
A parent might reach for this book when their child is navigating the heartbreak of a best friend moving away. It validates the big, sad feelings that come with this change and offers a positive model for coping. The story follows Joelle, a 13-year-old whose world is shaken when her best friend moves. To deal with her loneliness, she pours all her energy into a new, difficult goal: trying out for the boys' middle school baseball team. The book thoughtfully explores themes of grief, loneliness, self-confidence, and challenging gender stereotypes. For children ages 8 to 12, it provides comfort and demonstrates how channeling energy into a passion can help build resilience and forge a new identity.
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Sign in to write a reviewThe core sensitive topic is gender discrimination, which is handled directly. Characters explicitly state that baseball is for boys and Joelle should play softball instead. The resolution is hopeful and realistic: Joelle proves her abilities and earns respect, changing some minds but not eradicating the underlying prejudice. The emotional grief from a friend moving is also a central theme, approached with secular and empathetic honesty.
This is for the 8 to 12-year-old who just said goodbye to a best friend and feels lost. It's particularly perfect for a child who loves sports or is feeling pressure to conform to gender expectations. It speaks to any kid who has tried to use a passion project to cope with big feelings.
The book can be read cold. The epistolary and journal format makes Joelle's feelings very accessible. A parent might want to be prepared to discuss the unfairness of the coach's and her father's initial attitudes to open up conversations about gender stereotypes and perseverance. A parent has just seen their child's heartbreak after a best friend moves. They might hear, "I miss her so much, I have no one to play with," or see their child withdrawing from social activities. Another trigger is a child, especially a girl, being told they can't or shouldn't participate in a specific activity.
Younger readers (8-9) will connect most strongly with the sadness of losing a friend and the straightforward plot of trying to make the team. Older readers (10-12) will better grasp the nuances of the changing friendship, the subtle and overt sexism Joelle faces, and her internal journey toward defining herself outside of her friendship with Elizabeth.
This book uniquely braids two potent middle-grade themes: the grief of a separating friendship and the fight against gender stereotypes. By making the baseball tryout a direct coping mechanism for the loss, the story provides a powerful and proactive model for resilience that is less common in books that focus solely on the emotional aspect of a friend moving away.
Thirteen-year-old Joelle is devastated when her best friend, Elizabeth, moves across the country. Feeling adrift, she channels her grief and frustration into an ambitious goal: to earn a spot as a pitcher on her school’s all-boys baseball team. She faces significant resistance from the skeptical coach, some unwelcoming teammates, and even her own father, who believes girls belong in softball. Through letters to Elizabeth and her own fierce determination, Joelle navigates the pain of a long-distance friendship, the sting of sexism, and the challenge of carving out a new identity for herself.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.