The Grover School Pledge

by Wanda Taylor

A true-to-life story about the pains and triumphs of growing up, perfect for readers of Renée Watson and Lisa Moore Ramée

Arlaina Jefferson is eager to prove herself. Tasked with caring for her cousin's rabbit, Obeena, Arlaina knows all that stands between her and the grown-up world of middle school is one year of staying out of trouble and making sure to clean up Obeena's turds. It would be easy--if growing up didn't also mean growing wiser.

Having faced thoughtless comments from fellow students, Arlaina is already struggling to explain the hurt she feels to her best friend, Tina. But when their teacher, Mr. Matthews, asks an ignorant question about classmate Nadia's headscarf, Arlaina has the confirmation she needs: Mr. Matthews is part of a larger problem that plagues Grover School. All those comments that Arlaina--and several other students--once brushed off suddenly seethe under the light of truth. Some things just can't be fixed by Obeena's warm and fuzzy charms.

Bolstered by her father's childhood experience in the Million Man March, Arlaina teams up with no-nonsense Nadia and a host of other Grover School students to right a systemic wrong. After all, proving you're grown up doesn't always mean staying out of trouble!

Genres: Middle Grade

176 pages, Hardcover

Published June 20, 2023

Reviews

[MissBecka Gee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really fabulous way to introduce kids to recognizing racist behaviour and not tolerating it.
Things I loved:
- that it was teachers the kids were calling out on their racist behaviour, this is sadly, a real occurrence for children
- the principle was a safe & supportive adult for the kids to turn to about the teacher's behaviour
- there is a rabbit in this book
- the children came up with a safe and non violent plan to address the problem (and kind of shame without shaming).
- Arlaina was race bullied and she had no trouble telling that kid, not only is he a jerk for saying those things, but he was geographically and historically incorrect with the use of his racist comments.
***Overall this is an amazing story for kids to learn how to stand up for themselves and their peers when bullies are being bullies...even if they're teachers.***

Things I didn't like:
- The caring for Obeena the rabbit. I am a bit biased here since I love rabbits and have had rabbit housemates my whole life. They are very needy and require a minimum of 4 hours of play a day. This is just me being an obsessed rabbit mum, but you asked.

[Sue Slade · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Grover School Pledge by Wanda Taylor is a coming-of-age story that tackles the very serious issues of discrimination, racism, and bullying.

Do you know what it means to pledge? Your pledge is your promise. pg 63

Arlaina lives in a neighbourhood that is growing fast, as more people from different backgrounds move in. She is in grade 6 at Grover Public School and is counting down the days until the end of the school year. Next year she will be in middle-grade and she might even be old enough to have a cell phone. She is also taking over the care of her cousin’s rabbit and learning all about responsibility.

At school, she is sometimes confronted with thoughtless, off-hand comments made by some of the students and even teachers that hurt, comments that she feels are racist and she struggles to explain her feelings of hurt. When a new girl moves in and her teacher asks an inappropriate question about her headscarf Arlaina has an instant common bond with her. Arlaina and her new friend, along with other minority schoolmates start meeting up at the picnic table at lunchtime, and then later with the principal to come up with a non-violent plan to correct the racism and discrimination problem at their school. The result is “The Grover School Pledge”.

This book would be a great teaching tool for young students on how to speak and stand up for themselves and others when they are being bullied, discriminated against, or treated unequally.

"As an educator in our school, I promise to do my part to make sure it is an equal, fair and safe space for all students- no matter who they are, what they look like, where they were born or what they believe." Pg 136

[Lana Shupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only did I get to meet the author of this middle grade book, I also got a signed copy - yay for me! Thank you Wanda Taylor for writing such a great story and for being so kind and gracious with your time at Woozles.
THE GROVER SCHOOL PLEDGE published by HarperCollinsPublishers.
Meet Alaina, Nadia and Tina three young girls who band together to create a new narrative for their school. Together with other students of visible minorities in their school they work to develop an inclusive school pledge. A pledge that all staff are asked to adhere to in their daily interaction with students at Grover Public School.
The author gets "it" right in all the right places. The language is believable, the characters are ones met in every elementary school. The subject matter is explained with sensitivity and in a matter easily understood. As an adult I felt how relevant THE GROVER SCHOOL PLEDGE is for discussion in today's classrooms and at home. The characters explore feelings and emotions felt by so many in today's schools. Adults are asked to think before they speak. Excellent advice in today's climate.
This story is a work of encouragement to our young people. A story they can identify with and quickly understand they can play a role in change for the benefit of themselves and others.
An excellent classroom tool there is a great deal to unpack here. Injustice. Inequality. First Nations. Belonging. Heritage. These just a few subjects explored.

[Kay S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have a lot of feelings about this book. I think it's a great story of kids of colour standing up for themselves and making an institution see that they're being harmed. A group of kids taking inspiration from protests and movements past and finding commonalities... the need to leave a place better than you found it... the diversity among the student body. It tackles it all really well.

That begin said was anyone else irked by the amount of power the men in the story are given? No one dares speak against them. They're referred to in every situation and characters are hyper aware of their feelings and actions at all times. The brother is an AH but is never called out for it. The father rules the house and the MC shies away from asking him things or conversing with him. The male teacher is never reprimanded or gone against by other teachers. The male students get away with anything and everything. The power imbalance belittles the girls' work in the story - what they do is powerful but the boys still have the power. (The MC even looks towards her male colleagues for acceptance when putting herself on the line as a speaker at the assembly). Ick ick ick.

[Wunderdrugged · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is nominated for the 2025 Hackmatack Award in the English fiction category. The main character is a Black girl named Arlaina. She feels that she is not treated with the same respect and consideration that her white classmates get. When she and her friends decide to speak to the administration about this topic they end up addressing their whole school & talking about how these microaggressions make her feel. Her honesty helped the students and teachers alike understand how careless comments can make people feel singled out for being 'different'. In the end the teachers at the school all signed a pledge to do better.
I would recommend this book to all kids, but especially kids who feel like they stand out from their peers for whatever reason.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Taylor's characters use activisms to confront racism in their school in this fantastic book that includes themes of friendship and growing up as well. This would be a great read aloud for a classroom or librarian.

[Heidi Rushton]

The Grover School Pledge is by Wanda Taylor about sixth-grader Arlaina who is being challenged by the competing desires to have more responsibility and to enjoy the innocence of childhood. This is first shown by her eagerness to adopt her cousin’s rabbit when she moves away, and then the frustration of the work involved in caring for it. Next, we see that same juxtaposition on a bigger scale when a new girl at school points out how the kids who are minorities are treated differently than the white kids, ranging from microaggressions to overt acts of racism, bringing Arlaina’s experience as a Black kid at the school into sharper focus.

The students decide it is time to stand up for themselves, so future generations at their elementary school won’t have the same experience. What follows is their journey towards becoming empowered and how that looks for different kids. This is a very relatable book for kids with a rich cast of diverse characters.

This is a wonderful book to read with a middle-grade child to naturally spark discussion about racism, empowerment, and responsibility.