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Not Your All-American Girl

by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

Subject
Humorous Stories
Age
6-8 years
Format
Trade Paperback
Pages
256
Publisher
Scholastic Inc.
Size
13.2 cm × 19.0 cm
ISBN
9781338037777
A multicultural story full of heart and hilarity about what it means to be all-American.Lauren and her best friend, Tara, have always done absolutely everything together. So when they don't have any classes together in sixth grade, it's disastrous. The solution? Trying out for the school play. Lauren, who loves to sing, wonders if maybe, just maybe, she will be the star instead of Tara this time.But when the show is cast, Lauren lands in the ensemble, while Tara scores the lead role. Their teacher explains: Lauren just doesn't look the part of the all-American girl. What audience would believe that she, half-Jewish, half-Chinese Lauren, was the everygirl star from Pleasant Valley, USA?From amidst the ensemble, Lauren tries to support her best friend. But when she can't bring herself to sing anymore, her spot in the play and her friendship are in jeopardy. With the help of a button-making business, the music of Patsy Cline, and her two bickering grandmothers, can Lauren find her voice again?Acclaimed coauthors Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang return to the 1980s world of Sydney Taylor Honor Book This Is Just a Test with this laugh-out-loud coming-of-age story.

About the creators

Wendy Wan-Long ShangAuthor

Wendy Wan-Long Shang is the author of The Great Wall of Lucy Wu, which was awarded the Asian/Pacific American Award for Children's Literature; The Way Home Looks Now, an Amelia Bloomer Project List selection and a CCBC Choices List selection; The Secret Battle of Evan Pao, which received multiple starred reviews; Bubble Trouble; Sydney Taylor Honor Book This Is Just a Test, which she cowrote with Madelyn Rosenberg; and Not Your All-American Girl, a Tablet Magazine Best Children's Book, also cowritten with Madelyn Rosenberg. She lives with her family in the suburbs of Washington, DC.

Madelyn RosenbergAuthor

Madelyn Rosenberg is the coauthor of This Is Just a Test, a Sydney Taylor Honor Book, and Not Your All-American Girl, which she wrote with Wendy Wan-Long Shang; Dream Boy, cowritten with Mary Crockett; and many books for younger readers, including the How to Behave books and Cyclops of Central Park. She writes books, articles, and essays for children and adults, and lives in the suburbs of Washington, DC. You can visit her online at madelynrosenberg.com.

Data provided by BiblioShare.

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What reviewers said

A Tablet Magazine Best Book
"A nearly pitch-perfect middle school exploration of race and friendship."
Kirkus Reviews
"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… this is a funny, tender, quick-moving story of family, friendship, identity, and music."
School Library Journal
"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."
Booklist
2017 Sydney Taylor Award -- Honor Book
CBC Book of the Year Finalist
© 2026 Peekabooks Inc. All Rights Reserved.
© 2026 Peekabooks Inc. All Rights Reserved.