A lovely book that takes on the theme of gender non-conformity, a topic I hope middle school books will take on more often.  Fishel – or Fish - isn’t your stereotypical boy. He’d rather knit and dance and is constantly being told that he shouldn’t like these things. He’s told he should play sports and do things more in line with his gender. Some of the people in his life are simply invasive while others are outright hostile to him. However, Fish has the good fortune of finding people who encourage him in his interests, reminding him and the reader that there is no such thing as activities just for boys or girls, but activities that anyone can enjoy

This is such a valuable book, if nothing else, than to break through the toxic masculinity that deems “feminine activities” as inferior to boy-centric activities. It also emphasizes the importance of empathy towards other and engaging in activities that benefit the community activities. Bonus points for the positive representation of Jewish culture and religion. Short and easy to read, it nonetheless does a lot of good work. I was happy to pass this on to my middle-schooler.

Another entry in a growing field of stories featuring trans characters.  A short, subtle, but effective story with some heartwarming moments.

Thanks to the publisher for an e-arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a quick, and enjoyable, middle grade that deals with Fish and the activities he enjoys that aren't typical for his gender. I enjoyed this book, as I think it was a good one for that age group to start to challenge the ideas of gender roles and they way they are enforced. Definitely will be one I share with my students.

This fun story is about Fish, who is getting ready for his bar mitzvah, but everyone thinks his project is a bad idea.  He wants to knit socks for people who need them and everyone thinks knitting is for girls.  This is a wonderful story of acceptance, gender roles, and friendship.

Fish Rosner needs to pick a project for his Bar Mitzvah but when an idea comes to him his friends and even some of his family tease him because it's "girly".  He gets the same reaction when he wants to participate in Zumba instead of water polo.  Can he get everyone to understand that people should be able to do what they are passionate about without assigning a gender to it?

This was short and sweet but packed a good punch.  I liked it.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very short middle-grade novel about a boy named Fishel who has different interests and passions than his other male friends. He doesn’t care about hockey; he just wants to knit and do Zumba! Why isn’t it okay for a boy to do “girly” things? This book was cute, and I liked that it had some detail about the main character’s Jewish background. I think many kids will relate to Fish being self-conscious about his interests.

Review by Lisa Pineo

*I received this eARC from NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers in return for an honest review. 

My ratings:  * I hated it   ** It was okay   *** I liked it   **** Really good   ***** Great
TW (trigger warnings): bullying, enforced gender roles

Fish Out of Water by Joanne Levy is a middle grade novel about a boy who isn't interested in “normal” masculine pursuits and just wants to learn to knit without it being a big deal to everyone. 4 stars 

Description from Orca Currents: 
"Twelve-year-old Fishel (Fish) Rosner doesn't like regular "boy" things. He hates sports and would prefer to read or do crafts instead of climbing trees or riding dirt bikes with his friends. He also loves to dance. But all his interests are considered "girly." Fish doesn't get why that's a bad thing. He's just interested in different things than other boys. When he asks his Bubby to teach him to knit, she tells him to go play outside. When he begs his mom to take him to Zumba, she enrolls him in water polo instead. Why does everyone else get to decide what Fish should or shouldn't do?"  

Fishel (Fish) Rosner is a Jewish boy trying to figure out what to do for his mitzvah (good deeds) project. He's inspired by his Bubby (grandmother) who knits socks for the community and wants to learn from her. He's shot down though, hearing that boys don't knit. They also get signed up to participate in water polo instead of Zumba, which he'd much rather do. While with his best friend he sees a notice about a knitting club starting up at school and thinks it's the answer to learning to knit on his own. Instead of being encouraging his friend makes fun of him and they get into an argument, which escalates into his other friends being mad at him as well. All he wants to do is knit!

I am a sucker for books that fight gender roles and this book didn't disappoint. In a straight forward way the author shows Fish struggling with his friends and family who are trying to put him in the “normal boy” box, while he is quietly figuring out what his new passions could be. So what if they are typically done by girls? The theme and message are strong throughout the book and ends in a satisfying way. While I'm not the target audience (mom to a middle grade reader), I found this book to be a great addition to the diverse middle grade readers on the market and also learned a bit about Jewish culture. Definitely recommended.

I received an ARC of FISH OUT OF WATER by Joanne Levy thanks to the publisher through NetGalley. 

Release date: August 18, 2020

Summary from Goodreads:
"Twelve-year-old Fishel (Fish) Rosner doesn't like regular "boy" things. He hates sports and would prefer to read or do crafts instead of climbing trees or riding dirt bikes with his friends. He also loves to dance. But all his interests are considered "girly." Fish doesn't get why that's a bad thing. He's just interested in different things than other boys. When he asks his Bubby to teach him to knit, she tells him to go play outside. When he begs his mom to take him to Zumba, she enrolls him in water polo instead. Why does everyone else get to decide what Fish should or shouldn't do?"

