Calling the Moon

Starred review from January 16, 2023
In this uplifting anthology of stories and poems about menstruation, 16 BIPOC writers, including Saadia Faruqi, Nikki Grimes, Erin Entrada Kelly, Christina Soontornvat, and the volume’s editors, share tales that are by turns warm, funny, and empowering. In Leah Henderson’s heartfelt “Turning Point,” soccer-loving Black tomboy Imari unexpectedly connects with her ballet-loving mother over her first period. “Shiloh: The Gender Creamsicle,” a free verse poem by Mason J., follows a brown-skinned nonbinary 11-year-old experiencing belonging at their moon party. Short story standout “Cannibal at the Door,” by Elise McMullen-Ciotti, layers the narrative of an 11-year-old reluctantly reconnecting with her mother with the Cherokee story of Stonecoat, a “lonely and hungry” monster made weak by a series of menstruating women. Honest and tender, these works explore themes of grief, friendship, and belonging against varied backdrops and intersectional identities. It’s a love letter to all who menstruate, one that’s both welcoming and inclusive—particularly to those experiencing their first period. Ages 10–up. Agents: (for Salazar) Marietta B. Zacker, Gallt & Zacker Literary; (for Saied Méndez) Linda Camacho, Gallt & Zacker Literary.

March 1, 2023
Luna, Heavenly Water, menses, period, monthly moon -- menstruation by any name is a fact of life for the BIPOC main characters in these short stories that focus on cultural celebrations, social stigma, gender identity, and the myriad physical and emotional changes taking place during puberty. Christina Soontornvat's "Rules of the Lake" is a humorous and touching tale of a Thai American girl who is surprised by her first period during a school field trip. "Turning Point" by Leah Henderson is about a Black soccer player and her ballet instructor mother who find common ground in celebrating her first period. Mason J.'s "The Gender Creamsicle, " written in verse, offers a much-needed perspective on the experience of a gender-nonconforming protagonist: "I am a gender Creamsicle: orange and white. / Not a Popsicle or ice cream. I am in between." The stories have broad appeal and are unified by a common thread of growing up. Issues related to race and gender, immigration status, and language diversity are set alongside culturally rich narratives about a singular and pivotal life event, giving young people an opportunity to feel seen, and less alone. Monique Harris

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from January 1, 2023
Grades 5-8 *Starred Review* This collection of 16 stories by celebrated BIPOC middle-grade authors captures the onset of menses from culturally diverse perspectives. Told in traditional prose as well as in verse, each chapter features well-drawn narrators who share a wide array of experiences and feelings about getting their period for the first time. The stories offer relatable, recognizable situations: the ruining of white pants, nosy siblings, confusion over period supply options, the challenges that come with informing parents. Some protagonists are somewhat prepared, while others are totally in the dark about the topic; some start menstruating earlier, others later. Regardless, readers will find common threads of honesty, vulnerability, and often humor. Two standout entries include "Holiday" by Saadia Faruqi, which describes a Muslim girl's experience during Ramadan, and "Shiloh: The Gender Creamsicle" by Mason J., which centers a transgender main character and is told in verse. Through the uplifting messages of self-discovery and affirmations of identity, readers are encouraged to think beyond the social stigma attached to menstruation and are offered assurance and connection with others going through similar experiences. An essential, compelling, and unique addition addressing a universal topic from a wide range of perspectives.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from January 15, 2023
Sixteen short stories and poems from well-known and award-winning authors explore how young people experience and celebrate their periods. The protagonists in this excellent, accessible middle-grade collection are all tweens and teens who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color with different cultural and faith-based beliefs, traditions, and reservations about their periods. Christina Soontornvat's sweet and funny opening story, "The Rules of the Lake," places a sixth grader's first period during a much-anticipated field trip to a lake. In Ibi Zoboi's touching "Bloodline," 12-year-old Adjoa participates in a New Moon Rebirth ceremony in which she receives a special gift passed down from mothers to daughters in her family. Erin Entrada Kelly's "Mother Mary, Do You Bleed?" follows a Filipina American Catholic girl who contemplates whether Jesus' mother also had her period. While most of the stories are heartwarming and emphasize renewal and rest, the authors also delve into how their characters deal with challenges like sexism, racism, microaggressions, immigration, religion, deadnaming (one character is nonbinary), addiction, divorce, and grief. Guadalupe Garcia McCall's emotionally resonant "Ofrendas," for example, features three sisters, 10, 12, and 13, reeling in the aftermath of their mother's sudden death. This is a memorable anthology featuring uniformly strong entries from broadly diverse voices that delve into the subject matter in ways ideally suited to the target audience. A powerful, vibrant, and empowering celebration of an important milestone. (letter from the editors, resources) (Anthology. 9-13)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from September 22, 2023

Gr 4 Up-Maybe it happened at the lake, like it did for Penny. Or maybe on the court, in the middle of a game, in front of all the boys on the basketball team, like it did for Angela. Or maybe, just maybe it happened on the first day of Ramadan, ruining any chance of fasting for the first time, like it did for Layla. Everyone who menstruates has a story of the first time it happened, and a chorus of voices from around the world come together in M�ndez and Salazar's anthology, through poetry and prose, through heartache and celebration, telling the stories of first periods. The subject of menstruation is so disturbingly rare, particularly in middle grade fiction. This anthology is essential for a supportive, representative library collection, not only because it features an impressive array of voices from a variety of cultures, family structures, gender identities, and views on menstruation, but also because it offers an opportunity to speak candidly about a bodily function shared by half of humanity that has been veiled in secrecy and shame for far too long. VERDICT An incredibly important and useful text, essential for all collections serving tweens.-Amira Walker

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2023
Luna, Heavenly Water, menses, period, monthly moon -- menstruation by any name is a fact of life for the BIPOC main characters in these short stories that focus on cultural celebrations, social stigma, gender identity, and the myriad physical and emotional changes taking place during puberty. Christina Soontornvat's "Rules of the Lake" is a humorous and touching tale of a Thai American girl who is surprised by her first period during a school field trip. "Turning Point" by Leah Henderson is about a Black soccer player and her ballet instructor mother who find common ground in celebrating her first period. Mason J.'s "The Gender Creamsicle," written in verse, offers a much-needed perspective on the experience of a gender-nonconforming protagonist: "I am a gender Creamsicle: orange and white. / Not a Popsicle or ice cream. I am in between." The stories have broad appeal and are unified by a common thread of growing up. Issues related to race and gender, immigration status, and language diversity are set alongside culturally rich narratives about a singular and pivotal life event, giving young people an opportunity to feel seen, and less alone.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)