Code Red (juvenile)

When I was a teen menstruation was a taboo topic. A lot of parents would probably have had less trouble describing satanic rituals than this perfectly normal bodily function. We'd tell each other good old Aunt Flo had come for a visit. An allusion to cramps got us out of gym class, no questions asked. Boys being snarky would ask us if we were on the rag. These days we've come a long way when it comes to menstrual talk. But we still have away to go. That's why books like Joy McCullough's Code Red are so refreshing and needed.
Eden, McCullough's protagonist, is mortified when her mother comes to her middle school to speak at Career Day. Her mom runs a company that makes period products. Sure enough some of her peers act quite immaturely. One boy, Graham, is quite persistent. When he gets in her face at the end of the day she pushes him to get by…
…at the same time another girl coming to her defense pulls him. When Maribel's mother shows up the principal accuses them of assaulting Graham who's been rushed off to urgent care. The principal suspends the girls for the rest of the week. Eden's mother doesn't show up. Silvia, Maribel's mother, takes the girls to the food pantry she runs, Casa Esperanza.
Eden was an Olympics bound elite gymnast until the combination of a growth spurt and a shoulder injury grounded her. Without the regimen that filled every moment of her life she feels lost.
"But gymnastics was my life for as long as I can remember, and now I have no idea what my life is."
Eden is irresistibly attracted to Maribel's lively family and Casa Esperanza which is far more than a food pantry. Unfortunately her mother decides they're a bad influence on her and forbids her to see them. But she's not about to give up such an important source of joy and meaning in her life.
With an engaging plot and characters and an introduction to the concept of period poverty Code Red will be quite an inspiration for younger social justice warriors.
On a purrrsonal note, I guess I could share two stories. The first comes from my teen years. I was on my way home wearing white pants when I unexpectedly got my period. I was, as you can probably imagine, mortified. A stranger invited me into her home. Her daughter lent me a pair of jeans to wear while she washed and dried my jeans and underwear. It was such a relief when I left their home spotless. The second comes from the Methodist phase of my adult life. The church was going to make care packages for homeless folx. We were discussing what to include. People were shocked when I suggested period products.
A great big shout out goes out to the folx who are working to end period poverty and to create products that aren't as bad for the environment as disposable pads and tampons.
Jules Hathaway