middle school – The Lamp Post

Plot:

At Hawking Middle School, after you get your period for the first time, you’re invited to join the Red Club. It’s an after school club that serves as a safe space for girls to support each other through having their periods, and also through all the complexities entailed in the lives of middle school girls. Riley has loved being a member of the club; however, when a parent complains to the school, the club is no longer allowed to meet. Riley and her friends decide to fight for their beloved club to remain open, and try to create a more positive environment in their school while they’re at it.

What I loved most:

Man, at the age these characters are at, having your period is just such a big deal. In our current culture, it’s also so stigmatized. Every woman has hidden a tampon in their sleeve for a walk to the bathroom at one point in their life. Yet periods are a natural thing, and literally half of the world’s population gets periods. I love the concept of girls these age coming together to support one another through this process, and to remove the stigma from this natural bodily process. Also, I’m HERE for teaching kids to advocate for themselves, and to fight for what they think is right. Middle school girls are going to love this book.

Read this book if you like:

Activism, social justice, being proud to be a girl, contemporary fiction

Book details:

Author: Kim Harrington
Publisher: Aladdin
Date of Publication: October 22, 2019
Interest Level: 5th – 8th graders

Plot:

Lou has never liked big crowds, or people touching her, or loud noises. She may not have a life like most other kids, but she knows she’s safe with her mom. In between shows where she has to sing in front of crowds, she and her mom sleep in their truck. They’re staying in a town that Lou likes, and hopefully they will be there for a while. But when an accident happens and Child Protective Services gets involved, Lou has to move to a brand new place, with a family she doesn’t know. Starting at a new school is never fun, and Lou just wants to fly under the radar. But a persistent friend, a school counselor, and a loving aunt and uncle help her realize that maybe things will be alright after all.

What I loved most:

In so many books about neurodivergence, the differently-abled character is a sibling/friend/side character. That’s not the case in Tune It Out – Lou gets to be the heroine of her own story. At the beginning of the book, she’s never heard the term “sensory processing disorder”. By the end, she’s working on coping skills and management strategies, and boldly tells her mom about SPD and what it means. It’s SO important for children to see themselves reflected in the literature that they read – and not just as a side character. Three cheers for differently-abled protagonists!

Read this book if you like:

Contemporary fiction, complicated families, neurodivergent protagonists, music, theater, accepting who you are

Book details:

Author: Jamie Sumner
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Date of Publication: Sept 1, 2020
Age Recommendation: 5th – 8th graders
Look up Tune It Out on WorldCat to find it at a library near you!