Yeah yeah, I’m in my mid-twenties and I’m reviewing this pre-teen icon. But I never read it before last weekend. I read plenty of Judy Blume to help me ease my way through puberty, but somehow I missed this well-known title. I guess I didn’t check when it was published (such a researcher I am!), so maybe it didn’t come out until I was well on my way to adolescence. Except they talk about using belts to hold maxi-pads in place…that was definitely before my time. Oh how I love you sticky adhesive!

Since I felt like I missed out on an important piece of literature by overlooking this novel, I picked it up at my local library and gave it a read. It’s the story of Margaret (did you figure that one out yet?), a pre-teen girl who just moved to a new town. Not only is she battling the awkwardness of puberty, but she’s the new girl in school too. Miraculously (or not, it is fiction after all, fiction meant to assure young girls that they are all normal and well-adjusted), she comes through it all unscathed.

It’s a happy time as Margaret deals with her first crush on an older boy, her first training bra, her first pubic hair, her first period. Oh not to mention her internal struggle with God and religion. I must say, the Are you there God’s get a little old. I found myself skipping over her little one-sided conversations with God so I could get right back to the meat of the story.

Will she or won’t she get her period before Nancy? Will Moose pay attention to her this time? What about her boobs? Have they started growing yet?

I feel satisfied having read this book, like I filled a part of childhood that had been missing. Now I’ll return it to the library and go back to my grown-up literature. Unless I have a daughter someday, then I’ll make sure she doesn’t miss out of course.