Tear This Down
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, Hardcover
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1665917674
February 25, 2025
Ages 9-13, Grades 4-8
About the Book:
By seventh grade Freya Stillman has learned to keep her strong opinions on mute—at least from her classmates. But when she needs to research a local hero for a school history project, she discovers something shocking about Benjamin Wellstone, her small town’s most famous resident and namesake: he didn’t think women should be allowed to vote! Or to go to school, or have any rights at all. Outraged, Freya refuses to keep quiet any longer.
With the help of her new classmate Callie, Freya hatches a plan to erase Wellstone’s name from the town. First order of business: tearing down his public statue and replacing it with one of Octavia Padgett, a local crusader for women’s right to vote, and one whose true impact has been long-hidden by the town.
Because Benjamin Wellstone is so important to the town’s identity, no one takes the girls’ mission seriously at first. But soon their activism leads to big surprises, both at home and at school. And when the mayor tries to interfere, Freya and Callie decide it’s time to take a dramatic step, even if it risks landing them in serious trouble.
Award-winning author Barbara Dee (Maybe He Just Likes You) returns with a timely and thought-provoking novel about two middle schoolers standing up and speaking out.
Honors and Lists:
- A Junior Library Guild selection
Press:
- SLJ’s Teen Librarian Toolbox: Most Anticipated Middle Grade Reads of 2025
- SLJ’s Teen Librarian Toolbox: How to Write a Book That’s Both Timely and Timeless, a guest post by Barbara Dee
- Nerdy Book Club: Cover Reveal for Tear This Down
Reviews:
“Freya is a thoughtful yet impulsive and vibrantly drawn character. Dee strategically and effectively weaves Freya’s nascent feminism into timely subplots … in this smart and passionate read.” —★ Publishers Weekly, starred review
“The age-appropriate, relatable, and realistic lessons Freya learns are reinforced by supportive grown-ups in her life. Readers will readily root for the impassioned protagonist on her hard-fought feminist journey.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Dee provides a nuanced depiction of a young person gradually learning how to engage effectively to create change. Freya is a character that readers will root for.” —School Library Journal
“Dee expertly demonstrates how varied responses to activism on the internet can be, touching on online safety without being condescending. Relatable topics range from changing friendship dynamics to respecting others’ opinions and approaches to issues to being underestimated due to age and/or gender. This empowering novel leads by example as Freya finds agency, uses her voice, and works to spark change with friends new and old.” —Booklist
“A celebration of all the bossy girls accused of being a little too loud and a little too opinionated … A solid read that could absolutely be a catalyst for nuanced conversations about how to consider tricky historic figures.”–Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Barbara Dee is one of my very favorite authors. This look at community, protest, art, and feminism, is an excellent read that will leave readers cheering for Freya’s determination to create change.”—SLJ.com’s Teen Librarian Toolbox
Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, Hardcover
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1665917674
February 25, 2025
Ages 9-13, Grades 4-8