Fish Out of Water

June 1, 2020
A slim hi-lo tackles toxic masculinity. Fishel "Fish" Rosner doesn't want to play water polo. Nor does he want to collect used sports equipment for his bar mitzvah project. What Fish really wants to do is learn to knit, but his grandmother won't teach him, just as his mother and stepfather, Darren, won't let him wiggle out of playing team sports at the Jewish Community Center when Fish would rather do Zumba. And when Fish tells his best friend, Seth, that he is joining the school knitting club, Seth responds by telling Fish that his interests are "weird" and "girly," embarking on a campaign of relational aggression. Fish still desperately wants to incorporate knitting into his bar mitzvah project, and both his rabbi and a math teacher become his champions, affirming that all people may participate in all activities, regardless of gender identity. Fish is assertive and brave, outspoken in his critique of rigid gender norms. Readers will rejoice as he stands up to other boys and to his stepfather, contesting Darren's shallow exhortation that "boys don't cry" with tearful truth. He is a formidable ally to girls and women. Though brief, this text masterfully connects the toxic masculinity to its roots in deep misogyny, making Fish a hero people of all genders can stand up and cheer for. All readers will appreciate this book's nuanced messaging around gender roles and trusting yourself. (Fiction. 9-12)

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