A little more about 
this story & puberty… 

Puberty is not all about getting your period or developing breasts, although these become the fascination and possible obsession of girls nearing the middle grades of school, the in-between years, and typically signal the transitional ending stage of childhood on the journey to adolescence.

This is where we find Margaret, in the summer before 6th grade, not yet paying much mind to her chaning body beyond sharing childlike experiences and fun with friends at camp and, up until now, any thoughts of puberty are simply small moments observing mom or over-reacting to the news that her family is about to move to a new town, and leaving her beloved Grandmother. It all changes when, upon arrival in the suburbs of their new neighborhood, Nancy Wheeler knocks on Margaret’s door to come out and play.

Throughout “Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.” we get a candid glimpse into the mind of a typical “in-between” girl, through her diary-like internal conversations with God. She talks to him about the challenges of moving to a new place, adjusting to her blossoming awareness and self-consciousness to her developing (or under-developing) body, and the complexities of  friendship and “fitting in” among her peers. Her journey also takes her through her family history as she questions her own belief system and how she relates to each influential person she has grown up with and meets.

In the movie, (and the book) we hear (alot) about girls’ curiosities and fascinations with breasts and getting their periods. We see what it’s like to belong to a friendship group, and those newfound fluttery and confusing feelings around boys. It’s confronting and yet comforting, awkward and yet full of truth, and an honestly endearing coming-of-age story for mothers and daughters to share.