Recommended Audience: Middle School +
Opinion: Recommended
Rival school clubs learn to work together after weeks of contention. Readers get to experience doing the right thing when faced with a moral dilemma, putting aside differences to work together, standing up to bullies, and more.
Advisories for mild crude language (e.g. pissed, jerk, idiot), mean-spirited jeering and name-calling (e.g. losers, dork), one reference to the ‘B-word’
Details:
At first glance of the cover, I automatically assumed that this book would have an overarching romance theme. Surprisingly, it doesn’t at all. The story revolves around two students, Penelope and Jaime, and their respective rival art and science clubs. Complete with middle school angst and melodrama, this book is quite humorous and overall wholesome. Aside from the name-calling and pranks, there’s really little to point out in terms of morally questionable content. However, if you wish to avoid stories that have a boy-girl friendship, this will be a book you would want to skip.
I think that middle school readers and up (perhaps even a mature 5th grader) will really enjoy this book. I love that the author relayed the message that art and science don’t have to be exclusive, and that in fact many famous people have been adept at both (p.188-190). Of course, I wish that the author had expanded the examples she gave beyond the Renaissance and Leonardo Da Vinci, but we’re not there yet. The scene where students stood up to the class bullies was a delight (p.208).
Things I Liked:
- diversity of characters — the brilliant science teacher is a fierce woman of color, Jaime’s mom is in an electric wheelchair, and the newspaper staff reporter is a hijabi
- resolution of conflict – ultimately the rival science and art clubs work together to achieve something great
- doing the right thing – when faced with a moral dilemma, main character Penelope makes the right choice
- consequences for the constant bickering and fighting between the two clubs
- comedic elements – there were many comedic elements that didn’t come at the expense of character’s feelings
Advisories:
- a vague inference to mammals having breasts (p.41) — I honestly think this would fly over most kids’ heads unless they’re familiar with mammals, and even then, it’s not really that bad
- name-calling/teasing throughout (e.g. dork, nerd, losers)
- mild crude language (e.g. pissed [p.93], stupid)
- a character’s parent referring to the character’s mom as her “lazy BXXXX mother” (p. 104) — this is literally how it is written (with the X’s as it appears). I honestly don’t see why the author felt the need to include this. They could’ve got the same sentiment across without throwing in the expletive, even if it is written in a covert way.
Illuminated Pages 