This is the cover of "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" that I grew up with; my aunt gave me a copy for my birthday. Very '90s.
The test of true literature is its longevity. Will it still be relevant after an X number of years? Will people still find something to relate to or learn from even as books come and go? Many books will not be treated kindly by history, no matter how popular they are now. I’m fairly certain that the Twilight and Shopaholic books won’t be fondly remembered and passed down from generation to generation, although they’re entertaining (and certainly relevant) at the moment.
For instance, I’m on the fence about Judy Blume’s books, but there are some which retain their simple brilliance. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret might have dated references (I think earlier editions talked about sanitary pads with belts—I couldn’t even comprehend that as an adolescent—instead of adhesive), but is almost as relevant to teens in 2010 as it was to teens in 1970. Well, I know I had prayers similar to this one:
“Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret. I can’t wait until two o’clock God. That’s when our dance starts. Do you think I’ll get Philip Leroy for a partner? It’s not so much that I like him as a person God, but as a boy he’s very handsome. And I’d love to dance with him… just once or twice. Thank you God.”
It’s also interesting to take note of how book covers evolve throughout the years:
Emo Margaret in the '70s
This looks late '70s-early '80s to me. Well, those kids look a lot older than they should in the cover.
Age-appropriate kids (and not paintings!)
I don't really like books with real models, though. I want to imagine the characters myself.
Cutesy and symbolic. I wonder how book publishing meetings go when they decide to revamp book covers.
This is actually my favorite, but if I were a preteen, I wouldn't be seen carrying a book with a bra on the cover
I haven’t read this book, I’m intrigued hehe.
It’s a fun read, very relatable