The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez

Maria Luisa (Malu) is not happy that her mother is doing a sabbatical in Chicago.  It means that she will have to leave her friends and her father for a year and go to school in a totally new town. Her new school is bilingual, and Malu feels self conscious that even though her mother is Mexican, Malu doesn't know much Spanish.  Her mother is always wanting Malu to act like a "seniorita" but Malu would rather listen to punk musk and wear ratty jeans and band t-shirts.  As Malu struggles to make friends in her new school, and get along with her "supermexican" mom, she finds a way to acknowledge her Mexican heritage while maintaining her own identity.

 This is a cute and light-hearted realistic fiction.  Nobody dies, or does drugs or goes to jail.  It is just about a girl struggling to find her identity.  Between chapters Perez includes illustrations of the "zines" that Malu likes to make.  They are collages of pictures and words that mean a lot to Malu.  This, of course, would make a good kid's book club book, with the zines as a craft. I will have to think about whether I want to do this book for Mother/Daughter book club next fall. (2017, 310 p)