A fun but often sad journey through the narrator’s childhood, this novel is made up of dozens of loosely connected vignette-like chapters. I picked up the book with zero expectations or knowledge of what it’s like for Indigenous children to grow up in Canada, and I came away with some idea of how it was for this one particular child in the 1980s; for that I’m grateful.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

I'm not sure of the intended audience for this book. The character is young, ranging from early elementary to the middle grade years, but the ideas are a bit more complex. It's reflective. Vignettes more than a straight narrative.

I can definitely see how middle-graders can relate to this diary-style of writing, and it's hopefully an empathy-building read during school years that could use it. As an adult reading it, the snippets were tough for me to constantly transition between, but I see the value for its intended age group.

Weird Rules to Follow is based on the author's experience growing up in Northern British Columbia. It reads like a series of vignettes narrated by Mia, a half Tsimshian, half white girl, about the events of her life. These episodes, spanning a number of years, focus on both life within her family, and on her relationship with her best friend, Lara, a white girl who lives nearby. They include basketball tournaments, Christmas at Disneyland, berry picking, canning salmon, riding bikes around the neighbourhood, dance recitals, and school.

The title of this book refers to the different kinds of rules that govern the two girls lives. The consequences are profound. Mia notes that Lara has rules and then wishes she had more of them. In this instance it's about family rules that focus on the child's future. Yet in the general community, when there are rules, they are either not applied equally, or rules are different based on culture and class. Where white students might receive sympathy and support, Indigenous ones receive punishment and scorn.

Mia and her mother live with her grandmother, a reclusive uncle, and a foster girl named Mary, on a cul-de-sac in the community of Prince Rupert. It's a small neglected house often filled with relatives. Lara and her family live in a large modern home full of modern amenities. The difference between the two lifestyles is a critical component of the book. Yet while Lara might have more materially, Mia is surrounded by extended family, love, and a way of knowing and experiencing the world that Lara misses out on. It's obvious that Mia's mother does her best for her no matter what. "Yes I got a new bike and it’s really cool, but I knew we couldn’t afford it. The bike came at a cost." This is because Mia needed braces. Her mother, even though she worked two jobs, couldn't afford to pay the family portion of them and get Mia a new bike. In the end, Mia had to choose what she wanted more. She chose the bike.

One important thing I appreciated about this book is seeing issues from different sides. When Mia's mother wins $1000 at bingo, Lara's mother frowns and points out how much she lost before she won. When Mia tells her mother about this, her mom "rolls her eyes and says, "I know how gambling works! But it's entertainment - I do it because it's fun."

Some parts of this book made me laugh out loud. When Mia agrees to get a perm for picture day, it doesn't end up the way she anticipated. "I look like my mom and aunties. I'd fit right in at bingo." After she tries to fix it, she ends up looking like, "a dead ringer for Michael Jackson on the cover of his Thriller album." At other times the humour is found in little quips like this one, "Grandma doesn’t watch basketball, probably because she’s Christian."

Sometimes I almost wept. Mia doesn't really fit in anywhere. She's either too Indigenous or too white. Microaggressions are commonplace. They arise from both outside and inside the Indigenous community. When Lara's bike is stolen, her father automatically assumes it was an Indian who took it. Mia's half-Indigenous older cousin says that his Indigenous mother told him, “not to marry an Indian”. In the Ts’msyen town of Kitkatla, (referred to as out there or out home) where her family originates, she’s considered an outsider. When she's bullied by a group of girls, her mom takes them back to Prince Rupert. The most stark example of one of these aggressions is when Mia starts high school. Lara gets a locker on the main floor in the midst of where the rest of the white students are. Mia's locker is situated in the dingy basement with other indigenous learners. Upon reflection, this is much more than a micro aggression. It's an example of systemic racism in action. Mia and Lara's relationship suffers because of this and other experiences as they grow older.

While this book is recommended for readers aged 11 to 13, I would recommend it to readers of all ages who are interested in understanding what it means to grow up Indigenous in this province. It's a must read for all teachers who work with First Nation learners.

Weird Rules to Follow, by Kim Spencer, is a semi-autobiographical story of a pre-teenaged girl growing up in Prince Rupert, British Colombia. Mia is a Tsimshian First Nation indigenous girl who lives with her grandmother, her alcoholic mother and an ever-changing group of relatives who need a place to live for a period of time. Her best friend Lara lives on the same cul-de-sac and the two have been friends since kindergarten. Though living so close, their homes are very different. Mia’s home is a shabby home while Lara’s house has an ocean view and looks like it could exist in the pages of a magazine. Lara has a mother, father and little brother and has two cars. The book is written in short, easy-to-read vignettes, told by Mia, during several years of Mia’s life. Mia’s family would be considered poor although Mia never feels that way. They are rich in extended family and shared experiences. Occasionally, Mia’s family goes on a fun road trip with a relative who owns a car. This is generally a pile-in affair – overstuffed automobile and overstuffed motel room Her family is close and share whatever they have. As Mia grows older, though, she begins to realize that she is treated differently by many people than her friend Lara is. There are prejudice and pre-conceived notions about indigenous people.

