"One thing I really liked about this story was the way it tackled dealing with the messiness of differing political opinions in a positive way. While the middle school kids (and some grownups, especially online) want to jump to easy solutions and cancel culture, they end up having to wrestle with the fact that not everyone agrees on things and it’s better in the long run to work with others rather than just shutting down any ideas that you don’t like. The theme that really shines through is the world is a messy place with a complicated history, most people aren’t all good or all bad, and making progress requires communication and compromise. It should also give readers hope that change is possible.
But the best part is that the story doesn’t feel preachy. Dee is great at finding that authentic middle grade voice and it really works here. Highly recommended for fans of middle grade realistic fiction."
But the best part is that the story doesn’t feel preachy. Dee is great at finding that authentic middle grade voice and it really works here. Highly recommended for fans of middle grade realistic fiction."
"Another winner from my favorite middle grade author! Freya is spirited, sometimes disagreeable, and real. Loved the friend and family relationships. Very highly recommend!"
"Richie’s Picks: TEAR THIS DOWN by Barbara Dee, Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, February 2025, 304p., ISBN: 978-1-6659-1767-4
“Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to ‘recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.� To be information literate, then, one needs skills not only in research but in critical thinking.�
� American Library Association, Presidential Committee on Information Literacy
“Hazel touched my arm. ‘We just care about you, Freya. Remember when you ran for Student Council president? The morning they announced Andre won, you ran crying to the bathroom and I had to talk to you for like an hour.�
Liliana nodded. ‘Yeah, and afterward you made us promise never to let you run for anything again.
‘Okay, okay.� I blew out some air. ‘You definitely don’t need to remind me. But that was a school election. What does that have to do with–�
‘You’re not going to win this fight, Freya,� Hazel said. ‘It’s like you’re asking the town to get a total makeover, and that’s not going to happen, all right? And we don’t want to see you get hurt–�
‘Again,� Liliana finished for her.
My throat felt like I’d swallowed a burning torch.
Hazel and Liliana were saying they wanted to protect me, and honestly, I believe them. Although their not being on my side basically guaranteed I’d lose. Again.
And I mean, of course I was glad they agreed that Benjamin Wellstone was horrible about women. But I couldn’t stop this o-question from bubbling up inside me: What’s the point of having this opinion, or any opinion, really, if you just keep it in your head and don’t do anything about it? If you don’t even try?�
Twelve-year-old Freya Stillman has a strong sense of justice and some strong opinions (and strong o[pinion]-questions) about the injustices females have had to endure–time and again–thanks to the rules men endlessly craft that run counter to equal treatment of the sexes.
I love how Freya’s first broadside against sexism involves recounting how every year, every required class read (HOLES; HATCHET; THE WEDNESDAY WARS; THE GIVER, etc.) features a male protagonist: �...I think boys should have to read about girls. We’re half the class, so we should have half the books,� she opines.
Meanwhile, a dead white guy named Benjamin Wellstone, who was a contemporary of Abraham Lincoln, is the namesake of their town. AND their town library. AND their town beach. And even the school Freya attends. He was an abolitionist and a writer with some progressive ideas–except when it came to his blind spot about women and, especially, women’s suffrage.
Critical thinking is an essential aspect of information literacy, and this tale contains important lessons, particularly regarding historical context, relating to information literacy.
TEAR THIS DOWN revolves around the desire of Freya and her new friend Callie to have the town demote Benjamin Wellstone (and his in-town statue), and rename itself for someone less sexist and more deserving. Freya’s efforts in this excellent coming-of-age tale will prompt discussions about getting involved in promoting change, the advisability of employing various strategies for promoting change, AND appreciating positive outcomes—even if they might appear to only be little steps in the right direction.
One particularly interesting issue that arises involves a boy friend (not boyfriend) of Freya’s who wants to become involved in an extracurricular Mother-Daughter crafting group. Is it fair to oppose such a request at the same time that one is seeking to open all sorts of doors that have been traditionally closed to women? Or is there a place for such groups?
TEAR THIS DOWN is a fun story about a middle school student finding her way…and finding a way to make a difference. provides a lot of great information on women’s rights and the suffragist movement. It offers the potential for a strong class read that features a girl protagonist–one who will show others how opening one’s mouth can lead to discomfort (and maybe even to getting grounded by parents), but can also lead to significant, positive change.
