I didn’t expect to watch a Judy Blume movie on my trip to Montana

Well, my last post about Bozeman took a little detour the rest of the day Sunday. My St. Louis to Denver flight on Southwest was delayed just long enough for me to barely miss my Denver to Bozeman one. 

“Sleeping” in the Denver airport seemed it would be possible. There are lots of couches and there were hundreds of travelers splayed out on them, but it was impossible to sleep with endless loudspeaker announcements and the drilling and hammering of construction. I slept in a row of my own on a reroute from Denver to Las Vegas at 6 a.m. Monday morning, then squeezed in for the final leg to Bozeman, arriving at noon. After reaching Rachel at Gran Vendre Campground in Jackson Hole, I had been officially traveling for 33 hours.

Missing parts of vacations seems to be a running theme through most of my recent flights on my tenuously favorite U.S. airline. To look at the bright side, I got to finish Are You There God?, It’s Me Margaret, on my unexpected Monday flights. I only made it halfway through on my Sunday night flight.

Back in 2013, I read the book and reviewed it:

When we had our baby girl three-and-a-half months ago, I figured I better finally get off the snide and learn a thing or two about what it's like to grow up as a girl. After all, it won't be too long before Zoey will be confronting these issues. I shouldn't be clueless.

Are You There God? It's Me Margaret is essential reading for any pre-teen girl. It should help them recognize that the way they will soon be acting is laughable but serious as well.

Another review of this material is handy now, as my daughter Zoey has grown up and just turned 10 last month. The movie is enjoyable and the acting is pretty good. Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret is worth the price of admission alone and could be a star in the making. 

The film is certainly a worthwhile use of time for an entertaining and touching guide to parenting. And it’s pretty hard to believe it’s one of the most banned books in the country, being both sweet and educational. For parents not to talk to their kids about what to expect as their bodies change is really irresponsible. And to not give kids any say in their religious beliefs may be even worse. This movie addresses those issues in a bold way.

4 out of 5 stars