as coming of age is a mansion where the dark seeds are put to be reaped, so too is childhood as a young girl... perhaps all this religious investigation will reap the fruit of a pious nature or perhaps inspire thus more her yearning to connect to both the exterior and interior? what makes young girls desire the touch of death ? the blood that becomes a crooked river ... the facets of flesh or to continue a monolgue and give it life where she becomes a siren in her threaded story of wholeness and separateness- to pull the volleying life forward and watch its eddies flow or pierce us back as though crimson sky, a heavenly place where there are only god and the aparition of being a unique person where we can chide and dismantle Him as if we are still of the younger. When we wrought (pursue) the life of intrigue and although still wanting, we still have our essays on god as a mode or deeper seeded meaning towards, as in a map, the philosphers stone that we wear now and again as a diadem or on our chests still burgeoning like an internal heart perhaps. In our bodies like skin prined as though a jewish new year or a baptism we never agreed to until we saw god force our hand to merely prove we could ( )

Dang the chapter she submits the report on religion is devastating, beautiful. The ending doesn’t land ( )

for banned books challenge sept. 2020 bookcrossers' group

First time I've read it. I don't know if I would have empathized when I was 11 or not.

I like the new cover, no image, looks a bit like text messages. It ages well. So far the only things that I noticed that date it are that the school celebrates Christmas Hanukah (not Winter Holidays), they have records for music, and mother says to father, "don't worry, I'll never forgive my parents for disowning me for marrying you" (forgiveness is now known to be very important, and at least a private choice).

I def. see why this is banned. To think that a child would be offered a choice of religions makes no sense to anyone who knows that their own is the One True Faith, as mother's parents exemplify. But then when Margaret reveals her plans to raise her children in a religion, those who challenge the book should be happier, no? Ah well, censorship is ridiculous and that's all there is to it. ( )

I'd always meant to read this book and never got around to it until now. Now I know, if I get back to the Public Library, whether to recommend it. It seems like it might depend on how devoutly attached someone is to a particular religion, whether they'd like it. If it's not cool with someone that a young girl be brought up without some sort of church experience, and told to pick a religion by herself, that person probably wouldn't like the book. ( )

Margaret may not be what would be termed "religious", but is she is by far the character with closest relationship with God in this book, mainly because of her honesty and plainspokenness in her prayers, and as a result of this real relationship, He gives her exactly what she wants. Spirituality aside, this novel is down-to-earth and genuine about all the myriad anxieties and problems pre-teen girls go through and Blume is not afraid to blatantly say what she thinks and reveal things as they are, inappropriate as they may seem to some stiff-necked readers. I may not be the one to say it, being a guy and all, but I think any girl struggling with the twinges of puberty may find calm and understanding with this book, and know that she isn't alone. I think it would also be of great benefit for boys to read it too, if you could ever convince them of it. ( )