Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Annelie Geissler
Categories
Children’s, Teenage & Educational

TEAR THIS DOWN

Barbara Dee

From Barbara Dee, the critically acclaimed author of Maybe He Just Likes You, comes a middle grade novel about a girl who makes the choice to speak out against a problematic historical hometown figure no matter the costperfect for readers of Dress Coded.

For as long as Freya can remember, she has loved living in her cozy hometown of Wellstone. Not only is the town itself named for local and historical hero Benjamin Wellstone but everything in it: schools, beaches, and stores. There's even a giant statue of him to remind everyone of the good things he did. But while doing research for a big school project, Freya discovers that Benjamin isn't the big hero everyone has been taught to believe. He had some redeeming qualities, but he also held incredibly problematic views towards women, believing they shouldn't have the right to voteor even to exist outside of the home. Disappointed by her revelation, Freya wonders if she could figure out a way to not only show what the hometown hero was really like but replace his statue with one of an unsung hero: local suffragette Octavia Padgett. Though Freya knows not everyone will agree with her, she is shocked when her efforts cause even bigger issues than she could have imagined. Even her own parents seem uneasy with Freya's cause. With the help of her beloved Nan, friends new and old, and the coolest librarian she's ever met, can Freya stand firm and tear down outdated views? Barbara Dee is the author of fourteen middle grade novels including Unstuck, Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet, Violets Are Blue, My Life in the Fish Tank, Maybe He Just Likes You, Everything I Know About You, Halfway Normal, and Star-Crossed. Her books have earned several starred reviews and have been named to many best-of lists, including The Washington Post's Best Children's Books, the ALA Notable Children's Books, the ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, the NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, and the ALA Rainbow List Top Ten. Barbara lives with her family, including a naughty cat named Luna and a sweet rescue hound named Ripley, in Westchester County, New York.

Available products
Book Published 2025-02-25 by Aladdin

Comments

Barbara Dee's books are to today's kids what Judy Blume's books were to me at that age. She tackles such complex subjects with care. As a student once told me, 'She just gets us.

Barbara Dee has done it again, creating a heroine with a big voice and an even bigger heart.

Every middle school library needs a full set of Barbara Dee's books. Her writing reminds me of Judy Blume.

Relevant and empowering, Tear This Down will have readers rooting for Freya as she upends gender stereotypes and champions the power and importance of historical truth. I loved Freya. I loved this book!

Tear This Down is a powerful and moving celebration of standing up for what you believe in and a fantastic introduction to activism. A wonderful and engaging read!

How a seventh grader with a lot of questions about gender inequality uses her curiosity to give voice to those who were silenced. A stirring and timely book about the power of kids to build community and move us all forward.

Great with opinions" Freya is a thoughtful yet impulsive and vibrantly drawn character. Dee (Unstuck) strategically and effectively weaves Freya's nascent feminism into timely subplots involving craftivism, the unrecognized labor of women in history, and the importance of research in this smart and passionate read.

Wow did I love this book. TEAR THIS DOWN is history and feminism and family dynamics and friendship and community sewn into a brave and brilliant story. It's going to inspire a generation of changemakers. Bravo, Barbara Dee, queen of middle grade storytelling!

Master-of-middle-grade Barbara Dee has done it again. In this story of change-makers finding their voices, Dee ties the courage of women in the past to the courage of young girls and their allies today. The result is a moving, stirring account of a new generation fighting for a better world and learning to navigate its complexities. Here is a book to put into all our daughters' handsand the hands of mothers and grandmothers too.