Go with the Flow

Parents need to know that Go with the Flow, a graphic novel by Lily Williams and Karen Schneemann, takes on the often taboo subjects of menstruation and "period activism" with heart, humor, and a maturity just right for young readers. Readers who find the topic a little embarrassing will see the word "period" used so often that it becomes casual conversation within the book. Any young girl who has had her period at school can relate to the dread of unstocked feminine product machines in bathrooms, the terror of blood showing on pants, and the wish that periods would just go away forever. The support the girls show their diverse friend group is powerful, and a great example of female friendship at an especially vulnerable age. The girls feel comfortable talking about their periods and bodies, and about their frustrations with others and each other. The captivating illustrations are all in various shades of red, getting lighter and darker with the girls' varying tone throughout the story. Readers this age are often shy to talk about their crushes, and the panels here show the varying levels of understanding about their same- and opposite-sex attractions. There are also pages of facts about female activists, the taxes applied to feminine hygiene products, and a section at the end of the book about the different kinds of periods women have, period pain, and how to be a period activist.