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The First Rule of Punk Paperback – Illustrated, July 17, 2018

by Celia C. Pérez (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 912 ratings
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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 by award-winning author Celia C. Pérez are featured throughout.

"Malú rocks!"
—Victoria Jamieson, author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling and Newbery Honor-winning Roller Girl
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    10 - 12 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    336 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    4 - 7
  5. Lexile measure
    670L
  6. Dimensions
    7.76 x 5.08 x 0.8 inches
  7. Publisher
    Puffin Books
  8. Publication date
    July 17, 2018
  9. ISBN-10
    0425290425
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0425290422
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Select awards and accolades for The First Rule of Punk:

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 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

"A voice that is equal parts witty and sharp."
—Bustle.com

About the Author

Celia C. Pérez is the author of The First Rule of Punk, a 2018 Pura Belpré Author Honor Book; Strange Birds, a 2020 Rise: A Feminist Book Project List Selection; and Tumble, which received six starred reviews and is an NPR Best Book of 2022. Celia is a longtime maker of zines inspired by her love of punk music and writing. Her favorite zine supplies are a long-arm stapler, glue sticks, and watercolor pencils. She'll never stop picking cilantro out of her food at restaurants, and she owns two sets of worry dolls because you can never have too many. Originally from Miami, Florida, Celia lives in Chicago with her family where she works as a community college librarian.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Puffin Books; Reprint edition (July 17, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0425290425
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0425290422
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 10 - 12 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 670L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.76 x 5.08 x 0.8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 912 ratings

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Celia C. Pérez

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
912 global ratings
Great
5 Stars
Great
The story is very interesting. Finding books interesting for my girls is a challenge, she just sits and reads without me asking. We can relate to the story, so far it's addictive.
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Top reviews from the United States

Trtyana D
5.0 out of 5 stars The First Rule of Punk
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2023
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Good book.
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Darby Karchut
5.0 out of 5 stars Spunky Heroine For All
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2017
Verified Purchase
This book is why I love reading middle grade! THE FIRST RULE OF PUNK by Celia C. Pérez has everything I look for in a story. Malú is a heroine with guts and heart and a strong sense of self, all which stands her in good stead as she navigates the ups and downs of being a new girl in school and in her neighborhood. She is also an artist, creating zines to express her feelings and interests. I love her spunk something fierce.

I enjoyed the blend of Latino culture, punk music, strong family ties, and the drama that is the world of middle school. As a former seventh grade teacher, the on-going dress code issues cracked me up.

So, just how good is this book? Well, folks who know me know I gravitate to urban fantasy and magical realism and male protagonists. But THE FIRST RULE OF PUNK had me at the opening scene and wouldn’t let me go until I finished it.

Bravo to Celia C. Pérez on her debut novel. This is an author I’ll be following from now on. Highly recommended.
22 people found this helpful
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Autu5300
5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2021
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Cute & fun story. Very entertaining. I loved learning more about Mexican/Mexican-American culture. I didn’t know anything about the Mexican punk scene so it was fun to learn about more music to explore. Read this for a college class on children’s literature and enjoyed it.
One person found this helpful
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Yuvitza Olivera
4.0 out of 5 stars Bought for school, nice condition.
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2023
Verified Purchase
School book, condition is very nice! Not a very hard read and good for 10-12 year olds, interesting plot and a view into other cultures and styles.
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Yuvitza Olivera
4.0 out of 5 stars Bought for school, nice condition.
Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2023
School book, condition is very nice! Not a very hard read and good for 10-12 year olds, interesting plot and a view into other cultures and styles.
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Ray Ray
5.0 out of 5 stars Story line
Reviewed in the United States on August 12, 2023
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Great book for kids in the age of 8-11
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A.W.
5.0 out of 5 stars First Favorite Book for a Friend
Reviewed in the United States on September 12, 2020
Verified Purchase
I bought this as a birthday present for my neighbor's child who was turning 8. It might have been more difficult than I meant for it to be, but it turned out to be a good read for them to stretch a little and grow their vocabulary. They told my partner that they've read it multiple times now and it makes all of their picture books seem childish. This is a serious and mature little kid so it seemed to really speak to them and their life situations, though not exactly the same. I didn't read the book myself but I really liked the theme of being yourself and hope that was encouraging to them.
4 people found this helpful
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stewygirl
5.0 out of 5 stars What a great story about how to navigate through changes just as ...
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2017
Verified Purchase
Oh how I adored this story of Malu, a biracial girl, who copes with a move across the country to Chicago with her mom and finding her place in her new school, her new neighborhood, and her family. Her parents are endearing and relate-able, as are the community members. What a great story about how to navigate through changes just as life for all middle schoolers seems to be in shambles. Malu is an accessible character for kids, with flaws and also a kind, justice filled heart.

Plus, the zines are incredible! What a great outlet for kids!
7 people found this helpful
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Alexandra P.
5.0 out of 5 stars Heart-warming story of identity and family
Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2017
Verified Purchase
I absolutely loved FIRST RULE OF PUNK. Perez weaves the sweet tale of Malu, a half-Mexican girl who resists her Mexican heritage, much to the dismay of her mom, and tries to find her people in a new city and school. It's a story of identity as much as it is about family and fighting for what you believe. Malu is realistic and well-drawn, as are the secondary characters. As a Colombian-American with a son who is half-Colombia, the major themes and the interactions between Malu and her mom really resonated with me. I enjoyed the audiobook recording version. Trini Alvarado brings an authentic accent with the Spanish, which made my heart happy. I'm now listening to it again with my son!
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Marshall
5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
Reviewed in Canada on June 20, 2021
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I really enjoyed reading this
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elliepod
5.0 out of 5 stars Would recommend this book to EVERYONE
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2021
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This book is inspiring, funny, colourful and hugely fun - while covering some serious topics. I'd recommend it to readers young and old!
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