About This Book
Reach for this book when your child starts asking questions about growing up, changing bodies, or how to navigate different social and family expectations. This classic coming-of-age story follows eleven-year-old Margaret as she navigates a move to a new town, the awkwardness of puberty, and a personal quest to understand her own spirituality. It is a deeply normalizing read that addresses common anxieties about fitting in and 'developing' at the same rate as peers. Parents choose this book because it validates the private, often messy thoughts children have during the transition to adolescence, offering a bridge for honest conversations about body image and personal identity. It is best suited for ages 9 to 13, serving as a comforting companion for those on the brink of their teenage years.
What Parents Should Know
Sensitive Topics
DISTRESS: The book contains scenes of intense peer pressure and social exclusion. In one instance, Margaret and her friends are cruel to a classmate, Laura Danker, based on physical rumors. This may cause distress for children sensitive to social injustice or bullying. CONVERSATION: Be ready for a conversation about religious conflict: Margaret's grandparents are depicted as being quite judgmental about her parents' interfaith marriage, which causes family tension.
Ideal Reader
A fifth or sixth grader who feels like a 'late bloomer' or who is beginning to question the social and religious structures they were raised in.
Parent Prep
Read the chapter regarding the family's confrontation with the paternal grandparents to prepare for discussions on family boundaries and religious choice. A child asking for their first bra or expressing frustration that 'everyone else' is hitting milestones they aren't reaching yet.
Age Experience
Younger readers (age 9-10) focus on the humor and the 'secret' nature of the girls' club. Older readers (12-13) connect more deeply with Margaret's spiritual existentialism and the pressure of female friendship dynamics.
What Makes It Special
Unlike many modern books on puberty that are clinical, Blume captures the internal, often irrational, and highly emotional internal monologue of a girl trying to 'hurry up' her own childhood.
Read plot summary
Eleven-year-old Margaret Simon moves from New York City to New Jersey. She joins a secret club with three new friends where they discuss boys, bras, and getting their first periods. Simultaneously, Margaret, whose parents are Jewish and Christian, explores various places of worship as she seeks a personal connection with God on her own terms.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
Margaret’s friends have a lot of 'rules' for their secret club. Why do you think they made those rules, and do they make Margaret feel more or less included?
2
Margaret talks to God in a very personal way. How does her private relationship with God change as she visits different churches and synagogues?
3
The girls are often mean to Laura Danker because she looks more 'grown up' than they do. Why do you think they treat her that way, and how does Margaret feel about it later?
4
Margaret is very anxious to grow up quickly. If you could tell Margaret one thing about being eleven, what would it be?
5
How does the fight between Margaret’s parents and her grandparents affect her own search for what she believes?