As with all books for young people relating to women’s rights, I encourage you to pair this one with the late Karen Blumenthal’s excellent nonfiction gem LET ME PLAY: THE STORY OF TITLE IX: THE LAW THAT CHANGED THE FUTURE OF GIRLS IN AMERICA.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks
[email protected]
"
“Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to ‘recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.� To be information literate, then, one needs skills not only in research but in critical thinking.�
� American Library Association, Presidential Committee on Information Literacy
“Hazel touched my arm. ‘We just care about you, Freya. Remember when you ran for Student Council president? The morning they announced Andre won, you ran crying to the bathroom and I had to talk to you for like an hour.�
Liliana nodded. ‘Yeah, and afterward you made us promise never to let you run for anything again.
‘Okay, okay.� I blew out some air. ‘You definitely don’t need to remind me. But that was a school election. What does that have to do with–�
‘You’re not going to win this fight, Freya,� Hazel said. ‘It’s like you’re asking the town to get a total makeover, and that’s not going to happen, all right? And we don’t want to see you get hurt–�
‘Again,� Liliana finished for her.
My throat felt like I’d swallowed a burning torch.
Hazel and Liliana were saying they wanted to protect me, and honestly, I believe them. Although their not being on my side basically guaranteed I’d lose. Again.
And I mean, of course I was glad they agreed that Benjamin Wellstone was horrible about women. But I couldn’t stop this o-question from bubbling up inside me: What’s the point of having this opinion, or any opinion, really, if you just keep it in your head and don’t do anything about it? If you don’t even try?�
Twelve-year-old Freya Stillman has a strong sense of justice and some strong opinions (and strong o[pinion]-questions) about the injustices females have had to endure–time and again–thanks to the rules men endlessly craft that run counter to equal treatment of the sexes.
I love how Freya’s first broadside against sexism involves recounting how every year, every required class read (HOLES; HATCHET; THE WEDNESDAY WARS; THE GIVER, etc.) features a male protagonist: �...I think boys should have to read about girls. We’re half the class, so we should have half the books,� she opines.
Meanwhile, a dead white guy named Benjamin Wellstone, who was a contemporary of Abraham Lincoln, is the namesake of their town. AND their town library. AND their town beach. And even the school Freya attends. He was an abolitionist and a writer with some progressive ideas–except when it came to his blind spot about women and, especially, women’s suffrage.
Critical thinking is an essential aspect of information literacy, and this tale contains important lessons, particularly regarding historical context, relating to information literacy.
TEAR THIS DOWN revolves around the desire of Freya and her new friend Callie to have the town demote Benjamin Wellstone (and his in-town statue), and rename itself for someone less sexist and more deserving. Freya’s efforts in this excellent coming-of-age tale will prompt discussions about getting involved in promoting change, the advisability of employing various strategies for promoting change, AND appreciating positive outcomes—even if they might appear to only be little steps in the right direction.
One particularly interesting issue that arises involves a boy friend (not boyfriend) of Freya’s who wants to become involved in an extracurricular Mother-Daughter crafting group. Is it fair to oppose such a request at the same time that one is seeking to open all sorts of doors that have been traditionally closed to women? Or is there a place for such groups?
TEAR THIS DOWN is a fun story about a middle school student finding her way…and finding a way to make a difference. provides a lot of great information on women’s rights and the suffragist movement. It offers the potential for a strong class read that features a girl protagonist–one who will show others how opening one’s mouth can lead to discomfort (and maybe even to getting grounded by parents), but can also lead to significant, positive change.
As with all books for young people relating to women’s rights, I encourage you to pair this one with the late Karen Blumenthal’s excellent nonfiction gem LET ME PLAY: THE STORY OF TITLE IX: THE LAW THAT CHANGED THE FUTURE OF GIRLS IN AMERICA.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks
[email protected]
"
"A fantastic book that talks about how to address something you're passionate about through activism. Wonderful! Subtopics include appropriate versus inappropriate activism, and resilience through hardships and when things don't go the way you want or plan. It also presents an opportunity to talk about cancel culture and ways to think about productive Solutions that are outside the box and are realistic and considerate. It definitely helps encourage nuanced thinking that can be applied to tricky topics."