Week 1

Title: Are you there, God? It's me Margaret by Judy Blume

Book Summary

Are you there God? It’s me Margaret is the story of a young girl whose family moves to New Jersey the summer before her sixth grade year. As most girls her age, she looks to her newly acquired friends in search of self identity and finds her spiritualty to be the most challenging to define. Throughout the story, Margaret also endures the physical changes, challenges, and desires brought on by puberty in a very honest way.

My Impressions

I first read Are you there, God? It’s me Margaret when I was in fifth grade and instantly became a fan of Judy Blume. I read every book she wrote and always found a character I could identify within the pages. I wondered if I would feel the same about the story as an adult or would I join the other mothers who banned her books from their children’s shelves. I have to admit, after reading the story as an adult, I couldn’t help but wonder if I already new about spin the bottle or did I discover it from her story. It’s been too long to know for sure, but I still love the story and believe it has a place on our shelves. Judy Blume’s books have a way of addressing pre-pubescent issues in a respectful and honest way. I know I said many prayers and performed many sessions of  “We Must Increase our Bust” only to conceal the answered prayers with oversized t-shirts and camisoles. The only area I felt was dated was the references to Playboy. I think the Internet has replaced the need for adult magazines in the home and know this is where many adolescents are going out of curiosity. I look forward to sharing this story with my daughter when she’s ready.

Professional Review

Publishers Weekly

"With sensitivity and humor Judy Blume has captured the joys, fears, and uncertainty that surround a young girl approaching adolescence."  

Library Use

Middle School

Collaborate with health and/or science teachers to create a collection of books (reference and fiction) that address puberty and the human body to  display in the library or classrooms.  

Bibliography

Blume, Judy. (1970). Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret. Bradbury Press. Scarsdale, NY.

Book review. (2001, April 1). [Review of the book Are you there God? It's me Margaret, J. Blume].   
        Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-689-84158-3

Week 1

Title: George and Martha: Two Great Friends by James Marshall

Book Summary

George and Martha: Two Great Friends is a book comprised of three stories detailing the friendship of two hippopotamuses who learn about privacy, vanity, and compassion through their experiences together. 

My Impressions

I loved the stories about George and Martha’s friendship.  All three stories taught basic character traits in a simple yet hilarious way. I laughed out loud when Martha hit George on the head with her tub for peeping on her. In every situation I knew the characters’ emotions by using the illustrations. It is obvious George thinks it’s funny when he replaces Martha’s mirror with a silly image and scares her. Both friends make mistakes, learn from them, and become better friends to each other.

Professional Review

Midwest Book Review
"Three fine stories of two great friends pack a fun beginner's picture book that tells of a friendship between two hippos. Stories tell of friends learning privacy, handling each other's habits, and facing disaster when a tooth injury changes appearance. Lessons impart the basics of friends making adjustments."

Library Use

Elementary School

I would show students the illustrations before reading the book and ask them to describe what the characters are feeling or thinking based on their facial expressions.

Bibliography

Marshall, j. (1972). George and Martha: Two Great Friends. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin  
        Company.

Midwest book review. (2007). Children's Book Watch . Retrieved from  
        http://www.midwestbookreview.com/cbw/dec_07.htm