Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lively, moving graphic novel memoir of 7th grade.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In THE TRYOUT, Christina's starting seventh grade at a new school. Meeting new teachers and some new classmates offers her a lot of reminders of how her community sees her as different just because her father is from Thailand. Christina and her best friend Meghan soon decide they want to try out for the cheerleading squad. It's long process that takes months, and it will put Christina and her friendship with Meghan to the test. But Christina will also learn a lot of surprising things about herself and her place in the community, too.
Is It Any Good?
This lively, engaging, and sweetly moving graphic novel embraces middle-school awkwardness as well as a growing sense of personal empowerment. The bright, animated, and expressive illustrations in The Tryout add emotional depth and help keep the pages turning.
Big kids and tweens will relate to narrator Christina's desire for a sense of belonging, and her story will provide a lot of food for thought about important issues like inclusion, community, and racism at a time when kids are starting to learn more about the larger world around them. They'll find Christina easy to root for, all the way to the satisfying ending.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about racism in The Tryout. What does racism mean? How do some of the characters show racism? How does that hurt Christina and her family?
How do the techniques and skills Christina learns for cheerleading help her stand up to someone who's bullying her? Have you ever been bullied, or seen someone else being bullied? What did you do? What happened?
Why is diversity in media like books, movies, and videos important? What do we learn when we see people represented who are different from us? How do we feel when we see ourselves represented?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Joanna Cacao
- Genre : Graphic Novel
- Topics : Friendship , School ( Middle School )
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Graphix
- Publication date : September 6, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 272
- Available on : Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
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