STORYTIME WITH STEPHANIE

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P.S. Tell No One

I am OBSESSED with Vikki VanSickle’s new middle grade novel P.S.Tell No One. There are few authors that can transport me back to my childhood and allow me to live in that weird and wonderful time like Vikki can. P.S. Tell No One is a book EVERY person ages 12 to 15 should have at their disposal, especially those that do or eventually will menstruate.

Mr. M has banned phones in the class so Sunny, Twix, MP and Hoops go old school and start passing a diary around to share their innermost thoughts and feelings. Even the ones they want NO ONE to know.

I NEEDED this story when I was in grade six. Back in the early 90s things weren’t as open and talked about as they are becoming now. Periods were taboo subjects and not much information came from parents and I went to Catholic school so definitely nothing was being shared there. I absolutely love how Vikki writes about periods, reproductive systems and sexual health. The voice is so strong, it was so easy to picture all four friends and to see them walking through the halls, whispering in corners and passing around the PAD. So many young people will identify with these four friends and have many of the same questions as they do.

I loved the little bits of drama and the way the friends all treated each other with understanding and kindness. Such an amazing example of healthy friendships. There are things that kids just don’t want to talk about with adults, or make that their parents, it's amazing to have a book like this one to just put their minds at ease, to know that everything they’re experiencing is normal and everyone is going through the same things. With humour and some of the best poems I have read in a long time #FallopianForever, the friends embrace some new vocabulary and vow to try and use more inclusive language. It’s such a fun read!