Parent reviews for The Tryout

My eight-year-old read this book in a day; she picked it up at the bookstore and didn't put it down until she finished the last page. Our conversations following centered on two themes: race-based bullying and exclusion, which she understood as "other kids not liking Christina because she was different." She had questions about the language--"Rice Girl" in particular and felt that situation was unfair to Christina. I asked if the bullying ever resolved and she said no, which meant to her "some bullies never change." Her favorite part of the book was Christina's resiliency--Christina felt disappointed but, together with her friend, was able to find "her thing" and be successful.