Review
Title: The Blue Jeans Rebellion
Author: Joanna H. Kraus
Publisher: Leicester Bay Books
Genre: Children’s
Year Published: 2020
Number of Pages: 60
Binding: Paperback
ISBN: 9798600717
Price: 9.95
Reviewed by Heather Harris Bergevin for the Association for Mormon Letters
I honestly was surprised by The Blue Jean Rebellion. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I have. It’s author, Joanna H. Kraus, isn’t LDS and never has been, which was a bonus for me, as I often find insider stories of this type to be treacly, which this was not. It has an older style illustration on the cover, which is nicely done, but might not be quite as attractive to middle-grade readers. It would be well done as a read aloud, however, and the addition of teacher discussion questions at the end of the book for historical context will be a good help to both parents and teachers of readers.
The story speaks to the common problem most of humanity has and seems to reject in some form– at what point is wanting to look nice prideful, and at what point is it functional and good? A young man, tired of wearing the same clothing styles as his grandfather, and even more tired of having grown out of his own pants which are several inches too short, prompting jeers from other children, covets a pair of blue jeans. When presented to a group in this fashion, this problem is instantly recognizable to both elementary and middle school children, and definitely to their parents. Who among us has not wanted something cool we saw in a shop window, or on a person at school? What would we have done to get the coolest jeans in the eighties, nineties, or in 2019? Adding in the idea that blue jeans are a new technology, being a hard-wearing but soft fabric that’s brand new and fancy, with a completely new style of fastening and rivets…the draw is obvious. The problem, however, is not that the jeans are too expensive, or too far away, or even inaccessible fancy tech. The problem is that anything else except what has always been done is forbidden.
This will also be instantly recognizable to children and adults of all ages. Who among us has not wanted to try a new hairstyle, a new fashion trend, or a new idea, because it might be too trendy, too surprising, or too radical. For children to realize that for this young man, wanting a pair of blue jeans would be like getting a bright blue mohawk and skintight leather pants when your family usually dresses very conservatively, I think, will make them giggle, but also think. Seeing the conclusion of the taken-from-life-events story, and the way the boy’s community finds a solution to the problem will make them think even more.
The book is a fast read with large words, a short chapter book. The characterizations are excellent, and in a brief space of time make you feel great empathy for the children, their families, and their concerned community. This book would pair well with conversations about fundamentalism with older children, and with the discussion that similar episodes happen today, only on a much larger scale, in some of our most conservative Mormon-adjacent communities. The idea of shunning is not so far away from our own practices and is among the most dangerous forms of spiritual abuse. I love the resolution of the story, which, although technically Gideon does not get to wear his jeans, he does. Read it to find out what I mean! I hope you enjoy this small treat, which would make a good book for a children’s book club.