GRAPHIC NOVEL (MIDDLE GRADE): The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat and Joanna Cacao
ABOUT THE BOOK
BE LOUD.
GAME FACE ON.
When cheerleading tryouts are announced, Christina and her best friend, Megan, literally jump at the chance to join the squad. As two of the only kids of color in the school, they have always yearned to fit in-and the middle school cheerleaders are popular and accepted by everyone. But will the girls survive the terrifying tryouts, with their whole grade watching? And will their friendship withstand the pressures of competition?
REVIEW
This graphic novel based on the author's middle school experiences presents readers with an enjoyable relatable read. The book works well as both a mirror and a window book. Some middle school experiences are easy for almost any young reader to connect to, things such as friendship difficulties, finding where you belong, bullying behavior connect readers to Christina's experiences. Other things may be new to readers and that's great. Empathy develops when readers vicariously experience the struggles of others. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Christina's biracial family (mother is white, father is Thai) with their restaurant. Christina's experiences attending both a Buddhist temple and a Christian church made for an interesting contrast in traditions and beliefs along with showing how Christina finds herself immersed in a variety of different cultural traditions. Christina also runs into some racist treatment that upsets her and she finds herself needing to decide how to handle it. The main storyline though follows Christina and her friend, Megan, trying out to be cheerleaders for their school. The courage required to try out for a team shines through as the girls work hard even knowing that most of them won't make it. Like Raina Telgemeier's books this one will be well-loved and eye-opening for middle grade readers. The illustrations wonderfully highlight the characters experiences and feelings. The illustrations of Christina's visits to the Buddhist temple and the Christian church work especially well in showing the different sides of Christina's experiences. The author's and illustrator's notes at the end add clarity to what parts of Christina's experiences were tweaked to make the book work better. The photos from Christina's childhood add to the realistic nature of the book. An enjoyable and empathetic read. Highly recommended.
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