The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum; Philomel Books, 224 pages ($18.99) Ages 12 and up.

A 15-year-old Orthodox Jew incurs the wrath of his family and extended community when he falls for one Anna-Marie Diaz-O'Leary in Isaac Blum's dazzling debut novel. 

The hilarious, irreverent voice of Yehuda "Hoodie" Rosen propels the narrative. Hoodie, the only son in a large family, has moved with the rest of his Orthodox community from the Jewish community of Colwyn to the mostly non-Jewish community of Tregaron, outside Philadelphia, where Hoodie's father is planning an apartment complex to house Orthodox families. The project has run into fierce opposition from the mayor (Anna-Marie's mother) and other townspeople, sparking a wave of antisemitic attacks that grow increasingly violent.

At the start of the novel, Hoodie, a mediocre student, is gazing out a window during a meandering discussion of hand-washing rituals at his yeshiva, when he spots a girl dancing on the sidewalk across the street, leaves class and follows her. ("I didn't really want to talk to her. It was more like I had to. I was drawn toward her, as though pulled by some kind of sci-fi tractor beam.") Later they run into each other at a cemetery where Anna-Marie is weeping at her father's grave. The two notice swastikas spray-painted on two Jewish gravestones and work together to clean them off.

The antisemitic attacks worsen. Hoodie's friends are injured in a violent assault while Hoodie is out walking with Anna-Marie, and his family, his best friend and the entire community shun him for what they view as choosing the wrong side. The school calls in the head of their extended community to lecture him, but Hoodie doesn't understand a word the man says since he speaks entirely in Hebrew. (Pondering how old the rabbi is: "He was so aged and frail it left you actively wondering how much longer he could possible live...If I were his family I'd be on the phone with the market, reserving my bagel and schmear trays for his post-funeral shiva.") 

Amid a disturbing backdrop of hostility and violence, Blum paints a poignant portrait of a young man who loves his family and his community but sincerely questions if theirs is the only way.

The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat, illlustrated by Joanna Cacao; Graphix/ Scholastic Books, 272 pages ($12.99 paperback, $24.99 hardcover). Ages 8 to 12.

Versatile Thai-American writer Christina Soontornvat mines her own painful experience trying out in 7th grade for the cheerleading squad in her small Texas town, where she was one of very few Asian Americans, in this compelling graphic novel. 

The marvelous graphic panels by Canadian Filipino artist Joanna Cacao and Soontornvat's dialogue balloons, allowing us to get inside Christina's head, capture the terrors of starting middle school (getting lost, being intimidated by 8th graders, friendship issues). In one panel, Christina is walking down a hallway in a line of taller, mostly white kids, misses her classroom and is scolded by a hall monitor for interrupting the traffic flow. Unlike at her previous more diverse school in Dallas, she must deal with teachers who don't ask her how to pronounce her name, a classmate who complains that her lunch smells funny, and a boy who calls her "rice girl" and tells her "why don't you go back where you came from."

Her best friend, Megan, a talented gymnast and also a person of color, convinces her to try out for the cheerleading squad which requires performing a routine in front of their classmates and having them vote on the performance, a daunting prospect for any 7th grader.  

A heartfelt author's note clarifies which characters and events departed from real-life, explains that she found much to love in her Texas town and notes that Black, Latina and LGBTQ students faced much worse discrimination than she did. She also includes this advice to her readers: "I hope that when kids read 'The Tryout' they recognize their own bravery and how incredible they are. I hope they can take courage from knowing they aren't alone." 

Soontornvat won 2021 Newbery Honors for Thailand-inspired fantasy "Wish in the Dark" and for "Thirteen," a gripping nonfiction account of the rescue of a boys soccer team trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand.

Flipping Forward Twisting Backward by Alma Fullerton, illustrated by Sarah Mensinga; Peachtree Books, 133 pages ($16.99) Ages 8 to 12.

Author Alma Fullerton draws upon her own struggle with dyslexia in this engaging novel, told in verse, of a talented young gymnast who has made it all the way to fifth grade successfully covering up the fact that she can't read. (Her mother, a surgeon, has refused to allow Claire to take standardized assessments which would have revealed her reading difficulties much earlier.)  The contrast between Claire's confidence and skill in gymnastic competition and her extreme frustration in school (which results in frequent trips to the principal's office) is artfully done.

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Reviewer of children's books for the Buffalo News and retired after 36 years at The News, working as a copy editor, assistant city editor, feature writer, youth section editor and digital content editor.

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