Category Archives: Historical

Banned Book Review: Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. by Judy Blume

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Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret

Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.
Judy Blume
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Published February 28, 2023 (Orig 1970)

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About Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Margaret shares her secrets and her spirituality in this iconic Judy Blume novel, beloved by millions.

Margaret Simon, almost twelve, likes long hair, tuna fish, the smell of rain, and things that are pink. She’s just moved from New York City to Farbook, New Jersey, and is anxious to fit in with her new friends—Nancy, Gretchen, and Janie. When they form a secret club to talk about private subjects like boys, bras, and getting their first periods, Margaret is happy to belong.

But none of them can believe Margaret doesn’t have religion, and that she isn’t going to the Y or the Jewish Community Center. What they don’t know is Margaret has her own very special relationship with God. She can talk to God about everything—family, friends, even Moose Freed, her secret crush.

Margaret is funny and real. As you read her story, you’ll know why this book has been the favorite of millions of readers. It’s as if Margaret is talking right to you, sharing her secrets with a friend.

My Review

My elementary school teachers read books like Superfudge out loud to us, but I largely missed out on the books Judy Blume wrote for girls. An aunt gave me the book Tiger Eyes when I was in high school, which I read but didn’t like at the time. So, this is my first time reading Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.

I can see the reason why so many people love and appreciate this book. It centers girls and speaks frankly about the pressure that girls feel during adolescence as their bodies change in ways that their peers notice. I love that. To have a space that normalizes the awkwardness, the questions, and the shifting landscape in relationships between girls is so important.

I also appreciated the exploration of faith and religion, though I suspect that some of the issues might be less relevant today maybe? Margaret’s dad is Jewish, and her mom was raised in a Christian family. Because of this, they’ve decided not to participate in any organized religion and to let Margaret decide what she believes as an adult. This is complicated by the fact that Margaret’s grandparents and some friends want her to choose between Judaism and Christianity, as if she has to pick a side in an argument.

I suspect that community pressure to join a particular faith is probably less now than it was in the 1970s, but that might really depend on where you live and family circumstances. So maybe it’s still super relevant for some young readers!

It’s always fascinating to me to read a novel that would have been classified as “contemporary” when it was written which essentially then is read as historical fiction. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. was first published more than fifty years ago.

Yet the importance of safe spaces where girls can talk frankly about their experiences is just as important now as it was back then. I’m really glad I was finally able to read this book.

Why Has Are You There, God? It’s Me Margaret Been Banned?

The open discussion about Margaret’s experience with puberty has prompted its being banned. She and her friends can’t wait to get their periods and develop curves. Margaret also questions whether she’d like to participate in religion. Her family is nonreligious, but she feels left out of the ceremonies and rituals that many of her friends experience, which makes her curious about religion. She goes to services and offers a kid’s view of the experience.

Margaret’s experience will resonate with a lot of readers, especially those experiencing pressure about growing up or asking questions about religion. I’m glad there are books that reinforce that it’s normal to have those kinds of questions around Margaret’s age.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Margaret wonders when puberty will begin. She discusses her growth (or lack of it) with girl friends. Margaret and her friends do exercises where they flex their chest muscles, hoping this will help them develop their figures.

The girls talk about starting their periods. They also talk about a curvy girl in their class and spread rumors that she’s had sexual experiences with boys. They don’t say anything overt, and, in fact, when someone asks Margaret to explain what she thinks the girl has done, Margaret herself isn’t sure. She only knows it’s something that’s bad or shameful and has to do with boys. It highlights the ignorance and shaming surrounding relationships and sexuality at the time.

Margaret attends a birthday party where the kids briefly play Spin the Bottle and Two Minutes in the Closet. It’s mainly awkward approaching cringey. One boy politely asks Margaret for permission to kiss her. Another makes it clear he’s going to do what he wants (he kisses her on the mouth more than once).

