Casting April

Author: Wendy Lu

This middle grade novel for ages 8-12 is about a sixth-grade girl named April Xue, whose grandparents were Chinese immigrants. April, who has a tracheostomy tube due to bilateral vocal cord paralysis, has developed a love of theater since seeing Hamilton. Her parents own an Asian fusion restaurant called Modern Dragon. April auditions for the lead role of Daisy in the school play called Finding Primula, which is about an astronaut lost in space whose ship explodes. Unfortunately, April is assigned to be a stage assistant and learns that Ms. Rooney, the theater director, did not cast April in the play because of her trach tube. April is determined to prove to Ms. Rooney that she deserves the role. April eventually discovers that there may be a personal reason behind Mrs. Rooney’s decision, the same reason Mrs. Rooney’s Broadway career was cut short.

April’s singular focus on the play starts to negatively affect her friendship with her best friend, Ruby, who feels left out when April forms a friendship with Zahra, a Muslim girl who landed the role of Daisy. After the performing arts center is vandalized, the cast, crew, and community band together to find a way for the show to go on, while also finding a way for April and Zahra to share the spotlight.

The inclusion of a non-binary teacher, Mx. Bruener, feels unforced and encourages empathy. The references to Hamilton are non-obscure; since a performance of the musical is readily accessible and can be streamed, it is likely much more familiar to readers than another play would be. Even though April’s disability is quite rare, her struggles about feeling different and being unfairly excluded are universal, especially during the middle school years.

5 stars

Reviewed by Lindsey Hopkins, Jay-Niles Memorial Library, Jay