Weird Rules to Follow
Weird Rules to Follow by Kim Spencer, published by Orca Book Publishers in 2022, is a juvenile fiction novel that explores the complexities of identity and culture through the eyes of an eleven-year-old girl named Mia. Set in the 1980s in the coastal fishing town of Prince Rupert, the story contrasts Mia’s life with that of her best friend, Lara, highlighting the differences shaped by their backgrounds. As Mia navigates her friendships and family dynamics, she begins to recognize the societal perceptions that influence how she is treated as an Indigenous girl.
Readers will find a rich narrative that delves into themes of family, social dynamics, and the impact of culture on personal experiences. The book presents a vivid portrayal of Mia’s world, filled with relatives and the challenges of her environment, while also touching on the broader social themes relevant to adolescence and coming of age. With 183 pages, this edition is fully accessible and invites readers to reflect on the nuances of life in a multigenerational household amidst the backdrop of a changing community.
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Winner of a 2024 PNBA Book Award
Winner of the 2023 IODE Violet Downey Book Award
Winner of the 2023 Jean Little First-Novel Award
Winner of the 2023 Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
Winner of the 2023 TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award
★”Readers will be left with a rich image of Mia’s world and the family and people that surround her as well as a strong sense of how culture and class impact people’s experiences. A touching exploration of identity and culture.”–Kirkus Reviews
Mia knows her family is very different than her best friend’s.
In the 1980s, the coastal fishing town of Prince Rupert is booming. There is plenty of sockeye salmon in the nearby ocean, which means the fishermen are happy and there is plenty of work at the cannery. Eleven-year-old Mia and her best friend, Lara, have known each other since kindergarten. Like most tweens, they like to hang out and compare notes on their crushes and dream about their futures. But even though they both live in the same cul-de-sac, Mia’s life is very different from her non-Indigenous, middle-class neighbor. Lara lives with her mom, her dad and her little brother in a big house, with two cars in the drive and a view of the ocean. Mia lives in a shabby wartime house that is full of relatives–her churchgoing grandmother, binge-drinking mother and a rotating number of aunts, uncles and cousins. Even though their differences never seemed to matter to the two friends, Mia begins to notice how adults treat her differently, just because she is Indigenous. Teachers, shopkeepers, even Lara’s parents–they all seem to have decided who Mia is without getting to know her first.
The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.
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