 | Tryout Author: Soontornvat, Christina | |
| Price: $10.65 | ||
Summary:
As one of the only Asian Americans in her school, Christina confronts both well-meaning ignorance and cruel racism, but in middle school fitting in is important, which is why she and her best friend Megan are both excited and nervous to try out for the popular cheerleading squad. In graphic novel format.
| Illustrator: | Cacao, Joanna |
| Lafrenais, Amanda |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 3.20 Points: 2.0 Quiz: 517853 |
Reviews:
School Library Journal (+) (08/26/22)
Booklist (09/15/22)
The Hornbook (00/11/22)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 08/26/2022 Gr 5–8—Christina Soontornvat starts 7th grade without any classes alongside her best friend, Megan. With a dad who's Thai and a mom who's white American, she feels like an outsider in many ways, whether due to fashion, Thai lunches, love of fantasy fiction, or having a last name that teachers fumble. The school malcontent, Tobin, calls her "rice girl" among other racist jabs. Christina and Megan still hang out, though, and find shared purpose in cheerleader tryouts. Megan becomes a quick star with the cheerleading squad, leading Christina to feel insecure about their friendship. Soontornvat's lived and emotional experiences come through loud and clear across several characters in this graphic memoir, including Megan's backstory growing up Iranian American and both girls' family histories of immigration to America. Thai customs are demonstrated during a scene at a Thai Buddhist temple, and Christina's parents run a Chinese-style restaurant. Christina is eventually able to see the upsides of growing up in Texas despite setbacks from those who stereotype her. Cacao's manga-inspired artwork captures every nuanced emotion, from the nauseating stress of tryouts to lingering regret over hurtful words that can't be unsaid. The student body of Christina's middle school appears to be mostly white, with some racial diversity in crowd scenes. An afterword by Soontornvat includes reflections on her youth and how she decided her story was worth telling. VERDICT Readers of this empowering graphic memoir will want to invite Christina to sit at their table to share food, stories, and the secrets to self-confidence.—Thomas Maluck - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 09/15/2022 Since third grade, Thai American Christina and Iranian American Megan have bonded over a love of fantasy and make-believe, and the two spend all their free time together. But things begin to change in seventh grade. Megan is spending more time at gymnastics practice, they don’t have any classes together, and when the two girls decide to try out for the cheerleading squad, Megan doesn’t want to be Christina’s partner. While Christina absorbs the microaggressions of her classmates and teachers, Megan is tired of being “different” and is afraid if she and Christina compete for a place on the squad while standing next to each other, neither one of them will get enough votes from the other students to make the team. In this graphic memoir, award-winning author Soontornvat describes the intensity of emotion she and her classmates feel, from the agony of not achieving a goal to the elation of discovering your talents are appreciated. The art is delightfully expressive, and the characters’ personalities shine in each panel. A standout addition to any graphic autobiography collection. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.
