Module 2: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.

Blume, J. (1970). Are you there God? It's me, Margaret. New York, NY: Atheneum Books.

Summary

Margaret Simon is a sixth grader who has just moved from New York City to a suburb in New Jersey and is facing lots of changes and questions in her life. She misses her grandmother who lives in the city and is also dealing with the physical changes (or lack thereof in Margaret's case) of puberty. She makes friends in New Jersey, and they form a secret club where they talk about the boys they like, make a pact to start wearing a bra (whether they need one or not), and frequently checking in to see if anyone has started her period yet. Throughout the story, Margaret is also trying to figure out what religion she is because she has been raised without religion. Her father was raised Jewish, and her mother was raised Christian, but as a family, they don't practice any religion. Margaret continues her own close relationship to God and frequently talks to him, always starting with, "Are you there God? It's me, Margaret."

Worth Another Cup of Tea?

Absolutely! Judy Blume is an expert in YA literature, and this one is no exception. I think this is an excellent book for young girls to read. Even though it was written in 1970, its themes are still timely and relevant. I believe it is written in such a way that today's girls would enjoy it and not think of it as an older book.

Reviews

Judy Blume's body of work returns to her original editor, Richard Jackson, with the rerelease of four classics in hardcover. An African-American family moves to all-white Grove Street in Iggie's House, to be released in April. The author's breakthrough title, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, about 11-year old Margaret Simon's struggles with puberty and religion, is now available in hardcover as well as in a Spanish-language edition, Estas ahi Dios? Soy yo, Margaret. Two additional titles came out last season: Blubber takes on preteen teasing; and It's Not the End of the World explores the effects of divorce. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.--Publisher's Weekly, March, 2002

If anyone tried to determine the most common rite of passage for preteen girls in North America, a girl's first reading of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret would rank near the top of the list. Judy Blume and her character Margaret Simon were the first to say out loud (and in a book even) that it is normal for girls to wonder when they are ever going to fill out their training bras. Puberty is a curious and annoying time. Girls' bodies begin to do freakish things--or, as in Margaret's case, they don't do freakish things nearly as fast as girls wish they would. Adolescents are often so relieved to discover that someone understands their body-angst that they miss one of the book's deeper explorations: a young person's relationship with God. Margaret has a very private relationship with God, and it's only after she moves to New Jersey and hangs out with a new friend that she discovers that it might be weird to talk to God without a priest or a rabbi to mediate. Margaret just wants to fit in! Who is God, and where is He when she needs Him? She begins to look into the cups of her training bra for answers.--Amazon.com

In The Library

This would be good for individual reading for girls in late elementary and early middle school or possibly in a book group. Personally, I don't find the contents to be inappropriate, but I can see how some could find this book to be controversial. I think that parent permission would be a good idea before using it in a book group.

Module 2: Madeline

Bemelmans, L. (1967) Madeline. New York, NY: The Viking Press.

Summary

This is the first book of the Madeline series, in which we meet Madeline who lives "in an old house in Paris that was covered with vines" with eleven other little girls and their caretaker, Miss Clavel. While Madeline is the smallest of the twelve, she is quite spunky and isn't afraid of mice or tigers at the zoo. One night, Miss Clavel is awakened by Madeline's cries, and she is taken to the hospital by Dr. Cohn. She has to have her appendix out. The other girls miss Madeline and are happy to visit her in the hospital, where Madeline has been showered with toys and flowers and is being taken care of by nuns with large starched habits that fly in the air. Madeline enjoys showing off her scar to the other little girls. Later that night, Miss Clavel is again awakened by cries and finds all eleven girls crying that they would like their appendix out too. Miss Clavel shushes the girls and tells them to say a prayer of thanks that they are well.

Worth Another Cup of Tea?

Absolutely! I love Madeline and really enjoyed re-reading this popular book for children. I like the illustrations...the recognizable, adorable outfits on the girls, the nuns, the scenes of Paris. Bemelmans did his own illustrations, and they are done in an interesting way that combines details with simplicity. For example, in the picture that shows the girls out on a rainy day, he draws Notre Dame with incredible architectural detail, yet on the opposite page showing the girls out on a sunny day in the Luxembourg Gardens, the sun is drawn like a young child would draw it, an orange and yellow circle with straight lines coming out of it. As for the text, I love the sweet story of this little girl living in Paris. I can easily visualize this group of twelve being watched over by Miss Clavel with order and efficiency yet also warmth and love. I noticed the picture of the wounded soldier with the words "and sometimes they were very sad", possibly for the first time, while re-reading it today. I don't think I had ever realized it was a soldier, and I just thought it was a man on crutches. It made me realize how much character is infused into these young girls, and that Bemelmans is portraying them as "good" girls, learning right from wrong. I also like the rhyming and can see how as a bedtime story, Madeline would be read over and over and over again before the light was turned off.

