The First Rule of Punk

by Celia C Perez (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
"Roller Girl" meets "School of Rock" in this illustrated novel about identity, friendship, and riot-grrrl power by librarian and debut author PZrez.
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School Library Journal

Gr 3-6--A fun romp through the awkward years of middle school that examines themes of identity and culture. When Malu has to move away from her dad and everything she knows, she takes her love of punk music with her. Following the rules of punk, she embarks on a new school journey, full of misadventures and hilarious life lessons. Malu is happy not to fit in with the crowd yet cannot bring herself to tell her mom that her passion for punk is not a rebellious phase--it's who she is. When classmates label Malu a coconut (brown on the outside and white on the inside), she is determined to prove to her school and herself that she is proud of her Mexican roots. With tenderness and humor, Perez explores the joys and challenges of being biracial. Readers will connect with Malu, a strong protagonist who leaps off the page and whose zine-inspired artistry boldly illustrates how she deals with life. VERDICT Those who enjoy vivacious, plucky heroines, such as the protagonists of Brenda Woods's The Blossoming Universe of Violet Diamond, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and Audrey Vernick's Two Naomis, and Rebecca Stead's Goodbye Stranger, will eagerly embrace Malu.--Jessica Bratt, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Starred Review

After Maria Luisa O'Neill-Morales--Malu for short--and her divorced mother move from Florida to Chicago, the 12-year-old struggles with having her music-loving father so far away and with living up to a mother she has nicknamed SuperMexican. "Admit it, Mom," Malu says during one of their squabbles. "I'm just your weird, unladylike, sloppy-Spanish-speaking, half-Mexican kid." Malu takes solace in punk music and in creating handmade zines, which appear throughout; she also begins to make friends, forming a band--the Co-Co's--that blends punk and Mexican music. (It also reclaims the slur "coconut," which one of Malu's classmates calls her.) Perez's debut is as exuberant as its heroine, who discovers that there's real overlap between her Mexican heritage and the punk ethos she so admires. The relationships between children and parents are handled especially well: Malu chafes at her mother's traditionalism while idolizing her friend Joe's mother, a cafe owner who represents a merging of Mexican and punk cultures in a way that impresses Malu. A rowdy reminder that people are at their best when they aren't forced into neat, tidy boxes. Ages 9-12. Agent: Stefanie Von Borstel, Full Circle Literary. (Aug.)

Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

A 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book
A 2018 ALSC Notable Children's Book
A 2018 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award Winner
A 2017 ABA Indies Introduce Title
A Kids' Indie Next List Pick
An E.B. White Read-Aloud Middle Reader Award finalist
A 2018 Boston Globe-Horn Book Fiction and Poetry Honor Book
An Amelia Bloomer List Book
CCBC Choices 2018
A 2018 Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Publishers Weekly Flying Start
NPR Best Books of 2017
Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction of 2017
School Library Journal Best Books of 2017
A Horn Book Fanfare Selection
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature Best Books of 2017
NYPL Best Books for Kids 2017
Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best Books 2017
Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids 2017
A Seattle Public Library Top 10 Children's Chapter Book of 2017
A UPenn Graduate School of Education Best Book of 2017
2018-2019 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee
2018-2019 Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee
A 2018 Great Lakes, Great Reads Award Winner
2017 Nerdy Book Award Winner

PRAISE FOR THE FIRST RULE OF PUNK

"A charming debut about a thoughtful, creative preteen connecting to both halves of her identity."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Those who enjoy vivacious, plucky heroines... will eagerly embrace Malu."
—School Library Journal (starred review)

"Pérez's debut is as exuberant as its heroine... A rowdy reminder that people are at their best when they aren't forced into neat, tidy boxes."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Extremely relatable and creatively inspiring, with a voice that is equal parts witty and sharp."
—Bustle.com

"Malú is an irrepressible force, one that readers will long remember."
—Diana López, author of Confetti Girl and Nothing Up My Sleeve

The first Rule of Punk

Celia C Perez
Celia C. Pérez is the author of The First Rule of Punk, a 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book; Strange Birds, a 2020 Rise: A Feminist Book Project List Selection; and Tumble, which received six starred reviews and is an NPR Best Book of 2022. Celia is a longtime maker of zines inspired by her love of punk music and writing. Her favorite zine supplies are a long-arm stapler, glue sticks, and watercolor pencils. She'll never stop picking cilantro out of her food at restaurants, and she owns two sets of worry dolls because you can never have too many. Originally from Miami, Florida, Celia lives in Chicago with her family where she works as a community college librarian.
Classification
-
ISBN-13
9780425290422
Lexile Measure
670
Guided Reading Level
T
Publisher
Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication date
July 17, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV031040 - Juvenile Fiction | Performing Arts | Music
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Individuality
JUVENILE FICTION / Social Issues / Friendship
JUVENILE FICTION / People & Places / United S
Chicago (Ill.)
Middle schools
Mexican Americans
Bands (Music)
JUVENILE FICTION / Performing Arts / Music
Punk rock music
Pura Belpre Award
Honor Book 2018 - 2018

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