Name: Jeni Enjaian's review of Revenge of the Red Club by Kim Harrington
Item: Revenge of the Red Club
Rating: 4
Author: Jeni Enjaian

Kim Harrington

A tween reporter discovers an important and beloved club at school is being shut down—and uses the power of the pen to try and activate some much-needed social change in this period-positive and empowering middle grade novel about the importance of standing up for what you believe in. Riley Dunne loves being a member of the Red Club. It’s more than a group of girls supporting each other through Aunt Flo’s ups and downs; it’s a Hawking Middle School tradition. The club’s secret locker has an emergency stash of supplies, and the girls are always willing to lend an ear, a shoulder, or an old pair of sweatpants. But when the school administration shuts the Red Club down because of complaints, the girls are stunned. Who would do that to them? The girls’ shock quickly turns into anger, and then they decide to get even. But wallpapering the gym with maxi pads and making tampon crafts in art class won’t bring their club back. Only Riley can do that. Using the skills she has cultivated as her school paper’s top investigative reporter (okay, only investigative reporter), she digs for the truth about who shut the club down and why. All the while dealing with friendship drama, a new and ridiculous dress code, and a support group that is now more focused on fighting with each other than fighting back. Can she save the Red Club before this rebellion turns into a full-scale war?

Revenge of the Red Club

Ana Cob

Jeni Enjaian

I started the book with mediocre expectations due to some initial events in the plot that could have opened the door for cliché school descriptions and resolutions. However, Harrington far surpassed those expectations and created a book that I will definitely purchase for my classroom library. As an educator, I have frequently read middle grades books that paint a completely unrealistic picture of the classroom, its teachers and administrators. Harrington, however, shows a nuanced understanding of the politics that drive a school. I had an experience this past year that confirms the outsized power of a strategically placed parent complaint (in my case, a parent who happened to also work at the school) as well as the incredibly misogynistic effects of things like dress codes. I highly recommend this book.

Lynn Braden

The Red Club consists of a group of girls who meet every Wednesday in the Hawking Middle School Library. The only requirement for joining the club is that the girl must have started having periods - hence the name, "The Red Club." The club started so many years ago that nobody remembers how it began, but girls benefit from the time together sharing problems and getting answers to questions not only about their periods, but also about their lives in general. Riley Dunne, 8th grader, has been part of the group since she was in 7th grade and loves being available to help younger girls with their problems. One morning, however, Principal Pickford, makes a PA announcement indicating that school rules will now be strictly enforced and students should go back and reread their handbooks. Riley doesn't worry until several of her friends are sent home from school for violating the dress code, Principal Pickford becomes the new advisor for the school newspaper, and The Red Club is dissolved. Riley and her friends feel that everything is being taken away from them and must come up with something to make it stop.
The Red Club is a quick and funny middle grade story with a real message about the value of communication. Overall, a very good read.

Ana Cob &
Revenge of the Red Club by Kim Harrington

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Ana Cob &Revenge of the Red Club by Kim Harrington

Reviews

Join the club

Ana Cob &
Revenge of the Red Club by Kim Harrington