
Double standards are an unpleasant reality of life — and it’s usually those who are subjected to them that notice. Behavioral requirements differ between races, genders, and sexualities; what’s considered appropriate or forgivable for those in power is punished, sometimes severely, for those who aren’t. The three new books for teens in this week’s book club both recognize the double standards still regrettably present today and are having none of them. They point out the differences in how men and women are treated in an attempt to isolate and remedy the problem. We’re already hoping our teens will save the world; this is one good step.
<em>The Accidental Bad Girl</em>
<em>This Book Betrays My Brother</em>
<em>Girl Made of Stars</em>
Ilana Lucas
Ilana is an English professor, theatre consultant and playwright based in Toronto, Canada. When she’s not at the theatre or insisting that literary criticism can be fun, she’s singing a cappella or Mozart, occasionally harmonizing with the symphony, or playing “Under Pressure” with her rock handbell group, Pavlov’s Dogs.