The First Rule of Punk

Starred review from June 15, 2017
Malu wants to be totally punk at her new middle school, but her Mexican-American mother would prefer she learn to be a proper senorita. Twelve-year-old Maria Luisa O'Neill-Morales, aka Malu, loves punk-rock music, hanging out at her father's indie record store, and making zines. She doesn't love moving from her home in Gainesville, Florida, to Chicago for her professor mother's two-year appointment at a university. Although she loves both of her amicably divorced parents, Malu--who favors Chuck Taylors and music T's--feels closer to her laid-back, artsy white father than her supportive but critical academic mother, whom she calls "SuperMexican." At Malu's new majority-Latino school, she quickly makes an enemy of beautiful Selena, who calls her a "coconut" (brown on the outside, white on the inside) and warns her about falling in with the class "weirdos." Malu does befriend the school misfits (one activist white girl and two fellow "coconuts") and enlists them to form a band to play a punk song at the Fall Fiesta. Middle-grade readers will appreciate the examples of Malu's zines and artwork, which delightfully convey her journey of self-discovery. The author surrounds the feisty protagonist with a trio of older women (including her mom, her best friend Joe's tattooed, punk-loving mother, and his humorous Abuela) who help her embrace being Mexican and punk. A charming debut about a thoughtful, creative preteen connecting to both halves of her identity. (Fiction. 9-13)

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June 1, 2017

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.

Starred review from August 7, 2017
After María Luisa O’Neill-Morales—Malú 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,” Malú says during one of their squabbles. “I’m just your weird, unladylike, sloppy-Spanish-speaking, half-Mexican kid.” Malú 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 Malú’s classmates calls her.) Pérez’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: Malú 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 Malú. 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.

skywatcher2140 - María Luisa “Malú” isn’t a typical seventh grader. She doesn’t speak Spanish fluently like everyone else at her new school in Chicago, and she hates eating meat and cilantro. Her dad, who lives a thousand miles away, always tells Malú about the first rule of punk; be yourself. And following that advice is how she managed to annoy the most popular girl at her school, violate the dress code, and make three new friends—Joe, Benny, and Ellie. When the four of them decide to make a band and participate in the school’s talent show, they’re in for a big surprise. The principal doesn’t want their punk rock music in the show...but Malú and her friends aren’t giving up. Instead, they decide to hold an alternate talent show—one where all people are welcome, where they can play their music freely. As Malú learns to navigate the hard paths of a middle school she doesn’t belong in, she learns that it’s better to stand out than fit in. Can she, Ellie, Joe, and Benny save the world of punk rock? Read this book to find out! Witty, humorous, and heartwarming, The First Rule of Punk perfectly depicts the life of a middle-schooler. You will love this book!