Dress Coded

Dress Coded

By: Carrie Firestone

Book Quote:

"I'm a pretty average person in every way.  I wouldn't say I try my best at school, lacrosse, clarinet, or life in general.  But compared to my brother, Danny, I'm a rock star."

Library Cat Rating:  😺 😺 😺

Review:
     When Molly Frost is the secret witness to what really happened the day Olivia Bonaventura is dress coded and becomes the most hated girl in eighth grade at Fisher Middle School she knows she can't stay silent.  It's not just that Olivia was treated unfairly, it's that many female students, over many years, have been unfairly dress coded by their principal Dr. Couchman and his administrative henchman; Mr. Dern and a woman known by the students as "Fingertip."  When a girl gets dress coded, it means they have been caught in violation of the school's dress code.  A dress code that makes it seem like girls' bodies (especially those that are more developed or large) are a distraction.  Depending on the girl, what they are wearing, and who catches them, it can mean anything from getting a warning, to having to call your parents and have them bring you different clothes, or having to wear Fingertip's disgusting old burgundy sweater that's covered in cat hair, but it ALWAYS includes humiliation. 
     Olivia's dress code violation includes being verbally shammed and humiliated by Dr. Couchman and Mr. Dern.  It's worse than that though as not only is she not allowed to explain why she was wearing a tank top, but the eighth grade camping trip is also cancelled as a result of her breaking the code.  In order to get out Olivia's real story, Molly starts Dress Coded: A Podcast.  The unreasonable and unfair enforcement of the dress code policy is commonly known by current and former students, but as more and more girls come forward to share their story a movement begins.

    VERDICT is this is a great book that is a must have for any library.  I can see a young me in Molly's shoes, wanting to change an injustice but not knowing the best way to proceed.  Molly jumps in and finds a creative way to help spread Olivia's story through a podcast.  This book shows that you can instigate change no matter how old you are and even if it seems like you don't have a lot of power.

Citation:

Firestone, Carrie.  (7 July 2020).  Dress Coded.  New York, NY:  Penguin Young Readers Group.  

**I read an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of this book.**

Annotation:
Molly Frost is an average in every way kind of eighth grader who becomes a leader of a revolution when she starts a podcast called Dress Coded after witnessing a fellow classmate being humiliated by the school administration for her outfit.  For the first time, Molly takes the lead to try and change the school's dress code policy and give a voice to all the seventh and eighth grade females.

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Extras:

To learn more about the author and book, visit Carrie Firestone's website here.