Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories from BIPOC Authors
edited by Yamile Saied Méndez and Aida Salazar
Middle School    Candlewick    368 pp.
3/23    9781536216349    $22.99
e-book ed.  9781536224474    $22.99

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.

From the March/April 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.