Review:
This is a really quick read (like 1.5 hours), and is amazing for younger audiences. This is categorized as a middle grade, and I would probably put it on the early middle grade end. It touches on gender stereotypes and bullying in a really easy-to-understand way. It explains how to react when others (friends and family) try to shame you for doing an activity that is not traditionally accepted by your biological sex. Overall, the book was really sweet and the perfect length for the age group. Definitely should be read by the 3rd-6th grade audiences and normalize the idea of doing what you want to do regardless of the opinions of others. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51349150-fish-out-of-water?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=oXj436m0PU&rank=4

"Fish Out of Water" is a sweet Middle Grade story about a boy who doesn't fit into stereotypical gender norms.  Fish wants to learn how to knit, try Zumba classes at the JCC, and avoids sports as much as possible.  Along the way he learns how to speak up for himself and proves that stereotypes should be broken. Definitely a must-have for my classroom.

The central focus of this one is an idea that I've taken to pointing out lately: the damage toxic masculinity does to boys. And its more than just teaching them toxic attitudes. Fish is a sensitive boy who doesn't care for team sports. Society tells mi this makes him defective. So not only is it telling him that he's not good enough, it also subtlety telling him that being feminine is inferior, that girls are inferior. These are important messages to point out to both boys and girls. This particular tale is a bit of a blunt instrument. It beats us over the head with it's ideas over and over. Absolutely no subtlety.

This book was so sweet! A middle-grade story about a young boy tackling his hobbies that are deemed as "feminine" by important friends/family members in his life. I loved the role his teacher, Rabbi, and workout instructor played for him to feel confident. This is a great read for all young kids not matter their gender, sexuality, etc.

Fishel (Fish) Rosner is trying to do two things: find an activity he and his grandmother can do together AND an idea for his mitzvah project. He thinks he might’ve found just the thing: knitting! But when his grandmother, best friend, and step dad question his choice, he starts to wonder if there really are certain activities meant only for girls and certain activities meant only for boys. 

This is a sweet story about acceptance, gender stereotypes, and courage. Perfect for readers who enjoyed A Boy Named Queen. 

I really like that the book is under 150 pages. I think the length will really appeal to my sixth graders.

I had a hard time getting into this book, but ultimately it was cute. I see the primary audience as middle schoolers with adults not being as interested...and I think that's okay!

Can a boy do that? Is something girly? Fish Out of Water is a great look at breaking gender norms. When Fish wAnts to learn to knit it seems like his whole circle is against him. His friends, grandparents and family have other plans that they think are better for a boy.  Fish and his new circle of knitters have another plan. Great recommendation for fans of Alex Gino.

I loved this middle grade book! The cover and title appealed to me but I didn't know what a good story I was about to enjoy. This is the story of a young boy who likes to participate in activities normally thought of as for girls. All in all our author deals with prejudice and expectations of others can be wrong, and can be changed. I look forward to sharing this book with my fourth grade ELA students. Thank you to Netgalley for this free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Aw this book was so cute.

I love the cover alot

I love that this book touched down on alot on gender norms and breaking the stereotype it was a really good middle grade/YA book that should be in alot of classrooms. 

The ending was so cute and it made me really happy it was a short read i finished it really fast!

Thank you netgalley for this ARC! ❤️

An excellent read for middle graders (even a bit lower - to grade four). Touches on being different, toxic masculinity, all while providing a clear and positive message to kids. The Jewish elements are also an excellent addition and would fit well in the curriculum.

The subject matter of Fish Out of Water is an important one to explore and relatable to many kids. It reiterates the importance of acceptance and instead of trying to change people, we should celebrate differences. This book reminded me of the picture book Oliver Button is a Sissy in that it teaches kids that there shouldn’t be only things that are designated for boys or girls even though society often likes to put us in a box especially according to gender. It shows how we can and should defy stereotypes. I also liked how Jewish faith is incorporated into the story which is often underrepresented. My fourth grade students would enjoy this book and could benefit from reflecting on its strong message.

Hi-Lo books are always difficult to review because they so often seem to fall flat to readers outside their intended audience. I'm rating this poorly because I, as a reader, did not enjoy it. However I can see how it would be very appealing to readers who want MG content at an elementary reading level. I did find the focus on "boy things" somewhat anachronistic (I mean are there any parents alive now who would object to their son doing Zumba or being interested in knitting?), but perhaps this is a concern for young boys that I am unaware of.

Fish Out of Water by Joanne Levy is part of the Orca Currents series for middle-school students, and it is the first I've had the pleasure to read.

Twelve year old Fish Rosner is not content to have his interests defined by his gender.  When his grandmother refuses to teach him how to knit, something he feels very passionate about, he is confused when she instead suggests that he watch sports with his grandfather.  When Fish later joins the knitting club at school, it might just cost him the friendship of his bestie, Seth, but Fish soon realizes that pursuing your passion is sometimes the only way to be true to yourself, whatever the cost.

This is an engaging and affecting story that, although brief, speaks volumes about age appropriate issues and concerns, and it will certainly strike a chord with many readers, particularly within the middle-school demographic.  I would be very interested in exploring more of this series in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Orca Book Publishers for this ARC.