Molly Frost's (Dress Coded) neighbor Mary Kate Murphy takes center stage in another story of youth activism. Mary Kate is part of a pilot program in which a small group of eighth graders study climate change - and propose solutions. The students' ideas go far beyond their teacher Mr. Lu's idea of a bulletin board display, and Mary Kate teams up with Shawn, who is from Hartford, to work on composting the horrifying amount of leftover school food. The new school superintendent has a say-yes, can-do attitude, enabling and empowering the kids to try their big ideas, and Mary Kate and her climate club are also supported by Molly and her social justice club at the high school. Mary Kate's older sister Sarah helps run interference with their parents, even as she parents a baby and helps her friend Charlotte Lane, a teacher, run for mayor.

Readers will come away hopeful, and with a better understanding of how climate justice and racial justice are intertwined.

See also: Dress Coded, Me and Marvin Gardens by A.S. King, Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet by Barbara Dee

Quotes

Being at school without Lucy is like being at a party without shoes or being at a dinner without food. It's depressing and uncomfortable. (22)

I don't have the heart to tell my sister that my private thoughts revolve around how to survive climate change and how not to feel sorry for myself because Lucy is sick and mad and not here. (36)

"You are not responsible for what greedy, powerful people have done to this planet. You're thirteen." (Mr. Lu, 50)

"How do I convince people who don't want to listen?" (Rebecca, 145)

It's like our new superintendent is infecting everyone with yeses. (257) ( )

How delightful! I wish middle school were really like this novel. Carrie Firestone also wrote Dress Coded, which I thoroughly enjoyed as well! Some of the same characters appear in this novel as side characters, so it isn't necessary to have read Dress Coded before this book.

The First Rule of Climate Club is to show up--in so many ways! Mary Kate Murphy and her best friend Lucy wrote their essays to be admitted into the first Climate Class of Fisher Middle School. Accepted! Yes! Unfortunately, there's a big problem. Lucy feels too bad to attend school; she constantly sees doctors as her family try to discover what's wrong with her. While Lucy can barely stay awake and feels pain constantly, Mary Kate still must attend school. Without her best friend. She doesn't have any other friends. Then, she goes to her Climate Class. Mr. Lu acts nothing like a regular teacher and pulls the class together into a cohesive unit, working together on day one. Side note: I love that they crawl out of his classroom window almost every day and have a place to sit in nature. With security in all of our middle schools, this freedom seems wishful. We do have a courtyard; I can just imagine seeing kids crawling out windows! Back on track......The class needs to find a project, a way to message people about climate change. They throw out everything they are concerned about regarding the environment until there's a way to combine projects. These students show up every day full of energy, ideas, and the will to make change.

Mary Kate's family represent the generations of Americans and how life changes over time creating generation gaps. Mary Kate was a "surprise" kid, so her siblings are much older; I believe 27 and 30 while her parents are upper 50s-ish; Mary Kate is 12. Her sister, Sarah, has a new baby and Mary Kate is the baby's god mother. Her brother appears briefly at the end of the novel. The parents are older, so Sarah does a lot of translating to help Mary Kate understand her parents. They don't understand systemic racism and are embarrassed when Mary Kate calls the mayor out for being racist. None of them like the mayor and hope Sarah's best friend Charlotte Lane (Mary Kate's English teacher) will be elected instead. Her parents own a bookstore, wear Birkenstocks and really don't understand the generation but love seeing Mary Kate's enthusiasm (as long as it's within bounds). It's amusing how Mary Kate will text Sarah telling her how her parents don't get it (whatever "it" is at the moment) and Sarah has great advice.

There's a lot on Mary Kate's plate. She's most worried about Lucy because the adults think it's all in Lucy's head when it absolutely is not. She is seriously ill. Mary Kate refuses to give up on Lucy! Mary Kate wants Ms. Lane to be elected mayor, so Mary Kate knocks on doors and helps campaign. In addition, she really cares about the climate. She discovers from her dad that the mayor is offering $10,000 to anyone who can present the best project for the city or part of the city. Perfect! The class wants the money to start composting at their school. Most kids throw away their food; the trash is FULL of uneaten food. They need $3500. They prepare for the presentation, working together. There's a lot to juggle. You also meet all of the club members and read their essays to learn what their climate concern is. You WANT to help these kids and do all of the actions for which they advocate. Mary Kate says that good days always follow bad, so keep positive affirmations all the time. When she needs a breather, she walks in the preserve next to house for nature medicine.

I truly loved this novel. Yes, it's very "pie in the sky" because we would never have a class like this in our middle school because you have to teach the TEKS in Texas. The teachers and librarian are lovely and realistic in a sense but real teachers are super exhausted and don't have as much energy that these teachers have. I love that Mary Kate often eats in the library. She and the librarian have a great relationship. They have 30 seconds of small talk and then each takes care of their own business. This novel makes you want to change. It makes you smile. It gives you hope. It's positive. It shows that action works. Go out and make a difference! Everyone can if you have the village helping! ( )

Mary Kate is part of a pilot class on climate change. The kids put together a school composting proposal for a community grant but the mayor disqualifies the proposal because one of the students (who is Black) does not reside in Honey Hill. Coming off of that disappointment, the kids turn to planning a festival that promotes sustainability and raises awareness of climate change. During all of this Mary learns about systemic racism, and social and environmental justice while also worrying about her best friend Lucy who appears to be having a mental breakdown. I'm appreciating the growing number of activist fiction being published for young readers, putting voice to the concerns kids today have and illustrating avenues for solutions. Mary's learning arc feels authentic without being pedantic. ( )