Tear This Down

Gr 4-7–Seventh grader Freya has a strong sense of right and wrong. She is also quick to judge and voices her opinions loudly, to the annoyance of her peers and the frustration of her teachers. After an unsuccessful student council bid and some pointed remarks from her friends, Freya mostly keeps her remarks to herself. However, in the course of completing a social studies assignment, Freya discovers that the celebrated founder of her hometown held negative views about women’s intellect and capacity to vote. She is furious and, at first, refuses to complete the assignment. She then launches a campaign to remove the founder’s statue from the town green, which is met with approbation from her activist grandmother and some friends, but with skepticism and disdain from others. Her teacher, a reference librarian, and her supportive family eventually guide Freya and her allies to a more positive, productive course of action: elevating other, lesser known figures from the town’s history. Dee provides a nuanced depiction of a young person gradually learning how to engage effectively to create change. Freya and her family cue as white with an assumed diverse group of friends and classmates.