I finally read this book! I didn't read a whole lot of contemporary YA when I was a teen (Stargirl, Holes, and Esperanza Rising being notable exceptions thanks to a fantastic youth librarian trying her hardest with rural homeschool teens). At the time, even the title of this book seemed a bit sacrilegious.

Reading it now, I can see how this book really was revolutionary when it was first published in 1970. Straight talk about periods, first lessons about gossip, secret crushes, interacting with boys, secret societies with your girl friends, trying to figure out religion and how God is present in our lives—it's all important! And the authenticity of the situations are just spot on. For example, a boy that seems cute from a distance turns out to be a disappointingly ordinary 11-year-old boy when Margaret interacts with him.

Some of the conflicts are dated: "If you're not Jewish or Christian, how will you choose to enroll in the YMCA or the Jewish Club?" Or like, Margaret rides a bus by herself from New Jersey to downtown NYC.

Times have changed, but it's delightful to see that some things about being a pre-teen have not.