Spencer’s writing style is smooth and easy. Mia’s voice is very authentic, and the reader feels they are living life beside her. The book is wonderful for middle-grade readers and addresses many important topics in a non-threatening manner – prejudice, poverty, alcoholism, Canadian Indian boarding schools. Mia’s sense of self is quietly proud and this helps carry her through puberty and changing friendships. This self-assurance is another important issue for pre-teen and teenaged young people. Spencer has written a marvelous, meaningful and enjoyable book. Thank you to NetGalley, Kim Spencer, and Orca Book Publishing for the opportunity to read the ARC of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

Weird Rules to Follow by Kim Spencer is a middle grade collection of short vignettes that whisk readers away to the not so distant past, where a bicycle with a banana seat and room on the handlebars was the star of summer.
This beautiful novel transports readers to 1980s Prince Rupert, where Mia and her best friend Lara are neighbors. Despite sharing a neighborhood, their lives are quite different: Mia lives with her mother and grandmother in a home always open to their other relatives, whenever they need a place to stay, while Lara lives with her mother, father, and little brother in a large home, where every room looks like its lifted from the pages of a magazine. As Mia, who is indigenous, grows up through these short vignettes, she begins to see how she is treated differently than Lara and their other classmates.

The writing in this collection is atmospheric, viscerally rooting the reader in the setting’s distinct place and time. The setting is a character unto itself, as Mia ages and her understanding of her area changes and grows with her. From neighborhoods to the dance studio to the places her family travels take her, Mia’s world is presented in a relatable and engaging way.
This collection of connected stories show bits of daily life and notable moments in Mia’s life. Each vignette tells its own story, but the connected nature of the community, characters, and events ties the narrative together in just the right way. The length of the vignettes makes this an excellent choice for young readers, including those who can be intimidated by long chapters or texts. This is an excellent choice for those readers, especially, as each story can be read in one sitting and leave the reader satisfied.
Spencer has mastered the middle grade perspective and voice, which lets the heart of her stories shine. Mia is an endearing and intriguing character, which makes reading this collection of stories following her such a wonderful experience.
Weird Rules to Follow is sure to delight middle grade readers and their grownups with its heart and humor.
Weird Rules to Follow will be available October 18, 2022.
Thank you to author Kim Spencer, Orca Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy such that I could share my honest opinion in this review.

I would've loved to read this, but unfortunately, I was granted permission too late, and did not get time to read it before it was archived.

I loved this novel. Spencer's first-person narration builds empathy for Mia as she tackles issues of friendship and identity. Mia narrates her experience with family alcoholism, money challenges, Tsimshian culture, and self-discovery. Her clear understanding of herself and her world is sure to appeal to sensitive middle grade readers. The prose is so lyrical that this almost feels like a novel-in-verse, with all the insight and self-assurance that such books bring to the table. An abrupt ending is not enough to overshadow the well-balanced gentleness and grit of Spencer's bildungsroman.

I received an e-ARC of this book from Orca Book Publishers through Netgalley.

this book was sooo good and a very quick and real read. if you’ve followed my reviews, you know how much i absolutely love middle grade books, and i find they often touch on real issues in such a sophisticated and yet simple way. this book really drew me in from the beginning and i finished it so quick.

this book is told in vignettes seen from amelia’s (mia’s) perspective in the 80’s and mostly focuses on her experiences with her indigenous identity and how it differs from those of her white best friend lara. it is also based on the authors perosnal experiences growing up at the time.

weird rules to follow touches on many heavier topics such as alcoholism, and the canadian indian residential school system. i think this is very good book for schools to have and should be included in curriculum and i can see myself recommending it to all my own friends from home who have started teaching their own classrooms this year.

☆ thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review ☆

Set in the 1980s in Prince Rupert, this middle school novel deals with timeless issues all students can relate to - changing friendships, family issues, poverty, identity, etc. The main character, Mia, is a First Nations girl struggling to find her place in her family and in school. Told in first-person, the reader is shown glimpses of Mia's life in diary-like snippets.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

In general I liked this book. I liked the almost vignettes of stories from growing up in Prince Rupert and being a First Nation member with a white best friend. There were a couple of formatting and grammatical errors (the language was spelled differently a couple of times), but it didn't hurt the readability. Definitely one to keep in mind for a middle-grade reader!

I recieved a free eARC so I could read and review this book. Thank you for the opportunity.

Mia is a first nations girl, growing up in Canada in the 1980's, trying to juggle her native heritage and culture and just fitting in. Her struggles and efforts and day to day life are relatable, The differences in her life experience from her best friend, Lara, who is white and more financially privileged are also clear cut, and definitely offer a chance for the reader to reflect on their own life experiences, how they compare, and, in particular, why they're different. This is a wonderful, sweet book that well deserves a place in classrooms and school libraries, and would be a useful book for class study, not just in the interest of DEI, but because it is a good book that contemporary students will find engaging, want to read, and learn from.

This is a sort of memoir, along with it being a fictionalized story of two girls growing up int he same community, but who face different rules, as the title says.

One girl is indigenous, and the other is white, and the girl who is white follows a different set of rules than the indigenous girl. Lara does things that do not cause a fuss, but if Mia does them, it is a horrible thing.

They play together, until they drift apart, in high school, while Mia notice the different rules that she follows, but does nothing more than that.

It is a quiet sort of book, and yet there are volumes said about how unfair it all is.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

WEIRD RULES TO FOLLOW is Mia's growing up story. The readers follow her from sixth grade to eigth grade-- during her seasons at the reservation, summers with her best friend, Lana, and all the other mundane things that are a part of growing up.

This book touches on quite a few heavy topics: alcoholism, racism, the 'Canadian Indian residential school system', the growth and end of friendship, underage drinking, and puberty. WEIRD RULES is a biopic of the author's own experiences growing up as an indigenous person-- events and relationships in the book heavily influenced by her own life.

Real and relatable, WEIRD RULES is a perfect middle to early high school grade read. It provides and unique and important view that will spark important conversations.