Dress Coded
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In this inspiring novel about girls using their collective power to improve their lives, an eighth grader starts a podcast to protest the unfair dress code enforcement at her middle school—and sparks a rebellion.
"A much-needed reminder that certain fights are worth fighting, that while bears of all types may prowl unsettlingly close, fear can be faced down and victories achieved, especially with strength in numbers."—The New York Times
"Full of humor, rage, and heart . . . shows how systemic change can be made when girls stand together. Absolutely necessary for tweens and teens."—Booklist (starred review)
Molly Frost is FED UP...
Because Olivia was yelled at for wearing a tank top.
Because Liza got dress coded and Molly didn't, even though they were wearing the exact same outfit.
Because when Jessica was pulled over by the principal and missed a math quiz, her teacher gave her an F.
Because it's impossible to find shorts that are longer than her fingertips.
Because girls' bodies are not a distraction.
Because middle school is hard enough.
And so Molly starts a podcast where girls can tell their stories, and before long, her small rebellion swells into a revolution. Because now the girls are standing up for what's right, and they're not backing down.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When Olivia Bonaventura, a girl in Molly Frost's eighth grade class, is dress coded for wearing a tank top with spaghetti straps, it results in the class camping trip being canceled. Everyone blames Olivia, but she'd only removed her sweatshirt to cover a period blood stain on her white jeans. It's the latest example of the school's unfair rules, which target young women ("the girls with boobs and butts, the prettiest girls, and the girls with long legs") and fail to account for socioeconomic and other circumstances that can make the code challenging to adhere to. Molly begins Dress Coded: a Podcast, where students share their experiences and together try to challenge the rules. As the students protest, Molly learns the power of her voice and finds the strength to handle hardships at home, namely her brother's vaping addiction and dealing of vape pods to middle schoolers. With timely, important anecdotes that ring painfully true, Firestone (The Unlikelies) cuts to the heart of the damage that dress coding can inflict. Chapters alternate between podcasts and letters that Molly writes in this deeply satisfying, variously inclusive journey with a wonderfully flawed main character. Ages 10 up.