Author: Bridget Farr
Genre: realistic fiction
Similar books: Zero Tolerance by Claudia Mills
The Pants Project by Cat Clarke
Rating:
Summary (provided by publisher): Margie Kelly's perfect skirt was dress coded on her very first day of middle school. Upset and embarrassed, Margie spends the whole day wearing oversized gym shorts. So much for starting sixth grade with confidence!
But when Margie realizes that the dress code is only applied to the female students and not the boys, Margie gets mad. Really mad.
The dress code is keeping girls stuck in detention all day and away from learning. The boys act like they own the school. And the teachers turn a blind eye to the hypocrisies taking place in the halls, classrooms, and clubs. Something has to change! And Margie knows just how to do it. She'll plan a school-wide protest with her best friend, Daniela, and fellow classmates Jamiya and Gloria.
But as Margie moves forward with her plans, she comes to realize some hard truths about herself. Will Margie recognize her own privilege and make meaningful change for all students?
My opinion: Dress codes are an easy way to introduce the idea of unequally enforced rules to kids. Young readers can understand the shame and discomfort of a character like Margie. They can also easily grasp the unfairness of kids receiving different punishments for the same violation. That's an important point that this book makes. Not only does the school enforce dress code only for girls, race plays a role in the punishments handed out. Margie must come to understand not only that, but also the risks involved for each kid who takes part in her protest. Farr invites the reader to consider all of the consequences of unfair rules and to question why administrations are so focused on what clothes kids wear in the first place. A solid introduction to ideas that play a stronger role in teen fiction.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley
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