Our latest guest post comes from the youngest book group on the blog to date. This group of 5th graders formed book club a few months ago and met last week to discuss Judy Blume's coming-of-age classic Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. I suspect that many of you out there read this book growing up with your friends (if only there were book clubs back then!) And hopefully many of you have shared or are sharing it with your own daughters. Reading this makes me want to pull out my dogeared copy and read it again this weekend! Here's an interview with Judy Blume and the girls in Abigail's book group will be happy to learn that she has a blog too!
My name is Abigail Panitz. My friends and I are all in fifth grade and we have formed a book club that meets at my house one Sunday every month. Today, Sunday March 16, we had our third meeting and discussed Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. We discussed many questions like, "What about the ending? Were you surprised by it? Was it too neatly wrapped up or did the book end on a good note?" As usual, everyone had different ideas, feelings and questions and about the book.
The highlight of our meeting, of course, was blogging for Book Club Girl. My friends and I were very excited about having our opinions and writing posted on the site, and we all of course wish we could write our opinions each month online on a Book Club Girl Jr.! We all paired up. One pair (Kate and Sage) had to write a paragraph about our club and the members in it.
The other two pairs had to answer the question, "Why do you think this book has been loved by so many generations?" in one paragraph. The paragraphs were completed in roughly half an hour by all the excited members. This is the closest our book club has ever come to being famous, and we got lucky early on (as I said, this was our third meeting).
Anyway, I hope you enjoy looking at what our book club came up with and we'd be curious to hear if our opinions are very different than yours.
Next month's choice: Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo.
Our Book Club by Kate and Sage
Club Du Livre De Filles has 9 members. The members are Abigail, Natasha, Kate, Sage, Sylvie, Stella, Jacquie, Jenny and Zoe, who all go to the same school in NYC. Our book club meets once a month to talk about the previous book we read. Then after we've finished talking we pick out a new book to read. Then it starts all over again.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
Opinion by Abigail and Natasha
We think that many generations have loved this book because it covers things that happen to all girls. Also, we think this is loved by many generations because it is a story that tells a life of a girl and a lot of people
like to read about the lives of different people. Margaret Simon talks, thinks and acts like many of us. She worries about many of the same things we all worry about -- her appearance, being popular, being "normal" -- and makes you feel less alone in your insecurities.
Opinion by Sylvie and Stella
We think that Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret was carried on for many generations because it might make people feel more comfortable about growing up. Also it makes people feel more normal about choosing their religions. Altogether, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret is a great example and a good book.
I love this post -- great job! My 8 year old daughter and I just started a Mother Daughter book club last month. I agree that it would have been wonderful to have book clubs when I was a kid.
Posted by: Julie P. | March 21, 2008 at 07:37 AM
WOW. I wish I were a fifth-grade girl again so I could join Club du Livre. You girls are awesome! Have fun and enjoy your friendships and your reading club!
Posted by: Libby56 | March 21, 2008 at 08:08 AM
Girls, you did a great job writing for this column! Thanks for letting us remember being your age. Keep on reading!
Posted by: Michelle | March 21, 2008 at 10:58 AM
I'm so impressed! It sounds like this book club is a lot of fun. I remember reading that book way back when and I still remember how Margaret had one curl going the wrong way and her mom made her feel better about it. Now, when my hair isn't quite right, I think back over that scene and end up walking out my door with a smile on my face.
Posted by: Jenne | March 21, 2008 at 02:42 PM
I can't wait for my daughter to be old enough to have a book club! Great job girls!
Posted by: Stephanie | March 23, 2008 at 11:12 AM
WOW! Nice job girls! You should blog more often! You sounded like an actual reporter! I also noticed that one of the bloggers had the same name as me, Stella.
Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Stella | March 30, 2008 at 05:34 PM