Reviews

"In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines," lives plucky Madeline with eleven other girls under the care of the kind Miss Clavel. Madeline wakes up in the night with appendicitis and is rushed off to the hospital. The other girls visit Madeline after the operation, and see her gifts, her candy, and above all, her scar. That night they all cry, "Boohoo, we want to have our appendix out too!" Bemelman's drawings of Paris bring the charm of the city to young readers.--Barnes and Noble

This is a children's classic. Madeline, the spunky heroine, becomes ill with appendicitis and must be rushed to the hospital. After her operation, Madeline awakens to a "room with flowers" and a window from which she can watch the world as she recovers and receives visits from her friends.--Children's Literature, 1993

In The Library

This would be a good read-aloud book for a storytime. It could also be used as a fun way to show older students some landmarks in Paris -- a great treat for middle school or even high school French students.

Publish Post

Module 1: The Rainbow Fish

Pfister, M. (1992). The rainbow fish. (J. Alison James, Trans.) New York, NY: North-South Books.

Summary

Rainbow Fish, as he is called by the other fish in the sea, has beautiful purple, blue, and green scales. What sets him apart, and what makes him more beautiful than the other fish are his glittery silver scales that sparkle in the water. The other fish envy him because of these silver scales, and one brave little blue fish asks him for one of his silver scales. Rainbow Fish quickly says no and swims away. Soon the other fish are ignoring Rainbow Fish, and he becomes lonely. He consults a wise octopus who tells him he will be happy again if he starts to give away his silver scales. At first, Rainbow Fish doesn't want to give away his beautiful silver scales, but as he begins to give them away, he realizes that the other fish are being nice to him again. In the end, he has one silver scale left and enjoys seeing the other fish swim around him, each with their own silver scales.

Worth Another Cup of Tea?

This is a nice, succinct story about sharing and how we are happiest when we are giving to others. Young children will enjoy seeing and touching the silver scales on the page. I think a nice addition would be a bit of texture to the silver scales to create an extra element of sensory perception for young children. I don't think it will live as one of my favorite children's books, but I do believe the lesson of sharing it teaches is a good one. It also teaches that what we have is not as important as how we act and treat others. I found the story to be somewhat blah with nothing terribly engaging or compelling about it and no humor at all. It's not one that I would want to re-read over and over with children. However, I did like the watercolor illustrations that Pfister himself did. I found them very appropriate for life under the sea.

I liked the message of the story and enjoyed the illustrations, but overall, it's not worth another cup of tea for me.

Reviews

Children will be immediately drawn to this book that features an iridescent, metallic-looking main character whose ``scales were every shade of blue and green and purple, with sparkling silver scales among them.'' Adult suspicions of the gimmick overwhelming the story quickly fade as the plot unfolds: none of the other fish will have anything to do with the Rainbow Fish, who always swims by superciliously and refuses to give away any of his special garb. He is lonely and without admirers until a wise female octopus advises him to give away his scales. Rainbow Fish then discovers that sharing brings happiness and acceptance. The delicate watercolors of underwater scenes are a perfect foil to the glittering scales that eventually form a part of each fish's exterior. This is certainly a story written to convey a message, but in its simplicity, it recalls the best of Lionni. Besides, what three-year-old doesn't need reinforcement about sharing?--Ellen Fader, School Library Journal, November, 1992.

Despite some jazzy special effects achieved with shimmery holographs, this cautionary tale about selfishness and vanity has trouble staying afloat. Rainbow Fish "the most beautiful fish in the entire ocean," refuses to share his prized iridescent scales--which, indeed, flash and sparkle like prisms as each page is turned. When his greed leaves him without friends or admirers, the lonely fish seeks advise from the wise octopus, who counsels him to give away his beauty and "discover how to be happy." The translation from the original German text doesn't enhance the story's predictable plot, and lapses into somewhat vague descriptions: after sharing a single scale, "a rather peculiar feeling came over Rainbow Fish." Deep purples, blues and greens bleed together in Pfister's liquid watercolors; unfortunately, the watery effect is abruptly interrupted by a few stark white, text-only pages.--Publishers Weekly, November, 1992.

In The Library

This is an excellent book for any discussion of sharing. Young children can understand that when Rainbow Fish didn't share his scales, he didn't have any friends and was sad. When he did share his scales, he did have friends and was happy again. An easy discussion starter would be, "Rainbow Fish shared his scales. What can we share?" I would probably make some scales out of silver paper and have each child write something he/she can share, whether it's at home, at school, on the playground, etc. Each child could then post his/her scale on a board with a water background.

The topic of sharing can be expanded to any type of charitable act. For example, with the recent tragedy in Haiti, young children can see the importance of helping people in need by giving what they can. It's a simplistic way to explain charity and the fact that we feel better in tragic situations when we give and do what we can.

Introduction

I am a graduate student in Library Science at the University of North Texas. This blog is an assignment for my Literature for Youth class during the Spring of 2010. We have an extensive reading list, and each post must include: bibliographic information, a brief summary, my impressions of the book, published reviews, and suggestions for use in a library setting. I enjoy reading with a nice cup of tea, hence the name of the blog. I hope you will enjoy reading about the books I chose!