Calling the Moon
Calling the Moon

An essential, highly relatable collection of short fiction and poems around the topic of menstruation, written exclusively by authors who are Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color

For Angela, it came on the basketball court—while playing on the boys’ team. For Penny, it came on a lakeside field trip, inspiring some cringeworthy moments of humor. And to Layla’s disappointment, it came at the start of her first fasting Ramadan, mandating that she take a “holiday.” Whether their period's coming spurs silence or celebration, whether they are well prepared for it or totally in the dark, the young people in these sixteen stories find that getting a period brings not only changes to their bodies, but also joy, sorrow, and self-discovery. Featuring BIPOC contributors who are some of today’s most talented authors in middle-grade fiction, Calling the Moon offers coming-of-age stories and poetry as varied as the phases of the moon, from funny to heartbreaking to powerful, all of them reassuring readers that they are not alone in their period journey. 

from Amazon.com

Book Details

Genre: 

  • Anthology

Age Level: 

  • 8 - 12
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Calling the Moon tells the stories of young people from different cultures of the world about the experience of their first menstrual cycle. This is a book which many young and older women can relate to. We can see different views of different cultures about how they view womanhood. It also promotes sex education as so many young people can be informed about how their cycle can come at different ages and with different symptoms, etc.

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Calling the Moon is a collection of 16 realistic fiction stories that celebrate menstruation and spotlight different communities’ traditions around it. The characters are all different, but they are bound together by the experience of their first period. Some are prepared, and some are surprised. Some are disappointed, and some are excited. Nonetheless, each of their experiences enlightens the reader.

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