this was an exceptional middle grade book for present times. This book perfectly depicts the power students have for creating a better world for themseleves. I highly recommend this book for middle school students! It's a great way to teach social justice. I also love the firepower in this book. I will be purchasing this book for my library. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to preview this book. Dress Coded tells the story of middle school girls who are tried of being targeted by a school employee for dress code infractions. It shows how certain students are targeted to receive dress code notices, while other students wear the same outfit without consequence. The questionable outfits are discussed by the characters on a podcast, which accuses the school leaders of showing preferential treatment to certain students and allows dress coded students to shares their experiences. Overall, the characters are not fully developed and fall a little flat. Although I could understand that the dress code wasn't be applied equally, I didn't find myself caring deeply about the students who received notices. The school leaders remained one dimensional with no explanation given as to why they were so strict about the dress code. Dress Coded does provide examples of students being unfairly targeted by a strict dress code policy, but it left me with unaddressed questions.

I was actually able to read an ARC copy of this in person from my book review group #BookAllies. I LOVED Dress Coded for many reasons. I found Molly to be a character girls will be able to connect to and find relatable when it comes to feeling judged. This book is perfect for any middle schooler based on all of the issues they are facing today. It dealt with hard issues like vaping and social media problems. I loved the activism that this book screams at you as Molly takes it all on!

This is a really fun and fast-paced read that also addresses serious issues like sexist/racist dress code enforcement and addiction. The main character, Molly, is dealing with chaos at home due to her brother's vaping and is also dealing with the normal shuffling of friendships that happens in middle school. However, her and the other girls at her school must deal with harsh dress code enforcement that is targeted at girls. The more Molly hears from girls who have been dress coded, the more disturbed she becomes. This book models activism in an accessible and engaging manner. It is also highly relatable to anyone who has ever been through middle school.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
I know my students will enjoy this read, but I felt it was a bit all over the place. Lots of issues pop up, but some felt more handled than others.
Molly starts a podcast discussing how her school's dress code is sexist and unfair (a worthy topic and discussion to have for sure - even in my school). I did like the aspect of students engaging in activism.

I think Firestone did a wonderful job of showing the power that students have in creating reforms at their schools. Molly was really strong as a character, and I loved following her throughout the dress code changes and her own life. I'm also glad that it showed that not everyone's dress coded the same way - larger people or people with more cleavage, hips, or thighs are often dress-coded more.

While the way it's done at Fisher Middle School might sound extreme to some, for some it might hit really close to home. I think it's a really good story and one that should be shared with middle schoolers in order to encourage them to use their voice.

Carrie Firestone really captured what real middle school kids are like. She uses the reflected experience of her older characters, as well as the visceral responses in the moment from the younger ones, to show how, even if well-intended, dress codes can harm girls in a way they just don't affect boys, and what it means to our society that women's bodies should be policed for the good of the male students they come into contact with. I can't wait to get this book on the shelf in my class!

I cannot express how much I loved this book. As a female who was terrified of my dress code in high school, I thought the incidents were all realistic and captured the true essence of the dress code issue facing many schools today. The book also touched on several other timely discussions, vaping, addiction, LGBTQIA+, school shootings, social media usage, and more. This book is a timely read, and some parents may want to consider picking it up to0 if they have questions about how students are "dress coded" today.

Eighth grader Molly Frost starts a podcast to protest the unfair dress code enforcement at her middle school. The dress code seems to target girls - after all, how can boys be expected to focus on school when a girl is wearing short shorts or spaghetti straps? I liked the idea of this book. It focused on issues related to women's bodies, objectification, and sexualization of preteens. However, I don't understand how horrible the majority of the school staff is. As a middle school teacher myself, it was offensive. The behavior of the principal and dean of students in this story is disgusting and went on for years. Is it believable that not one single parent or teacher tried to go to the superintendent and/or board of education to get it stopped? The reader is to believe that the children were tormented at this school for years and no one listened to their cries for help. As an educator, this is problematic for me. That on top of the widespread vaping turned me off from wanting to recommend the book to my students.

Wow. This book gets all the feels! What an amazing and accurate portrayal of middle school, and what an amazing character Molly is. The love and acceptance she shows, even to her personal bullies, is amazing! I want to be Molly when I grow up!

Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone is a Middle School Reading Book about standing up for what is right. The book is well written, thoughtful and powerful. I liked the premise of the book and how Molly fought back.

The Middle School where Molly goes to school has a dress code. The dress code is unfairly enforced and punishments do not seem to be fairly given. Molly is fed up after watching one of her friends humiliated and decides to start a podcast. Molly’s defense of her friend and her organizing other’s stories are a powerful beginning to the story.

