Dress Coded, Carrie Firestone
Dress Coded, Carrie Firestone
List: $18.00 | Sale: $12.60
Club: $9.00

Dress Coded

Author: Carrie Firestone

Narrator: Cassandra Morris, Taylor Meskimen, Kim Mai Guest, Tara Sands, Sharinna Allan, Sophie Amoss, Andrea Emmes, Caitlin Kelly, Krystel Roche, Asia Mattu, Courtney Lin

Unabridged: 6 hr 28 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/07/2020


Synopsis

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.

About The Author

Carrie Firestone is the author of the acclaimed young adult novels The Loose Ends List, which Kirkus Reviews called "a poignant and important story about compassion, love, and the decision to live life on your own terms" in a starred review, and The Unlikelies, which Bustle declared "the summer read that'll remind you how much good there really is in the world." A former New York City high school teacher, Carrie currently lives in Connecticut with her husband, their two daughters, and their pets. Dress Coded is her debut middle-grade novel.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Nev on September 03, 2020

I thought that the main story about how girls in middle school are unfairly targeted for dress code infractions was really impactful. It shows how young girls feel violated by the ways their bodies and clothes are being scrutinized, much of the time by adults. Seeing the characters all come together......more

Goodreads review by Evelyn Lily on February 19, 2021

Recently, I have become more interested in Dress Codes, and how they oppress girls. I am writing a project about it for school, and I want to try to change my school's dress code too. Anyway, during my research, I came across this masterpiece. This book absolutely blew me away. I started it only a f......more

Goodreads review by Phil on October 26, 2020

Comments from a teacher I have spent most of the last 18 years teaching grades 6-8. Here's my experience: * Last year, one of my seventh grade students missed 25 minutes of class because she was wearing a crop top which exposed her belly button. It did not cause any disruption to class, and it couldn'......more

Goodreads review by Kristin on April 27, 2020

**I received this eARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.** The gist of this story is that 8th grader Molly Frost begins a podcast called "Dress Coded" in response to how the dress code at her middle school is handled. There is a lot of discrimination and harassment taking place by stud......more

Goodreads review by Alicia on March 20, 2020

Focused on issues related to women's bodies, objectification, sexualization, puberty, and more this middle grade novel hits all of the right elements of a conversation to have with EVERYONE about policies-- who they're meant to hurt and who they're meant to help and always being able to have a conve......more


Quotes

Four Starred Reviews
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Kids' Indie Next List Pick
A Booklist Editors' Choice
A Rise: Feminist Book Project Selection
A Bank Street College of Education Best Book of the Year

"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

"Timely, engaging, and full of heart." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Full of humor, rage, and heart . . . A triumphant ending shows how systemic change can be made when girls stand together. Absolutely necessary for tweens and teens . . . Straight fire." --Booklist, starred review

"Crackling . . . A deeply, often scathingly honest work of modern fiction." --School Library Journal, starred review

"With timely, important anecdotes that ring painfully true, Firestone cuts to the heart of the damage that dress coding can inflict . . . [A] deeply satisfying, variously inclusive journey with a wonderfully flawed main character." --Publishers Weekly, starred review 

"[Dress Coded] addresses deeper issues such as draconian and prejudicial dress codes, body shaming, name calling, bullying, and vaping . . . The story reflects the ups and downs of middle school, and the validation that comes when one successfully stands up for what one believes." --School Library Connection

"With a perfect mix of friendship, humor, and girl power, Dress Coded is a book readers need." --Stacy McAnulty, bestselling author of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

"Dress Coded is a compelling, subversive, emotionally astute story of the pernicious effects of everyday sexism and of the revolutionary potential when girls decide to fight back. An electrifying ode to the power of standing up and standing together." --Anne Ursu, author of The Real Boy and The Lost Girl