Spiritual Content
Margaret’s grandparents disowned her mother when she married Margaret’s dad because he is Jewish and they are Christian. Margaret’s family is nonpracticing, and her parents want her to choose what, if any, faith she’ll practice when she grows up. She prays to God privately, not sure her whether her family would be supportive of the habit. She visits a synagogue with her grandmother to see if she would like to practice Judaism, and follows a friend to the local Catholic church where she walks into a confessional. At one point, adults argue about whether religion is something you choose for yourself or whether you’re born into it. The conversation makes Margaret uncomfortable.

Margaret includes prayers spoken directly to God as part of the narrative.

Violent Content
Margaret’s dad injures himself while using a lawn mower. She goes looking outside to see if he’s lost a limb, but he just ends up needing stitches. Margaret repeats a hurtful rumor to someone and upsets them. She feels bad about it later and knows she was wrong.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

MMGM Review: North of Tomboy by Julie A. Swanson

Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , ,

North of Tomboy
Julie A. Swanson
SparkPress
Published September 2, 2025

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About North of Tomboy

For fans of Kacen Callender, Lin Thompson, and Kyle Lukoff, comes a middle grade novel set in 1973 about a child who feels more boy than girl and is frustrated that people act blind to that when—aside for her stupid hair and clothes—it should be obvious!

Shy fourth grader Jess Jezowski turns the tables on her mom when she’s given yet another girly baby doll for Christmas. This time, instead of ignoring or destroying it, she transforms it into the boy she’s always wanted to be—a brave, funny little guy named Mickey. Making him talk, Jess finally lets the boy in her express himself.

But when Mickey evolves to become something more like an alter ego whose voice drowns out her own and the secret of him escapes the safety of her family, Jess realizes Mickey’s too limited and doesn’t allow the boy part of her a big enough presence in the world. She must find a way to blend him into her—so she can be that side of herself anywhere, around anyone.

Jess tries to wean herself from the crutch of Mickey’s loud, comical persona, and to get her family to forget about him, but she struggles to do both. What will it take for her to stop hiding behind Mickey and get people to see her for who she truly is? Based on the author’s experience growing up on Michigan’s rural Leelanau Peninsula in the ’70s, North of Tomboy includes artwork throughout.

My Review

I read a review of North of Tomboy a few weeks ago on Always in the Middle. I think he made a lot of good points about the book. He noted the length being a little bit long for the type of story this is, and I’d agree. It’s the kind of book that makes you laugh, but makes you think right along with the main character. Some elements of the book feel more like a coming of age story than a middle grade novel, but the voice is solidly middle grade. Jess really feels like a nine-year-old kid. Lots of times her ideas about what’s happening are imperfect, or she accidentally stumbles onto a solution that works. For example, she realizes the family listens to Mickey differently than they listen to her. That kind of thinking reminded me a lot of myself as a kid.

I also appreciated how nuanced the family members are. Jess is one of four kids in a closeknit family. She’s closest to her youngest sister, Lucy, but often wants to do the things her older brothers are doing. Her mom navigates difficult situations with Jess’s dad in a way that Jess struggles to understand. She also constructs a lot of rules about Jess’s appearance, requiring her to dress and act “like a girl.” Though those things are hurtful and make Jess feel unheard and unseen, Jess appreciates her mom’s emotional honesty about family matters.

The 1970s setting is interesting, too. Politics and historical events don’t intrude into the story too much. The references to the Nixon administration and the Vietnam war help anchor the story in the time period.

Throughout the story, Jess expresses her frustration about the expectations she faces as a child assigned female at birth. The story doesn’t center around her labeling herself, but simply her resourcefulness at finding ways to express who she is. Her quest to be comfortable in her own skin really resonates.

Conclusion

Kids who don’t identify with gender conventions, whether they identify as LGBTQIA+ or simply don’t fit gender stereotypes, will find a kindred spirit in Jess. Readers interested in historical fiction set in 20th century America will find the Michigan setting and 1970s timeline engaging.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
References to attending church and prayer. Jess worries that she’ll go to Hell if she dies before finishing her prayers and asking forgiveness for her sins each night.

