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Does your family include a patient pet? Have your child practice literacy by reading out loud to them! Here are two recommendations for your August reading list, courtesy of the librarians at Geneva Public Library.

 FOR YOUR KIDS OR GRANDKIDS: “Dress Coded” by Carrie Firestone When is it time to stand up and make your voice heard — even if people might not agree with your message? That’s the story behind the timely and entertaining “Dress Coded” by Carrie Firestone. After two years of watching other girls be anxious and humiliated over her middle school’s strict dress code policies for girls, eighth grader Molly Frost decides she has had enough. It all starts when Molly’s classmate Olivia becomes a social pariah for causing the school to cancel their class camping trip. Why?

Because Olivia wore a tank top, which is against the dress code. This is only one in a long saga of incidents. It’s practically impossible to find shorts long enough for the school’s strict length rule, so some girls wear pants in 100-degree weather. Others become self-conscious and uncomfortable in their clothes because of the rules. But boys never get dress coded at all. It’s unfair and it’s damaging girls’ mental health, so Molly starts a podcast where girls can share their stories. The podcast becomes a movement that affects the entire community. Readers age 9 and up will enjoy the inspiring story of a budding activist finding her voice and using it to help others. — Kylie Peters, librarian  FOR OUR READERS: “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller You’ve probably heard the story of the Trojan War many times: a giant wooden horse, a woman so beautiful she launched a thousand ships, a warrior with a vulnerable heel. “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller takes the familiar Greek myth and adds a captivating modern interpretation. Achilles is strong, swift, beautiful and enchanting to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, Achilles and Patroclus forge an inseparable bond despite risking wrath. When they learn Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece lay siege to Troy. Achilles joins the cause, and Patroclus follows, unaware the cruel fates will test them both as never before — and demand a sacrifice. The magic trick this book pulls is that most readers know how the story ends. The phrase “Achilles heels” is part of our day-to-day lives thousands of years later. Fans of character-driven, lyrical novels about fate and tragic romance will find Miller’s version impossible to put down.

— Allyson Palagi, librarian

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