Izzy vs. Cheerleading - (Team Awkward) by Joy McCullough & Veeda Bybee (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Izzy's cheerleading tryouts don't go as expected in this third book in the Team Awkward middle grade series that's The Baby-Sitters Club meets Dork Diaries.

Izzy's first day of school might have been disaster, but since meeting Team Awkward, middle school has been surprisingly great. But going to a different school than her twin sister, Ari, is harder than she'd expected. With Ari attending the performing arts school, she's never home anymore. And when she is home, they don't spend time together. Ari even moved out of their shared bedroom into her own room.

Rather than staring at the empty spot where her sister's bed used to be, Izzy decides to fill her time with some performing of her own by trying out for the cheerleading team. When she's offered the mascot role instead, her dream of joining the team starts to sound like a nightmare. Can she make it through basketball season without totally embarrassing herself?

Review Quotes

"A fun, cute read for older elementary readers who enjoy reading about friendship and sibling bonds."--Booklist "July 1, 2026"

"When your sibling's success seems prodigious, how much do your own achievements matter? An emotionally engaging glimpse into middle-school life." --Kirkus Reviews "May 15, 2026"

"A super accessible read with generous spacing and a larger font that will be perfect for both reluctant readers and those who read above their level. Powerful themes of friendship and finding your space ring true and will be relatable to middle grade readers. . . . Give this to tween fans of Terri Libenson's 'Emmie & Friends' series, Lisa Greenwald, and the Scholastic 'Wish' books."--School Library Journal "5/2/2026"

About the Author

Joy McCullough writes books and plays from her home in the Seattle area, where she lives with her husband and two children. She is the author of the middle grade novels Across the Pond, A Field Guide to Getting Lost, Not Starring Zadie Louise, Code Red, Kestrel Takes Flight, and Basil & Dahlia, as well as the middle grade series Team Awkward and the picture books Harriet's Ruffled Feathers, Champ and Major: First Dogs, and The Story of a Book. Her debut novel Blood Water Paint was longlisted for the National Book Award and was a William C. Morris Debut Award Finalist. Visit her at JoyMcCullough.com.

Veeda Bybee is a former journalist and holds an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is the author of Lily and the Great Quake: A San Francisco Earthquake Survival Story, Li on Angel Island, and Shining a Light: Celebrating 40 Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Who Changed the World. Veeda is also the coauthor of the Team Awkward middle grade series and part of the Rural Voices and Calling the Moon anthologies. She has a rescue golden retriever/cattle dog named Sophie (from Howl's Moving Castle) and fluffy black cat, also from an animal shelter, named Zuko (from Avatar: The Last Airbender). Veeda lives with her family in Nevada where she reads, writes, and bakes.