From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–After moving to a new town, star baseball player Fran Cullers discovers that she is not welcome on the boys' team. Her father's grief over her mother's recent death prevents him from being much support or help. Although the coach is removed from the team for his abuse toward her, Fran is badly shaken and falls into a slump. She decides to give up the game, but finds that living without baseball is like living without her mom. In a fairly believable plot development, her one friend, Steven, and the Hardwares come to get Fran for an important game. Her dad rallies and coaches the Hardwares in a game in which Fran is back to her old form. Finally, it seems as though they will be able to resume their lives and share their love of baseball. The Cullers' Classic All Stars, Franny's dream team of all-time baseball greats whom she imagines talk to her, adds a touch of magical realism. The passion for baseball is an effective addition to this story about grieving over the death of wife and mother, and the supporting cast is effectively developed. Baseball terminology and names of some current players and many Hall of Famers add color to the story, but will be lost on those unfamiliar with the sport. Fran's development into a baseball player with heart makes the novel an interesting addition to fiction collections.
–Debbie Stewart Hoskins, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI
*Starred Review* Gr. 5-8. Perhaps it wouldn't be fair to say that baseball is 13-year-old Fran's life. Still, since her mother's death a year ago and her father's subsequent emotional withdrawal, her love of baseball has kept her grounded. When a visit from the sheriff is needed to convince her new coach that (like it or not) he has a girl on his team, her former comfort zone becomes a place of confrontation. Conflict flares when Coach insists that Fran follow the rules by wearing a jock strap, and she retaliates by blatantly throwing the game. The situation climaxes in an unforgettable scene in which he bombards her with hard-pitched balls. At that point, even her snarky teammates realize that Coach has crossed the line. But Fran has crossed a line of her own. She finds herself increasingly disconnected from her old life and unable to recover what she has lost. Funny, harsh, and poignant by turns, this strong first-person narrative establishes Fran's character through the most colorful, accessible side of her story before gradually letting readers in on her rich inner life of imagination, memory, and dreams. Readers will find Fran a sympathetic character: hopeful yet tough, caustic when provoked, and uncharacteristically docile when she loses her way. An impressive first novel.
Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