On top of what Molly is going through at school, there is a secondary issue with Molly’s family and her brother, vaping and selling vaping pods. While this issue is addressed, it is more of a side note in the story. However, her brother’s issue does impact Molly.

I found the book is full of Middle School issues including body image, consciousness of body parts, cruelty between students who are different, emotions that change and attraction to others. I liked how the various issues were dealt with - some well and some not so well - just like everyday life. Dress Coded by Carrie Firestone is a good read that really highlights the issue of body shaming in Middle School.

This is an empowering novel about standing up for what's right and finding ways to change the system. Molly and her friends are 8th graders who are sick and tired of an unequal dress code policy that embarrasses and objectifies girls and interferes with their education. When Olivia is dress coded for wearing a tank top and not putting her sweatshirt back on (she had it wrapped around her waist because of a period accident), Molly goes into action with a podcast called Dress Coded.

Molly's podcast welcomes people who have been dress coded to be interviewed about the infraction and how it made them feel. If they agree, she takes a pictures of the outfit and posts it on-line. Eventually, word gets out and she has high school students willing to talk about what they went through, posters being hung in the middle school, letters sent to the superintendent, and finally a camp-in at the school where students pitched tents and refused to move until changes were made.

I really liked the friendships in this book - they were sometimes complicated and felt authentic for middle school. There were a lot of adult characters who listened to and supported the students, as well as some who didn't, and again, that felt realistic. I only wished this book had existed when my kids were in middle school.

My thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My instinctual response to the enforcement of the dress code in Dress Coded was that it’s a bit over top and leans almost into parody. It’s like every single bad story you’ve heard about dress coding happening at one school. Unfortunately, I’m sure there are schools just like Molly’s. The message and actions of Molly and co. will still resonate with any kid who’s been asked to cover their shoulders or change into longer shorts, even if it’s not been in as embarrassing or aggressive situations as at Molly’s school.

Molly read to me as your average white middle schooler. She doesn’t stick out much. She doesn’t get into anything too exciting or risque. At first glance, she doesn’t seem interesting enough to be a protagonist. But she sees an injustice and raises her voice about it. Dress Coded highlights what this generation of young students can achieve, with their keen sense of justice and access to new technologies.

I loved the relationship between the high school, middle school, and elementary school students. The high school girls are keen to support the middle schoolers, because they know what they’re going through and want to help them make a change. As well, Molly and her classmates will move to high school before administration enacts any changes, but they still want to make a difference for the elementary schoolers coming up.

Interestingly, dress coding is only a problem at Molly’s middle school. The high school doesn’t enforce the dress code. I wonder how common that it is? My own experience was reversed (i.e. dress code more strictly enforced at high school. Of course, that was 10+ years ago now…)

Molly’s relationship with her older brother Danny forms a significant subplot. Danny’s in grade 11. He has a vaping addiction and has been selling to kids at Molly’s school. Molly has always had a difficult relationship with her brother, even before vaping entered the picture. She wants him to treat her like a big brother should – she wants kindness, friendship, support – but he treats her poorly and takes advantage of her desire for a good relationship with him.

This subplot is almost equal to the main plot. Their relationship isn’t perfectly resolved by the end of the story. There are steps forward and steps back. Molly learns that she’s not to blame for Danny’s treatment of her. I haven’t read many middle grade stories that depict imperfect sibling relationships, so I really appreciated that narrative. (Writing this makes me realize I wouldn’t say no to a YA novel from Danny’s perspective.)

While there’s lots to love about this book, it isn’t perfect. A couple questionable moments stood out to me. A Black girl from Trinidad appears about 70% into the story to share her experience with a boy who wouldn’t stop touching her hair. The teacher told Talia she needed to fix her hair, instead of telling the boy to stop. Her story appalls Molly and co.; teachers and parents “listen with horrified expressions” and “shake their heads”. (As if the only racist experience Talia had at that school was with that one teacher…) While I think it’s good that this example of racism is included, I wish Talia had been a more fleshed out character and not just an example/lesson.

A more prominent character throughout the book is Molly’s friend Megan, who has cerebral palsy. We hear stories from when Molly and Megan were little. They hang out together. A few incidences address the bullying Megan experiences. It wasn’t until about 65% of the way through that I started to question if Megan might be read as ‘inspiration porn’. This is when Molly directly asks Megan, “How are you still happy? How has all that horrible stuff not affected you?” Megan answers that her mom taught her not to give them her energy, which resonates with Molly. I think Megan is a well-rounded character, but I would like to hear from #ownvoices reviewers on this. While Megan’s portrayal may be problematic, I can say I would have liked Talia to have been a larger part of the story, like Megan is.

