Freya is a 7th grader in the small town of Wellstone. She’s a girl with a lot of questions, especially when something doesn’t seem right. After choosing Benjamin Wellstone, the town’s namesake for a school project, Freya discovers that Mr. Wellstone didn’t think of women as equals. He thought they shouldn’t be able to vote. Their place was in the home.

Freya is upset this man has a statue in the middle of main street, along with yearly festivals celebrating this historical hero. She decides to convince others in Wellstone to tear the statue down and replace it with local suffragette Octavia Padgett.

Her great idea causes friction with the town’s leaders and her parents. With the help of an equal minded grandma and friends at school, Freya discovers much about herself and also a better way to bring awareness to these outdated views.

Freya’s first person narration is perfect. She’s often too loud when she speaks but doing what is right is her calling. Mom is an artist and dad a scientist. They are there for her but also have to discipline Freya when she sneaks out with a friend and posts TEAR THIS DOWN signs on Wellstone’s statue. The chapters are a nice length and move the story forward.

Freya is one readers will cheer for and be hopeful for her success. The plot brings forth the importance of research skills along with highlighting gender stereotypes, activism, and standing up for women’s rights. Realistic and powerful, TEAR THIS DOWN is thought provoking and provides a great backdrop for discussion.

PAGE COUNT: 304 BOOK BIRTHDAY: February 25, 2025

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: TEAR THIS DOWN by Barbara Dee

1. The adults are also realistically portrayed including an understanding social studies teacher, a town librarian, and her grandmother Nan.
2. Students must visit the public library and find actual documents to support their research. This was a refreshing change from using a computer’s search engine.
3. I laughed at younger sister Elsie who at times pokes in with her own hilarious opinion. She may remind you of someone in your family.
4. Friendship. There are ups and downs, but Freya’s new and old friends combine in a heartfelt and thoughtful way.
5. Using the idea of an O-question (a combination of an opinion inside a question) will bring many middle school age users to begin asking their own and in the end hopefully pave the path for a better future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Barbara Dee is the award-winning author of fourteen middle grade novels, all published by Simon & Schuster. Her books have earned several starred reviews and have been named to many best-of lists, including The Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books, ALA Notable Children’s Books, ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, School Library Journal’s Best Middle Grade Books, and the ALA Rainbow List Top Ten. Her books appear on numerous state awards lists as well.

Barbara graduated magna cum laude from Yale with honors in English. She has a MA degree from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English and a JD degree from the University of Chicago Law School, where she was an associate editor of the law review. She has taught high school English and has practiced law. Barbara is one of the founders and a former board member of the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, now the largest children’s book festival in the country.

Today Barbara and her husband, Chris, live in Westchester County, New York with their sweet rescue dog, Ripley and their naughty cat, Luna. When Barbara isn’t reading or writing, she roots for her favorite baseball team, the New York Yankees, and listens to her favorite band, Radiohead.

(FOR MORE ABOUT BARBARA AND HER BOOKS VISIT HER AUTHOR WEBSITE)

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