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Twelve-year-old Malú learns that there are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school. Her dad says things will get better as long as she remembers the first rule of punk: be yourself. When she assembles a group of misfits at school and starts a band, Malú finally begins to feel at home. She´ll do anything to preserve this, including standing up to an anti-punk school administration.

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A 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book

The First Rule of Punk is a wry and heartfelt exploration of friendship, finding your place, and learning to rock out like no one´s watching.

There are no shortcuts to surviving your first day at a new school-you can´t fix it with duct tape like you would your Chuck Taylors. On Day One, twelve-year-old Malú (María Luisa, if you want to annoy her) inadvertently upsets Posada Middle School´s queen bee, violates the school´s dress code with her punk rock look, and disappoints her college-professor mom in the process. Her dad, who now lives a thousand miles away, says things will get better as long as she remembers the first rule of punk: be yourself.

The real Malú loves rock music, skateboarding, zines, and Soyrizo (hold the cilantro, please). And when she assembles a group of like-minded misfits at school and starts a band, Malú finally begins to feel at home. She´ll do anything to preserve this, which includes standing up to an anti-punk school administration to fight for her right to express herself!

Black and white illustrations and collage art throughout make The First Rule of Punk a perfect pick for fans of books like Roller Girl and online magazines like Rookie.

"Armed with a microphone and a pair of scissors, this book is all about creating something new and awesome in the world. Malú rocks!" --Victoria Jamieson, author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor-winning Roller Girl

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A 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book
A 2018 ALSC Notable Children´s Book
A 2018 Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children´s Book Award Winner
A 2017 ABA Indies Introduce Title
A Kids´ Indie Next List Pick
An E.B. White Read-Aloud Middle Reader Award finalist
A 2018 Boston Globe-Horn Book Fiction and Poetry Honor Book
An Amelia Bloomer List Book
CCBC Choices 2018
A 2018 Bank Street Best Children´s Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Publishers Weekly Flying Start
NPR Best Books of 2017
Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction of 2017
School Library Journal Best Books of 2017
A Horn Book Fanfare Selection
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children´s Literature Best Books of 2017
NYPL Best Books for Kids 2017
Chicago Public Library´s Best of the Best Books 2017
Evanston Public Library 101 Great Books for Kids 2017
A Seattle Public Library Top 10 Children´s Chapter Book of 2017
A UPenn Graduate School of Education Best Book of 2017
2018-2019 Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children´s Book Award Nominee
2018-2019 Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee
A 2018 Great Lakes, Great Reads Award Winner
2017 Nerdy Book Award Winner

PRAISE FOR THE FIRST RULE OF PUNK:

"A charming debut about a thoughtful, creative preteen connecting to both halves of her identity."
-Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Those who enjoy vivacious, plucky heroines... will eagerly embrace Malu."
-School Library Journal (starred review)

"Pérez´s debut is as exuberant as its heroine... A rowdy reminder that people are at their best when they aren´t forced into neat, tidy boxes."
-Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Extremely relatable and creatively inspiring, with a voice that is equal parts witty and sharp."
-Bustle.com

"Malú is an irrepressible force, one that readers will long remember."
-Diana López, author of Confetti Girl and Nothing Up My Sleeve

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