💭 The Bottom Line:With two story lines on keenly relevant topics converging on the point of a young girl learning to speak up and make a change, Dress Coded makes a strong addition to today’s contemporary middle grade. Pair with Maybe He Just LIkes You.

3.5, rounded up. The book, which I would describe as upper middle-grade or young YA, at its core relays the story of how a dress code at a middle school is unfairly enforced and the way a group of students tries to remedy this. There are, however, many subplots within the larger story. In fact, there are so many that it seems like Carrie Firestone was trying to create a mirror for every kind of kid out there--someone with cerebral palsy, someone with a traumatic brain injury, the main character's vape-dealing brother, students flagged for being too small or too big--and, consequently, she fails to fully flesh out these characters. The writing is sharp and insightful at times, but again, Firestone is so focused on incorporating all these points of view that it the book was dizzying to read at times.

The story and underlying message about rampant sexism and the difficulty of middle school are certainly important, despite the book's flaws.

This is such an empowering book about standing up for what's right, even if others deem it's wrong.

Molly takes on a major issue occurring in her middle school: being dress coded by Fingertips, the principal, and rude male staff. Molly is not like the many girls that do get dress coded *many* times a day... the reason why is that she doesn't have a big butt or chest. She goes unnoticed. However, it's not fair that her friends wearing the same kind of clothing like herself, but do have a bigger butt or chest, get called out.

Molly starts a podcast that is shared publicly where she interviews kids who have been dress coded at the middle school. It starts a revolution within the school and with the staff members who deem it's "inappropriate". All the girls want is for the dress code to no longer exist.

What kids will learn from this book is how important it is to address and voice your concerns, how making a change is a must when sometimes it can be uncomfortable. We get to see how Molly forms a peaceful protest, how she demands to be heard through written letter to the superintendent, sharing the many voices of victims to this terrible act, and speaking at a public meeting. This is a wonderful book for readers to read, take in, and see how it is possible for even kids to make a change.

The perfect book to be read by middle schoolers and their families in 2020! Speak your mind, hold peaceful protests, and don't give up on educating others about basic rights!! Molly is an 8th grader who starts a podcast after she is horrified by how girls are treated at her school by school staff. This podcast leads to more and more girls speaking out on their experiences. This book is enjoyable and also touches hot topics. Middle schoolers everywhere should read this book!

A great book with an important message. The many issues that the characters are dealing with represent many just how much young people are dealing with.

This book focused on issues related to the female body, objectification, and puberty which are topics that are not often discussed openly. This book tackles these topics perfectly in a way that Middle Schoolers can relate to and can talk about with their parents/teachers/friends. What was really interesting about this book was the style in which it is written. The main character, 8th grader, Molly Frost creates a podcast to discuss her school's dress code. The book is written as an interview which makes the reader feel as if they are listening to the podcast as well. Even though the topics of the book are heavy, the main thing readers take away is that you have to stand up for yourself and the things that you believe in. All in all, this was a great debut novel!

Thank you, NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for honest review.

I like the idea of Dress Coded. My own, fashion conservative, daughters have been dress coded not at school, but in another extracurricular group they were part of. The reason, of course, is that boys could be "distracted". Boys, however, were allowed to walk around in tank tops and shorts. The problem wasn't in the clothing. The problem is teaching boys how to control themselves. Pretty sure their minds would be in the same place no matter if a bra strap shows.

This book covers all of that. Molly, the main character, starts a podcast and then protest movement to challenge dress code rules. Like I said, I like the idea of that. But there was so much happening in the book, I couldn't keep the stories straight.

In addition to dress, the book deals with broken friendships, romance, vaping, family dynamics, and the mention of a friend with Traumatic Brain Injury, yet the TBI never comes into play so I'm not sure why it's even mentioned.

The principal and dean (in middle school?) are dress code enforcers, yet they are portrayed as shallow. Not all admins are great, but surely there had to be some parent conversation or school wide conversation before a trip to the board of education. And what board meeting happens on a Friday night at 7:00pm?

The character ages were broad, from 8th grade to 12th grade. As a middle school teacher, I can see some of these conversations happening, but the maturity level was all over the place. I think this book is a good introduction to the dress code conversation. My brain was just trying to keep up with all of the plot lines.

Carrie Firestone has written a book that will resonate with many middle-grade and young adult readers. When Molly realizes that the dress code at her middle school is unfair, she leads the way in calling for change. Along with way, she navigates friendship and family dynamics.

Firestone's style of writing is well-suited to the middle-grade reader. Molly has a podcast, which serves as a great change of pace to keep the reader engaged. The voices of the characters feel authentic, as well as the situations and issues in the book. Middle-grade readers will keep turning the pages of this book and will stick with Molly and her friends to the end.