The Adventures of Annie McCallum by Susan Hawkinson, Book

The Adventures of Annie McCallum takes place in 1955 in Woods Lake, a small town in northern Minnesota. Spirited fourth-grader Annie McCallum is determined to change the dress code so that girls can wear pants to school. Annie wants to cartwheel on the playground without showing her underwear and walk to school in cold weather without freezing her legs. She finds surprising allies in her quest. Her twin brothers and classmate, Terry McArdle, propose a new school uniform for boys and girls. Fourth-grade teacher Miss Oliver, who introduces Annie to women like Clara Barton and Coco Chanel, encourages Annie to stand up for what she believes in, which Annie learns has consequences. The new school uniform unites students across the school district and challenges the school board to change the dress code for girls.When my character, Annie McCallum, proposed changing the dress code, I didn't realize how timely this controversy still is. The American Civil Liberties Union accepted a 2016 lawsuit (Peltier versus Charter Date School Inc.) initiated by several female students in Leland, North Carolina. These girls challenged the dress code, which required them to wear skirts to school. In 2019, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina blocked the school from requiring girls to wear skirts. In 2022, the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth District agreed. In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case. Annie would be pleased.According to the children's librarian at the public library in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, The Adventures of Annie McCallum is written for third, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders.