Weird Rules to Follow is a terrific addition to any school library. Focusing on the experiences of Mia, who attends middle school in the small coastal town of Prince Rupert in the 1980s. This story touches on themes of prejudice, racism, and the intergenerational family impacts of residential schools while being told in an approachable way for students. The characters in this book are realistic and complicated and leave the reader with lasting impressions of life in Prince Rupert in the 1980s. Kim Spencer is a Ts’msyen author who grew up in Prince Rupert and debuted on the BC Bestsellers list. This book was also named a USBBY 2023 Outstanding International Book.

Cautions / Content Warnings: References to alcoholism and alcohol abuse
Other End Matter: Author's Note and Acknowledgements
Contributor Affiliation: Kim Spencer (Ts’msyen Nation), Editor Jackie Lever (Métis)
Bibliography: No
Index: No

Source: Books BC - BC Books for Schools & Indigenous Books for Schools

Kim Spencer is a graduate of the Writers Studio at Simon Fraser University, where she focused on creative nonfiction. Two of her short stories were published in an anthology released through SFU, and an experimental short story of hers appeared in Filling Station magazine and was shortlisted for the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association Award. Kim was selected as a mentee by the Writers Union of Canada for BIPOC Writers Connect, as well as for ECW's BIPOC Writers Mentorship Program. Her first novel, Weird Rules to Follow debuted on the BC Bestsellers list, received a Kirkus starred review and was named a USBBY 2023 Outstanding International Book. Kim is from the Ts’msyen Nation in northwest BC and currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Kim Spencer's profile page

• Joint winner, Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA) Pacific Northwest Book Awards
• Short-listed, Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award
• Commended, International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honour List
• Nominated, Young Readers' Choice Book Awards of British Columbia (YRCABC) Red Cedar Book Awards
• Winner, Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
• Winner, Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) Jean Little First-Novel Award
• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens
• Winner, Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC) TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award
• Short-listed, BC and Yukon Book Prizes - Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize
• Short-listed, Indigenous Voices Awards (IVA) - Published prose in English
• Commended, United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) Outstanding International Books List (OIB)
• Short-listed, Chocolate Lily Book Awards
• Winner, The National Chapter of Canada IODE Violet Downey Book Award
• Commended, Top Grade: CanLit for the Classroom
• Nominated, The Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks) - Young People’s Literature Text
• Commended, Bank Street College of Education Children's Book Committee Best Children's Books of the Year

“Like a photo album but in text rather than in pictures…providing the reader with a layered, nuanced picture of Mia’s life.”

Booklist

“Recommended.”

School Library Connection

★ “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, starred review

“Authentic and honest…Excellent for upper elementary and middle school students, either in a literature circle or independently.”

Children's Literature

“Heartfelt and moving…Recommended.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“Easy to read but poetic and focused…This story, while fiction, rings true.”

The Horn Book