Lo Simpson Starts a Revolution

March 1, 2024
A quirky preteen fights misogyny and toxic social norms. Dr. Who superfan Lo Simpson, 12, would rather be planning her next cosplay than shopping for bras or giggling over boys. Unfortunately, that's all her longtime best friend, Jazz, seems to want to do--that and infiltrate the ultra-popular It Girls clique, even if it means leaving Lo behind. Unsure of who she is without Jazz, Lo has to find her own way through the maze of middle school. A mutual love of comics and Dr. Who connects Lo to a new crowd, where she feels like she can be her authentic self. With their support, Lo finds her voice and learns how to use it, whether that means breaking up an uncomfortable game of spin the bottle or facing down her school principal on issues of gender equality. Lo documents the ups and downs of her life with confessional letters to the Tenth Doctor that some readers may find border on cringey. Although her approach is occasionally heavy-handed, Florence tackles topics such as sexism, consent, and menstruation with a matter-of-fact tone that will resonate with readers. She paints a hopeful, if sometimes overly simplified, picture of how one person can instigate change for themselves and others. Characters are minimally described physically; diversity in family structure and gender identity is represented among the cast members. A thoroughly modern coming-of-age tale. (Fiction. 9-13)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 1, 2024

Gr 5 Up-A middle schooler used to living in her best friend's shadow learns how to stand out and speak up, not just for herself but for her whole school. Twelve-year-old Lo's best friend, Jazz, seems to be outgrowing her. Instead of wanting to cosplay and obsess over Doctor Who, Jazz is now interested in clothes, boys, and popularity. Through confessional, unmailed letters to Doctor Who, Lo wishes for advice on how to be brave and seeks solace in her loneliness. After Jazz ditches Lo for the "It Girls," Lo stumbles across a new friend group that shares her interests. When Lo comes to Jazz's rescue on a day she unexpectedly gets her period and bleeds through her pants, Lo develops a new interest: getting the school to provide free period products in all bathrooms. Working with her new friends (including nonbinary Zev, who helps make sure Lo's plans and language are inclusive) and eventually some unexpected allies, Lo addresses the need for necessary hygiene products and speaks up about consent, sexual harassment, and double standards at her school. Told at a quick pace with short chapters and plenty of dialogue, this story, rife with themes of regeneration (which any one-sided Doctor Who pen pal knows all about) and transformation, unflinchingly tackles big issues and emphasizes the importance of speaking up for oneself and on behalf of others. VERDICT A compelling look at friendship, activism, and self-confidence.-Amanda MacGregor

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2024
Grades 4-7 Twelve-year-old Lauren (Lo) Simpson and her best friend, Jazz, find themselves drifting apart when Jazz slips into the popular crowd while Lo remains a fan of Doctor Who and superhero comics. Eventually, Lo finds new friends who share her interests, gains some self-confidence, and, when Jazz suffers a menstrual accident during class, discovers her passion for social activism. Florence writes knowingly about middle-school concerns and thoughtfully tackles issues of gender identity, consent, menstruation, and the general lack of access to emergency hygiene products in schools. Lo's reactions to the gender inequality she encounters range from embarrassment to righteous indignation but always ring true to her age and experience. Likewise, her passion for Doctor Who (including 13 Doctors!) and unmailed letters written to her hero provide the story with intriguing details and an often-lighthearted voice for Lo's inner concerns. With engaging, multidimensional characters--even among the middle-school staff--and a topic not often tackled in middle-grade fiction, this timely tale will be popular with older tweens.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2024
Lo Simpson, twelve, is no Margaret Simon: she'd just as soon never get her period, and to her a bra is just "a medieval torture device." But her best friend, Jazz, suddenly wants to go bra shopping and sneers at Lo's Doctor Who cosplay. In fairly short order, Jazz is sitting at the "It Girls' table," leaving Lo bereft, pouring out her sadness and confusion in letters to the Doctor that she never sends. As sensitively as Florence depicts the dissolution of Lo and Jazz's friendship, this is more than a middle-school friend-breakup story. Lo quickly (some would say conveniently) discovers a table of fellow nerds who get her Doctor Who references and give her a new community and new confidence. When, after an excruciating sex-ed session capped by a mass condom handout, some boys target the It Girls with condom-balloons, innuendo, and bra-snapping, Lo draws on lessons about consent from her lawyer mother and fights back -- just the first skirmish in her "revolution." The many references to Doctor Who risk confounding readers unfamiliar with the BBC classic, but Lo comes across as a genuine fan, and the Doctor is an important factor in her growth. Lo's metamorphosis from "friendless loser" to a "new, badass version of herself" is swift but rewarding; readers get enough of Lo's interiority to believe her journey. Breezy and bracing. Vicky Smith

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
Lo Simpson, twelve, is no Margaret Simon: she'd just as soon never get her period, and to her a bra is just "a medieval torture device." But her best friend, Jazz, suddenly wants to go bra shopping and sneers at Lo's Doctor Who cosplay. In fairly short order, Jazz is sitting at the "It Girls' table," leaving Lo bereft, pouring out her sadness and confusion in letters to the Doctor that she never sends. As sensitively as Florence depicts the dissolution of Lo and Jazz's friendship, this is more than a middle-school friend-breakup story. Lo quickly (some would say conveniently) discovers a table of fellow nerds who get her Doctor Who references and give her a new community and new confidence. When, after an excruciating sex-ed session capped by a mass condom handout, some boys target the It Girls with condom-balloons, innuendo, and bra-snapping, Lo draws on lessons about consent from her lawyer mother and fights back -- just the first skirmish in her "revolution." The many references to Doctor Who risk confounding readers unfamiliar with the BBC classic, but Lo comes across as a genuine fan, and the Doctor is an important factor in her growth. Lo's metamorphosis from "friendless loser" to a "new, badass version of herself" is swift but rewarding; readers get enough of Lo's interiority to believe her journey. Breezy and bracing.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)