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Reviewed by: Emily McFarlane, Elementary School Librarian Title: Frizzy Author: Claribel A. Ortega Publisher: First Second
Year: 2022 Good for Grades: 4-8 Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction Graphic Novel
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: Bullying, deceased father Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: POC representation, avid graphic novel fan If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: When "bad" hair finds out it isn't so bad after all!
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Review:
Marlene and her mom have been having trouble lately, especially surrounding Marlene's hair. She is tired of weekly trips to the salon, and having her natural curls straightened and "tamed" into "acceptable" curls. All this talk of "good" hair and "bad" hair really makes Marlene feel bad about herself. At her cousin's quinceanera, everything gets ruined when Marlene's hair gets frizzy again. She and her BFF make a plan to wear her her naturally, but bullies at school cause her more problems. Can Marlene show her mom that her hair can be "good" hair AND that she doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful?
This book hits HARD. Marlene and her mother are both struggling in different ways, and there are a lot of great issues wrapped up in this deceptively small graphic novel. Marlene's father died before the book's story begins, and she and her mom are both dealing with that. Her mother has stopped wearing her hair naturally since then, and has consistently forced Marlene to wear hers in a manner that people will find more "acceptable." As an Afro-Latino woman, Marlene's mom is both feeling the need to and perpetuating the concept of needing to have straight/good hair to be accepted in society, and Marlene and her aunt both challenge that narrative. There is some discussion of generational racism and how it affects people, which is so important to bring up. There is also a bullying through line that, while not fully resolved, is very realistic. This is a story about family, identity, and being true to yourself wrapped up in a beautiful color palette and featuring characters of different skin tones and body types which is always a delight to see. A lot of kids will feel seen by this book
You could use this book in SEL lessons on different families, death, being true to yourself, and inner beauty, and in DEI discussions. It flies off my shelves and your graphic novel enthusiasts will reach for it again and again.
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Find resources for Frizzy at Teachingbooks.net
For more information about this book, see the Publishers Website
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