Published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers (Released July 7)
Summary: When Molly’s friend Olivia gets dress coded, costing the entire eighth grade the chance for a camping trip, Molly wants a chance to tell the world what really happened. Having observed the incident, she feels qualified to set the record straight, and decides to start a podcast about her middle school’s dress code. Before long, other girls start to come forward with stories of their experiences getting dress coded, and word of her podcast starts to spread. As eighth grade graduation approaches, the dress coding stories pile up, and the administration stonewalls the kids, they decide it’s time for some more drastic action to bring attention to their cause. 320 pages; grades 6-8.
Pros: The portrayal of middle school is spot on in this breezy but empowering story of kids determined to be heard. The girls take the spotlight, but they have plenty of cool boys standing with them. Lots of other middle school topics are touched upon, including vaping, bullying, and family issues. This will be an easy sell to middle schoolers.
Cons: Although I’ve seen this recommended for fifth grade, I think kids will appreciate it more (and parents may object less) if they’re experienced middle schoolers.