Violent Content
Jess takes risks a couple of times. She winds up seriously injured once.

Drug Content
Jess’s dad drinks a beer after work sometimes. His father was an alcoholic, something the family doesn’t talk about.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

Review: The Secret Investigator of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill

Book Review and Content, Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , ,

The Secret Investigator of Astor Street (A Piper Sail Mystery #2)
Stephanie Morrill
Blink YA
Published August 5, 2025

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About The Secret Investigator of Astor Street

After high school graduation, Piper Sail isn’t quite sure what her future holds—until a possible murder case lands in her lap. Filled with both the glitz and glamor of high society and the dark mafia underbelly of 1920s Chicago, The Secret Investigator of Astor Street is perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Maureen Johnson.

Piper Sail knows what she to become a detective. After all, she already solved the case of her missing best friend, and there’s no shortage of crime in 1920s Chicago. But for an eighteen-year-old society girl—even one who’s currently dating a police investigator—it simply isn’t done.

That is, until a girl asks her to dig into her brother’s recent death. The police ruled it a suicide, but she’s convinced it was murder. And she wants Piper to help her prove it.

In this companion to The Lost Girl of Astor Street, Piper once again grabs her notebook and plunges into the underworld of mafia-controlled Chicago. But she’ll need all her wits and courage if she wants to become The Secret Investigator of Astor Street.

My Review

I really enjoy Stephanie Morrill’s writing, so it was a no-brainer for me to read this book. If Piper Sail and Astor Street seem familiar to you, it’s because of The Lost Girl of Astor Street, the first book in which we meet Piper and follow her as she unravels the mystery of her best friend’s disappearance. That book was published in 2017, so it’s very possible you hadn’t heard of or remembered the book, either. (If so, the good news is that now you have two new mysteries to read.)

This story is set in 1920s Chicago. Piper has graduated from school, and her family expects her to enroll in college and/or find a prospective husband and start a family. The last thing Piper wants to do is have children, and she’s not ready to settle down. She has some doubts about the direction of her current relationship with Mariano, a detective who helped her in the first book.

I loved the way the story explored Piper’s questions about her direction for her life. She knows she doesn’t want to have kids. She isn’t ready to get married. But how can a young woman work as a private investigator? It’s not something that’s done. Whose permission does she need? How will anyone ever take her seriously?

The story makes space for Piper to explore these questions as her investigation into a supposed suicide unfolds. The balance between this theme and the mystery is perfectly done. We get a deeper understanding of Piper and follow her character development, but it never slows down the narrative.

Conclusion

If you enjoy historical mysteries, put this one on your list. I hope that this book marks a revival of the Piper Sail Mysteries as a series. The ending definitely leaves room for a new story.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Kissing.

Spiritual Content
Reference to last rites (based on Catholic beliefs). I think there’s a brief reference to Piper noting that Mariano is Catholic, though she attends a different church.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. References to suicide. (Not shown on scene.) References to murder.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi

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The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Avi
Scholastic, Inc.
Published October 27, 2015 (Orig. 1990)

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About The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

Thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is excited to return home from her school in England to her family in Rhode Island in the summer of 1832. But when the two families she was supposed to travel with mysteriously cancel their trips, Charlotte finds herself the lone passenger on a long sea voyage with a cruel captain and a mutinous crew. Worse yet, soon after stepping aboard the ship, she becomes enmeshed in a conflict between them!

What begins as an eagerly anticipated ocean crossing turns into a harrowing journey, where Charlotte gains a villainous enemy . . . and is put on trial for murder!

After Words material includes an author Q&A, journal writing tips, and other activities that bring Charlotte’s world to life!

My Review

I first read this book in elementary school, and I decided to revisit it as part of the reading challenges I’ve committed to for this year. One of the challenges is to revisit a childhood favorite. I chose The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle in part because I remember loving it. I also wanted to revisit the work and think about the explorations of classism and sexism.

