First up is The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez. It was recognized in February as a 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book — and reading it, this May, it definitely set a tone for excellence.
The protagonist, Malú, is thoroughly likeable; she simply wants to be herself, while her mother seems to hold an ideal vision of the perfect señorita that she wants Malú to be like.
I could thoroughly relate, as I’m sure many young readers could. The content of the vision may vary, as might the identity of the relative, but I can’t imagine anyone liking an attempt to mold them into something they are not, and to know that you fail to live up to this ideal — well, put simply, it sucks.
One thing I found most enjoyable in this book were the interspersed ’zines, pages of collage-art that added dimension to Malú's narrative.
Here’s a definition of a ’zine, courtesy of Wikipedia: “A zine is a small-circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images, usually reproduced via photocopier.”
The author, Celia C. Pérez, has been making ’zines for years; in her author bio, she states that her favorite 'zine supplies are “glue sticks, animal clip art (to which she likes adding speech bubbles), and watercolor pencils.”
Pérez includes directions for how readers can make ’zines of their own, a touch that I especially appreciate. I love exploring new forms of self-expression through art, and am delighted to think that young readers of this book might be inspired to new forms of creativity.
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