
I still reread Here's to You, Just as long as we are together, and Deenie way too much, even though Deenie is so outdated.
I'm ready for you to review another book! :)
(I just read "Just as Long as We're Together" [my favorite JB book] and "Here's to You, Rachel Robinson" in the spirit of your Judy Blume snarkings)
I always thought it was behind the A&P counter!
So like 9yrold Jessy is trying to figure out, did they distract the clerks? How did they sneak back there where only employees were supposed to go?
Just as Long as we're Together is in the works. I just got swamped with work this week. I'll try and do it tonight, but if not, definitely by the weekend.
Deenie is going on the "must do" list now, I forgot about that one, There's just tooooo many. I've been getting back into the Alice series by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor too, so I might mix it up a little bit too.
Buahaha! Love it!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweater_girl
I bought this book at the school book fair in second grade because I had read a couple of "younger" Judy Blume books. I think the teacher sent a note to my mom, because that night my mom gave me an abbreviated version of "the talk."
A vote for "Deenie," please.
If we're talking about books to recap, I think there's one that must be done...
"Forever" the book that gave me the best sex ed ever!
Why would someone's boobs look particularly large while wearing a sweater?
I have a few summer sweaters that make my tits look bigger than usual, so I guess it's possible with the right material...
OMG, I remember "We must, we must..." too! XD
I love how the bitchy ringleader gets busted lying about her period. That was fucking awesome.
Re the belted pads: It honestly never registered to me. It was only years later that I reread Deenie (I think), went "Hang on, we don't have pads with belts anymore!" and checked the date at the front of the book. I'd thought they were written in the 90s, when I read them, but nope, 1973.
The "no religion" thing never registered to me either, despite being "no religion" (agnostic, to be precise) myself. I really want to reread this book now. Damn you guys for starting all these blogs while I'm in a non-English speaking island nation. >_<
I'm so glad I discovered your blog. I loved Judy Blume when I was younger, and I sometimes talk about rereading her books.
(Wasn't there a long-ish book about someone named...Sally? Who lived in Florida and was convinced that some old man in her neighborhood was Hitler? Was that Judy Blume?)
Are you there God? It's me Margaret was one of my least favorite Judy Blume books, for some reason, but to this day I remember, "We must, we must, we must increase our bust!" And this part:
* Why would someone's boobs look particularly large while wearing a sweater?
I HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED THE SAME THING!!!!!!!!!
Oh, and the square dance. Maybe it's a Jersey thing. I grew up in rural NJ (which is still suburban, because even in the country, it's impossible to escape the influence of some kind of city when you live in NJ) and we had a sixth grade square dance. As if that were not enough, we had to have a square dancing in unit in gym class every year starting in *third grade* to lead up to one dance that would take place three years later.
And the Alice books! Phyllis Reynolds Naylor was one of my favorite authors when I was younger, Alice aside - Night Cry, Send No Blessings...etc. I remember when I fell behind a few Alice books, and then I was in high school or something and thought I was "too old" to pick them up again. Thank you for reminding me of them :)
botanyliscious, that was 'starring sally j.freedman as herself'. that was my favourite judy book!
although there was hardly any embarrassing period talk in it since she was only ten or something. but in no way did that diminish it's awesomeness. i guess im less developed than you guys :(
am im going to have to lie about my maturity like my namesake?
as for the alice books, alice in april was so, like, deep, ya know?
(no seriously i nearly cried when denise whitlock got hit by a train. traumatic.)
actually it always pissed me off that girls named 'nancy' in books were total skanks.
deenie scared the shit out of me when i was twelve. it was so depressing. another good one is its not the end of the world. the
'divorce book.' i remember being confused because they ate ice cream and stuff at howard johnsons. in my town in florida circa 1994 (when i was reading these books) ho jo was a seedy motel.
Hi,
I really enjoyed this first entry and I look forward to more.
Botanylicious, the book you're thinking of is Blume's Starring Sally J Freedman as Herself .
And yeah, her family moves to Florida because her brother's been ill and he needs the hot weather. It's the late forties and suddenly she's faced with overt racial segregation, puberty, and yes, she thinks the man down the hall is Hitler - whom she believes escaped to Florida after the war.
I remember enjoying it but really not getting a lot of it
A&P has not been renamed Food Emporium! There are still A&Ps all over NJ.
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