Say the words “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and many women may recall just where they were when they first heard about the coming-of-age book by Judy Blume, published in 1970.

Ms. Blume has been granted entry as a confidant into a place where few are admitted: the tween bedroom. Her character Margaret Simon explores questions all young girls wonder about but are too embarrassed to ask.

When I started reporting on Ms. Blume’s lasting appeal over the past 50 years, which you can read about in today’s Daily, I wanted to reread the book. I could visualize the purple paperback cover with Margaret’s flowing blond hair, and I dug through boxes in the attic looking for it. But my copy is long gone. I stopped by the local library. Both copies were checked out. Next, I searched eBay. Even though the book is still in print, it turns out nostalgia for certain covers comes at a cost. I spotted the familiar 1977 edition for $85, so I passed.

Finally, in a tiny bookshop on Beacon Hill in Boston, I found the title on a low shelf. Somehow seventh grader Margaret, after five decades, is still holding her own among today’s vampire trilogies, dystopian stories, and graphic novels. The cover of my new copy features Abby Ryder Fortson, the young actor who portrays Margaret in a new motion picture that opens April 28.

At the bookshop, I headed down to the cafe to meet a friend. The chef, dressed in a crisp white coat, led us to our table. I set down my newly purchased book and that’s when she paused. She placed one hand on the book, and the other on her heart, and turning to me she said, “I remember exactly where I was when I read this book and how it made me feel.”

And I knew just what she meant.