Twelve-year-old Charlotte embarks on a journey from England to the United States in 1832. Her family’s original plan is that two other families would accompany her on the voyage, but instead, she is the only passenger on a ship crewed entirely by men.

At first, the only person on the ship she feels comfortable with is Captain Jaggery, whom she takes to be a gentleman from the way he addresses her and his dress and such. She hears rumors from the crew and others that he is a violent man who can’t be trusted, and at first, she assumes these statements are exaggerated or just the kinds of complaints one might have if one works for a captain with high standards.

Then, she witnesses some of his cruelty. She listens to him malign the crew as if they are inferior men. At first, she doesn’t push back on his behavior. As the captain’s cruelty escalates, she begins to wonder if the crew members have been telling her the truth. She also gets to know several crew members and unpacks some of the classist statements the captain made. When she experiences prejudice herself, she further examines these ideas.

I had forgotten how tightly paced this book is. The tension builds, culminating in a murder mystery with Charlotte at its center.

The vocabulary in the book will be challenging for younger readers, but the concepts in the story largely stand the test of time. Charlotte and the crew’s lone Black man become unlikely friends. She learns a lot from him, and ultimately, she faces pivotal moments where she will have to believe him and support him in return or look out for her own interests.

Readers who enjoy a tightly paced murder mystery on the high seas or a historical novel about girls challenging gender norms and finding adventure will enjoy this one.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used very briefly.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Charlotte reads Bible passages to the crew on Sundays. They pray over a crewmate who has passed away.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. One scene shows someone whipping a bound man. A man shoots another man in the chest. He dies soon after, and someone heaves his body overboard on the captain’s orders. References to a man who was beaten so badly that he lost his arm.

Drug Content
Mentions of alcohol on board and sailors drinking rum. (Drinking happens off-scene.)

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. All opinions are my own.

MMGM Review: The Sky Was My Blanket by Uri Shulevitz

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The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man’s Journey Across Wartime Europe
Uri Shulevitz
Farrar, Straus, & Giroux
Published August 12, 2025

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About The Sky Was My Blanket

From celebrated Caldecott Award–winning illustrator Uri Shulevitz comes the gripping and revealing true story of a young Polish exile fighting to survive in war-torn Europe.

Born in the tumult of World War I, a young Jewish boy named Yehiel Szulewicz chafes at the borders of his hometown of Żyrardów, Poland, and at the rules set in place by his restrictive parents. Brimming with a desire for true adventure, he leaves home at fifteen-and-a-half years old to seek his future elsewhere. Little does Yehiel know, he’ll never see his parents again.

His journey takes him beyond Polish borders, to Austria, Croatia, France, and Spain. With no money and no ID papers, he often sleeps under the stars, with only the sky as his blanket. But even wayfaring Yehiel can’t outrun the evil spreading across Europe in the years leading up to World War II. As the fascists and Nazis rise to power, Yehiel soon finds himself a member of the Spanish Republican Army and then the Jewish Resistance in Vichy France, fighting for freedom, his friends, and his very life.

Inspired by the true story of Uri Shulevitz’s uncle and stunningly illustrated by the author, The Sky Was My Blanket is a unique and riveting account of one man’s courage and resilience amidst one of the darkest periods in global history.

Don’t miss Uri Shulevitz’s acclaimed memoir, Chance: Escape from the Holocaust: Memories of a Refugee Childhood, which bestselling author Elizabeth Wein called “harrowing, engaging and utterly honest” (New York Times Book Review).

My Review

I really liked the way this book was written. Each part is broken into very short chapters, usually only a page or so of text, often accompanied by a drawing. This allows the story to focus on the critical moments of Yeheil’s journey. It feels exactly like the snippets you might get when you sit down to ask a relative to tell their life story.

