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“An appealing celebration of theater kid passion.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“A debut novel with a lot of soul and a love for all things theater, Casting April shines a meaningful spotlight on looking beyond the surface to understand the heart of a matter.”

—Booklist

Casting April

Written by Wendy Lu
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Twelve-year-old April is a talented performer who is determined to land the starring role in the school play, but no one believes she can do it because of her tracheostomy tube.

Sixth grader April Xue lives and breathes all things Broadway. When she builds up the courage to audition for the lead role in the school play, she thinks she’s knocked it out of the park — until she finds out that she’s been assigned to the stage crew. April is devastated—it seems like the curtain is closing on her dream of being an actor.

A day later, April overhears that the theater director, Ms. Rooney, decided not to cast her because she’s disabled. With the help of her best friend, a sneaky student reporter, and her spirited castmates, April learns to confront her own insecurities as a performer and proves to everyone (including Ms. Rooney) that she deserves a fair shot — all in time for opening night.

Primary ISBN: 9798217030286
Publication Date: June 2026
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Middle Grade, Age 08 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , ,

Setting: United States (New York City NY)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Unknown Arrival

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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