Through Jaz's infectious bravado and his and Kamal's anchoring friendship, Tawney presents an earnest depiction of two outcasts finding comfort in each other while navigating societal tension in this brief interrogation of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim attitudes.
- Publishers Weekly

The story includes tough, illuminating conversations about when to speak up about undocumented people, when to stay silent for the sake of their safety, and when to understand that even adults don't have all of the answers. Its treatment of sensitive political topics is humane, reflected in Kamal's growing emotional maturity. In the touching novel All Mixed Up, a middle school student faces prejudice but also makes a friend with whom he feels understood. Plotted in gripping stages, the story culminates with hope.
- Karen Rigby, Foreword Reviews

I was fully convinced by Kamal and Jaz. Convinced of the sixth-grade abominations they suffered. Convinced of their dedication to each other. And convinced that they'd come through it all stronger.
- Dave Eggers, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Eyes and the Impossible

Poignant, thoughtful, and humorous, All Mixed Up, is a story of friendship and a masterful telling of the complexities and challenges of finding one's voice when you've been marked as an outsider. Tawney's characters leap off the page and invite the reader to understand more deeply what it means to be an immigrant and to redefine what it means to be an American.
- Amina Luqman-Dawson, author of the 2023 Newbery Medal award-winner, Freewater

There is so much honesty and heart on every page of All Mixed Up. Raj Tawney beautifully depicts the way a new friendship can shake up your life in all the best ways, not only bringing you joy and confidence, but also helping you to better understand who you are.
- Lance Rubin, Author of Crying Laughing and co-author of Monster Club: Monsters Take Manhattan

In All Mixed Up, Kamal's grandmother tells him, It doesn't take much to appreciate people. Actually, what it takes is a well-written story like this one about two friends, one with a mixed heritage the other an illegal immigrant, both considered outsiders by their school mates. This is a timely story and a great read.
- David A. Adler, award-winning author of the Mo! and Cam Jansen series

All Mixed Up blends together the timeless topics of identity, family, bullying, middle school, and friendship. Although set against the backdrop of the attacks on 9/11, the messages around America's struggle with immigration and prejudice will resonate with today's young readers. Kamal and Jaz's story steers us past borders, beliefs, and appearances to what's really important-that no matter what you look like or where you come from, you deserve kindness, understanding, and a good friend. It's a story with themes that will never grow old.
- Noelle Boc, director of the Peabody Institute Library of Danvers

All Mixed Up is a delightful coming of age story full of growing pains and joys. This nuanced and bittersweet 'only in America' story will warm your heart and dampen your eyes.
- Claudia Forestieri, creator and executive producer of Gordita Chronicles

Raj Tawney's All Mixed Up is a heartfelt story that delves into the complexities of growing up mixed race with remarkable sensitivity and insight. The characters are richly nuancedeach one honest, vulnerable, and curiousinviting readers into their deeply personal journeys. As a mixed person myself, I found that Raj skillfully captures the often isolating experience of feeling like an outsider, or in protagonist Kamal's clever words, like a weirdly twisted pretzel in a bag of perfect knots, and the profound importance of finding someone who truly understands you. This novel is an essential read for middle schoolers, offering an intimate look into the significance of mixed race representation and the beauty of diverse identities.
- Mikki Hernandez, author of Cake Mix: Learning to Love All Your Ingredients

All Mixed Up tells an important and relatable story of kids who straddle different worlds, while dealing with all the usual challenges life throws at them. It looks unflinchingly at racism but also celebrates difference, and it leaves readers with so much hope. Kam and Jaz's friendship is proof that anything can be weathered with the right friend at your side.
- Ann Dávila Cardinal, award-winning author of Hispanic Star: Bad Bunny and Breakup From Hell

I love stories about kids who aren't popular and the story of Kamal and Jaz is no exception. It was a treat to see the world through Kamal's eyes and I was racing though the pages at the end.
- James Yang, author of Geisel award-winner, Stop!Bot!

A middle grade read about fitting in and being different that I know I'll be adding to my sixth grade classroom library.
- Brynn Allison, ELA Teacher

Textured and complex story. [All Mixed Up] deals with serious topics, but the tone remains sweet, the characters all drawn with love. And it's relevant if you want to process frustrating memories of the early 2000s or process what's going on today.
- Surabhi Balachander

Raj Tawney's books, including this one, are bite-sized treasures. Like anyone who cooks knows, it's all about the quality of the ingredients and the love you put in it. Tawney has both in droves. You don't just leave his writing satisfied, you leave it with a new taste lingering on the tongue, discovery; a new kernel of understanding, and that's exactly what makes a writer you want to follow. All Mixed Up is a journey into bravery and I can say with certainty one thing: I'll want to read anything Raj Tawney writes because his writing is pure light.
- Vanessa Garcia, author of What the Bread Says

[A] coming-of-age story of both self-discovery and the power of friendship... - Camille Daniels, L.A. Parent

Foreword Reviews
November/December 2024

In Raj Tawney's perceptive novel All Mixed Up, a multiracial boy contends with bullying and finds friendship in the aftermath of 9/11.

Kamal's father is from India. His mother is a New Yorker with Italian and Puerto Rican roots. At home, Kamal relishes diverse culinary flavors and is at ease, but at school, he's scapegoated. He feels simultaneous shame, cultural pride, and confusion over his mixed identity. Though his own self-consciousness about being brown sometimes heightens matters, he also tries to deflect his peers' negative attention with humor.

Then Kamal meets Jaz, a Pakistani student whose irrepressible smile is refreshing but who is secretive about his
background. Every day, Kamal and Jaz face microaggressions and prejudice, including a teacher's insinuations about refugees, Islamophobic sentiments, and a classmate's "fresh off the boat" comments. Kamal is sensitive: he bristles when he hears a classmate comparing Jaz's looks to those of a suspected terrorist and when his grandmother expresses opinions that startle him, and he worries about Jaz's precarious home situation.

Concerns surrounding undocumented immigration gain urgency as they accumulate, including with the threat of a
child's deportation. The story includes tough, illuminating conversations about when to speak up about undocumented people, when to stay silent for the sake of their safety, and when to understand that even adults don't have all of the answers. Its treatment of sensitive political topics is humane, reflected in Kamal's growing emotional maturity.

In the touching novel All Mixed Up, a middle school student faces prejudice but also makes a friend with whom he
feels understood. Plotted in gripping stages, the story culminates with hope.

KAREN RIGBY (November / December 2024)

"Raj Tawney's books, including this one, are bite-sized treasures. Like anyone who cooks knows, it's all about the quality of the ingredients and the love you put in it. Tawney has both in droves. You don't just leave his writing satisfied, you leave it with a new taste lingering on the tongue, discovery; a new kernel of understanding, and that's exactly what makes a writer you want to follow. All Mixed Up is a journey into bravery and I can say with certainty one thing: I'll want to read anything Raj Tawney writes because his writing is pure light."

A middle grade read about fitting in and being different that I know I'll be adding to my sixth grade classroom library.

Textured and complex story. [All Mixed Up] deals with serious topics, but the tone remains sweet, the characters all drawn with love. And it's relevant if you want to process frustrating memories of the early 2000s or process what's going on today.