The Tryout

How does racism and stereotyping affect Christina’s experience in the first months of school? What attitude shift does Christina have that allows her to rise above this form of bullying?

What does Christina learn from her time in the cheerleading tryouts, and how does she carry these lessons forward with her into the next phase of her life?

Why is Christina so preoccupied with becoming popular? What sorts of messages are young girls given (by friends, family, the media, the community) that influence this preoccupation?

How do Christina’s parents act as her support system as she grows into adolescence and discovers the world of middle school, responsibility, and disappointment?

How does the topic of cheerleading support a story about The Desire to Fit In and Feel Understood? What is the culture of cheerleading, and how can it be both helpful and harmful?

How does Christina discover that she is meant to be a storyteller? What does this newfound knowledge do for Christina’s self-confidence and happiness?

Christina’s mind is heavily focused on Megan until she learns that she has her own direction to take. In what ways do Christina and Megan’s story demonstrate How Growth Changes Friendship? How does Christina come to terms with these changes?

Christina doesn’t get to be a cheerleader, but what she finds instead is much more rewarding. Consider the theme Disappointment as An Opportunity for Something Better and explain why this is such an important part of growing up.