It’s also the kind of information that you’d tell an interested child if you were relating your experiences, so it doesn’t delve too deeply into the horrors of war that Yeheil must have witnessed.

Many of the World War II stories that I’ve read following Jewish characters relate experiences in Concentration Camps, and those are critically important stories to tell. (Perhaps only more important now.) Still, this narrative reminds readers that those aren’t the only experiences of war survivors.

I haven’t read Uri Shulevitz’s memoir, Chance: Escape from the Holocaust: Memories of a Refugee Childhood but after reading his account inspired by his uncle’s life, it’s high on my reading list.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 10 to 14.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Reference to marriage.

Spiritual Content
Reference to Jewish faith and traditions.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. Reference to ghettos and concentration camps.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday

I’m sharing this post as a part of a weekly round-up of middle-grade posts called Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday. Check out other blogs with posts about middle-grade books today on Marvelous Middle-Grade Mondays at Always in the Middle.

Review: Not Lucille by Mike Steele

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Not Lucille
Mike Steele
Creative James Media
Published June 24, 2025

Amazon | Bookshop | Goodreads

About Not Lucille

It’s 1931, and children should be seen and not heard.

Ten-year-old Lucy Contento can’t help but be seen and heard. And she’s always in trouble for it. She talks too much. She’s impulsive. She writes with the wrong hand. Her parents would be mad enough knowing she routinely earns afterschool detentions. They’d be furious if they found out she’s been sneaking onto the campus of the nearby Trenton Academy for the Deaf. But there, Lucy has met Florence, a lonely and profoundly deaf girl her own age. Florence doesn’t mind Lucy’s flaws. Though Florence can’t speak, she has a unique way of communicating. If Lucy can figure out how to learn Florence’s special language, the two could be friends.

Lucy devises a plan, but it’s going to cost a whopping seven dollars and ninety-eight cents—more money than she’s got. She can’t tell her parents why she wants the funds without revealing she’s been visiting Florence. Besides, her parents don’t have a penny to spare. Her father has been out of work for months. And nobody else in the Contento family has an income. Or do they? Lucy soon discovers she’s not the only member of her family hiding something. Can she get the money she needs while keeping everyone’s secrets? Or will her scheming land her in the biggest trouble of her life?

In this story of friendship and belonging, a young girl navigates prejudice, punishment, and identity while establishing her voice in a world that often tries to keep her silent.

My Review

This story has a hint of the A Tree Grows in Brooklyn vibe to it. The time period, the northeast city setting, the scenes showing Lucy in class, and some of the dynamics in her family all made me think of that story (though the books don’t serve the same audience).

I like that this is historical story includes neurodivergent and disabled characters. Lucy experiences symptopms that today would prompt her to be screened for ASD/ADHD. Her friend Florence is Deaf. The story draws readers into a moment in history when Irish and Italian immigrants faced steep discrimination– a reality that my own family faced in those days.

The story is well-suited to middle grade readers, crafting scenes that show what life was like without slowing down the story or getting lost in the details. It sounds from the author’s note that Steele has his own family history that connects to the story (namely his grandmother Lucy and her experiences) and that he made sure to include sensitivity readers who could evaluate the scenes that include Deaf representation.

Through her experiences, Lucy learns new ways to communicate and how to appreciate the differences between herself and others. She learns that sometimes people we think we know and don’t like can surprise us. I liked the way that some of the other characters in the story surprised Lucy.

Young readers interested in the early 1930s in America will find this an informative, enjoyable story. The short chapters make this a quick, engaging read. The author’s note in the back of the book also offers some context for elements of the story, which helps explain why, for instance, Florence wasn’t allowed to use sign language at school.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
Early in the story, Lucy refers to the students at a school for the Deaf by a name that she later realizes is derogatory. She stops using the term. A boy picks on her in the halls at school. Her father faces discrimination as an Italian immigrant and struggles to find work. The story also references illegal gambling activity.

Drug Content
None.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use but help support this blog. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.