Customer Reviews

The Girl Who Threw Butterflies

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4 star:		(1)
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Mick Cochrane's The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is that rare novel, a work for young adults that does not pander to its audience and is therefore a wonderful read for adults. After the death of the father who shared with her a love of baseball, Molly Williams, an eighth-grader with a mean knuckleball, decides to try out for the boys' baseball team. Cochrane handles her loss, uncertainty, and redemptive determination with uncommon sensitivity in this gentle book that gives the reader a solid picture of the joys and pains of early adolescence. Well done.

I'm not a big baseball fan, but I was drawn in to this book and the story of both a girl's decision to go out for the boys baseball team, and the bond between her and her deceased father. What could have been way too much of a "message" book was actually quite touching as Molly makes the decision completely on her own (her mother doesn't find out until much later), though she does get a little Zen coaching from her quirky best friend.

Cochrane includes bits of baseball history and trivia, such as that female baseball player Jackie Mitchell struck out Babe Ruth, which will appeal to baseball fans, male and female. Molly's relationship with her mom, like many girls her age, is tumultuous, yet grows so by the end of the book each of them understand each other a little better. Molly's a curious, dedicated young woman, and Cochrane lets her story, and her interest in baseball, unfold gradually. She shows a true love of and interest in the game; there were times when I wondered whether she was simply pursuing it to maintain a connection with her father, but she goes beyond what they had, while still channeling him. A moving, at times bittersweet book that will have you cheering on Molly and her knuckleballs.

Mick Cochrane has given readers young and old a book that will transcend all backgrounds and interests. THE GIRL WHO THREW BUTTERFLIES gives us a story that shows how important it is to follow your heart and fulfil your dreams, inspite of the odds against you. Cochrane also gives us a look at a world that many can relate to: a family coping with death, self-discovery and the true meaning of life. This is a book that will resonate with sports lovers and non-sports lovers alike. A real triumph.

The Girl Who Threw Butterflies Excellent book for almost any reader - outstanding for young girls.

Molly's grief, determination, confusion and loneliness after the death of her father are so real and beautifully drawn. For me, this is a new favorite.

The students and myself who took almost NO time at all to read this flawless book, were thrilled with both it's characters and relatable storyline. What a storyteller with amazing, realistic characters and situations.

Molly's favorite memory of her dad is playing catch in the backyard. He taught her to pitch and she even mastered the knuckleball pitch. One night about 6 months after he died she decides that playing softball is not good enough. She wants to play baseball and tries out for the boy's baseball team. Her best friend supports her decision and Lonnie, one of the catcher's becomes her catcher learning how to deal with the knuckleball. The only thing that worries Molly besides being accepted onto the team is telling her mom. This book is recommended for baseball fans.

Molly Williams has made the baseball team. The boys baseball team. She has mastered a unique pitching style that her late father had taught her. Throughout the story, Molly overcomes adversity from her teammates, and her mother, as well as the confusion and grief she has about her father's death.

This story rejuvenated my love for YA Fiction! It holds great messages for young girls about being themselves, respecting parents the don't always agree with, and letting go. I feel like the ending came rather abruptly though, and I didn't feel satisfied with the way some of the conflicts were "solved," but a good read nevertheless.