All the Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret Book Covers In Chronological Order

Are you there god? It's me Margaret. rare first edition, hardcover, 1970
First edition, hardcover. Published by Bradbury in 1970, Photo: Bauman Books.

By now you’ve most likely heard that one of the most popular, and one of the most controversial, children’s books, “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” by author Judy Blume, has been made into a movie. With positive early reviews, we decided to take a look at all of the covers designed for the book since its initial publication in 1970.

Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret Book Covers in Chronological Order

various judy blume book covers
Over the years, the book has been published with covers ranging from illustration (1986) to a special 2020 edition with embossed leather cover.

Upon publication, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret was an immediate success, placing on the New York Times’ list of outstanding books of the year and remaining highly regarded for its frank portrayal of childhood. The book’s exploration of sexual and religious topics has also made it a frequent target for censorship and banning” (Variety). “Judy Blume’s classic about religion, puberty, and pre-teen menstruation anxiety remains as vivid and affecting today as it was in 1970” (Entertainment Weekly).

movie poster 2023 are you there god

Starring Rachel McAdams and Abby Ryder Fortson, the movie version of the coming-of-age book, written in 1970, opened nationwide on April 28th. Simultaneously, a documentary about the Author, Judy Blume Forever, has premiered on Amazon Prime.

a still from the 2023 movie with Abby Ryder Fortson, Elle Graham, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, and Amari Alexis Price
a still from the 2023 movie with Abby Ryder Fortson, Elle Graham, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, and Amari Alexis Price

With positive early reviews, the movie version has spurred numerous articles about the book and the controversy surrounding ‘banning’ the book. It has also had many reflecting upon their experiences reading it as a youth, including us. We thought it might be interesting to take a look back at the cover art over the course of time and see if it reflected the contents or attitudes toward the subject matter.

We did see one or two articles about the covers, but the dates were either incorrect or the selection barely included the majority of them, so we decided to do a deep dive and find them all for you. Special thanks to vintage book dealers Abe Books for the correct publication information.

The covers range from literal depictions of either an introspective female or a group of prepubescent girls to less literal and more design-like executions over time.

judy blume are you there god it's me margaret book covers

Regardless of the range of covers, millions of young women will tell you it’s the poignant words by Judy Blume that made it impactful, not the cover art.

The Official Movie site