Gem & Dixie

Dixie uses her looks to get what she wants. She automatically goes into flirt mode with boys and sits on one boy's lap at a party. A man hits on a family friend while his wife is in the next room.

Swearing is infrequent and includes "f--k" and its variations, "s--t" and its variations, "ass," "God," "a--hole," "Goddamn," "dumbass," "bitch," "d—khead," and "slut."

Teen and adult characters smoke cigarettes. Gem's and Dixie's mom sometimes comes home clearly having been drinking or using drugs. She also pressures Dixie into getting drugs for her from kids at school. Both parents have a history of drinking and drug use. Teens drink alcohol at a party but don't get drunk.

Parents need to know that Sara Zarr's Gem & Dixie is about the ebb and flow of the relationship between two sisters growing up in a neglectful home. Their dad left years ago and is rarely in touch. Their mom falls in and out of sobriety and cannot hold a job for very long. The sisters respond to their upbringing in opposite ways, which makes them grow apart. Themes of loneliness, anxiety, coping mechanisms, and family relationships run through the story. The girls engage in some risky behavior, such as lying about where they are, stealing, drinking, smoking, and hanging out with strangers. These actions aren’t glorified, but rather serve as important plot points and character development. Swearing is not frequent and includes, "f--k" and its variations, "s--t," and "a--hole." Dixie uses her looks to get what she wants, but there's no kissing or sexual situations beyond flirting. The book presents good discussion topics around parenting styles (especially parents who would rather be friends with than parent their kids) and how hard it is for school administrators and social workers to help kids from neglectful but not physically abusive homes.