May Book of the Month – The Tryout

The King's-Edgehill School library’s book of the month for May is The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat, a recently published graphic memoir. Chosen in honour of Asian Heritage month in Canada, this book’s protagonist is a young Asian-American girl in a school with very few other Asian students. When she decides to try out for her school’s cheerleading squad, she puts herself on the radar of bullying students who say demeaning things and treat her poorly.

The main character of this work is based on the author herself as a young girl growing up in Texas in the 1990s. For many readers, there is an extra level of interest to books like this, a “true” story that’s relatable and easy to dive into, bright and colourful to explore. Readers have been enjoying a wave of graphic memoirs published over the last ten years that middle school readers love, including Guts and Smile by Raina Telgemeier, Mexikid by Pedro Martin, Chunky by Yehudi Mercado, and more.

To read this title, students can find it in our e-book collection. Our library has recently partnered with the Sora App to provide students and staff with e-books and audiobooks they can access from home or at school. Advantages of the app include the option to listen along to an audiobook, which helps many students focus on the novels they are assigned. Another benefit is the opportunity to stay connected to great reads all summer including unlimited access to many classic titles! More titles will be added at regular intervals throughout the school year.

Susie DeCoste
Librarian
SAT Coordinator