The friendship of sixth-graders Lauren and Tara ("The Royal We") hits a snag when Tara is cast as the lead in the school play, leaving Lauren relegated to the ensemble because the director tells Lauren (half-Chinese, half-Jewish) that she doesn't look "All American." Tara relishes the spotlight and seems oblivious to her white privilege, while Lauren chafes at the many microaggressions aimed at her, at one point literally silencing her voice in the chorus. Set in 1984 85, this companion to This Is Just a Test (2017) is told from Lauren's perspective, with older brother David and their two grandmothers taking prominent roles in the narrative. While focusing on serious themes (racism and prejudice), the overall tone remains light, and several scenes (including Lauren's disastrous attempt to lighten her black hair, resulting in orange stripes) will elicit laughter. By the end Tara realizes her mistakes, Lauren learns to stand up for herself, and the friendship survives, stronger than before. References to Walkmans and vintage TV shows remind readers that this is a period piece.

This follow-up to This Is Just a Test stars Lauren Le Yuan Horowitz, sister of the previous book's protagonist. In 1984 suburban Virginia, Lauren is starting sixth grade secure in the "Royal We" of herself and her best friend, Tara. Auditioning for the school musical, Lauren -- a talented singer who nails her "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" rendition -- is disappointed to be cast in the ensemble while Tara snags the lead. The show is about a 1950s "All-American Town," and according to the drama teacher, Chinese and Jewish Lauren doesn't fit the part. Casual racism and microaggressions abound through Lauren's day-to-day interactions with friends, community members, and even '80s pop culture (i.e., squirming her way through Sixteen Candles). Her growing love for country music (with an extended vignette about mistaking Patsy Cline for Jewish) helps boost her confidence, as do new friendships with her ensemble-mates. A side story about Lauren's paralegal mom contemplating law school -- and our protagonist's bratty reaction -- leads to support and understanding. Lauren's two peppy grandmothers, in continual competition for matriarchal domination, are back, providing generational wisdom and snappy comic relief. A button-making business, a Sun In hair mishap, a Hula-Hooping janitor -- all add levity and scene-setting detail to this entertaining and thoughtful coming-of-age story. Elissa Gershowitz

Music, friendship, and the definition of "American" are humorously and realistically explored in this companion to Rosenberg and Shang's This Is Just a Test (2017).Sixth grader Lauren and her best friend, Tara, audition for the school musical. A natural-born singer, Lauren has a stunning audition, but the director casts Lauren in the ensemble and blue-eyed, freckle-faced, milky-skinned Tara as the "all-American" lead, implying that Jewish, biracial (Chinese/white) Lauren and her straight, black hair, brown eyes, and tan skin are the opposite. Lauren tries to be supportive of her best friend, but her jealousy and discontent grow as she struggles to process overt and subtle racism at school, in the community, and in media. Lauren's mostly white friends don't understand why she's upset, and even Tara makes off-handedly racist comments. Luckily, Lauren has just discovered a lifeline: the country music of Patsy Cline (even as a case of mistaken spelling leads her to believe "Patsy Klein" is a Jewish country singer). Whether familiar with or new to the Horowitz family, readers will be drawn into Lauren's first-person narration, filled with witty observations and droll character development. Set in Virginia in 1984, the book weaves accessible and engaging historical markers into the plot. Illustrations of buttons with funny sayings, Lauren's trademark, punctuate the text, adding a humorous counterpoint. An unnecessary subplot about a theatrical ghost feels tacked on but is easily overlooked. With so many references to singers, musical groups, and songs, readers may wish for a playlist!A nearly pitch-perfect middle school exploration of race and friendship. (Fiction. 10-13)

Gr 3-7 When Lauren Horowitz tries out for her middle school's musical, she thinks she might have a shot at the lead. She loves to sing, and even her classmates tell her that her audition is great. But when the drama teacher tells her she doesn't look "all-American" because she's Chinese and Jewish, Lauren begins to doubt whether her dream of being a singer is possible. While balancing her place in the ensemble, her growing button-making business, and her family's hopes and expectations, Lauren starts to question her place in her suburban community in 1980s Tennessee. The text is interspersed with illustrations of the buttons Lauren wears and ends with selected pages of the play's program. While many subtle cultural and historical references may be lost on a young reader, Lauren's story is a sensitive and realistic portrayal of a girl who struggles to find her place in a community where very few people look like her. The 1982 murder of Vincent Chin plays a role in the story, and the authors address it in a way that is accessible to an elementary school audience without shying away from the racist motivations of the attack. Though this book is a sequel to 2017's This Is Just a Test, it is a self-contained story, and readers do not need to read the titles in order. VERDICT For fans of Jenn Bigelow's Drum Roll, Please and Ann Hood's She Loves You , this is a funny, tender, quick-moving story of family, friendship, identity, and music. Madison Bishop, Forbes Lib., Northampton, MA