A solid baseball story more interested in the game than its hero.
In Treaccar’s middle-grade novel, a young baseball player bets he can become league MVP—only to discover that his new team hasn’t won a single game.
Twelve-year-old Rainer Thomas’ confidence is tested after leaving his championship-winning baseball team when his family moves from Georgia to Lakeland, Texas. He misses his old town, his old room, and his old teammates (despite his father’s comments about his lack of teamwork). When a trip to the batting cages quickly spirals into a wager with a trio of local bullies, Rainer feels compelled to prove himself. The terms of the bet: Rainer must win the league championship MVP award or do something embarrassing. Only after the bet has been made does he learn that his new team, the Legends, didn’t win a single game their last season. (“‘The Last Place Legends?’ joked the smaller kid. ‘This bet is already over.’”) Determined not to become the town’s new punchline, Rainer throws himself into the task of transforming the Legends into contenders. The roster is a collection of mismatched personalities and uneven skill levels. While he becomes close to players Joey, Wyatt, and Lorenzo, victory still remains elusive. Rainer begins to realize that his own personal ambitions might come at the cost of team cohesion. Treaccar clearly understands youth baseball and has structured the novel around the rhythms of the sport; practices, games, and player development occupy center stage. Young readers interested in baseball will find plenty of action on the field and a detailed look at how teams function over the course of a season. Unfortunately, the novel’s greatest strength is also its greatest weakness: Baseball fans may appreciate the abundance of technical details, but the narrative often feels focused on demonstrating the author’s knowledge of the game, at the expense of exploring Rainer’s emotional journey. The premise promises a compelling tale about a child adapting to a new town, making friends, and finding his place after a major life change, and while those elements are present, they rarely receive the depth or attention they deserve. Still, while the narrative’s emotional stakes never fully register, the character relationships do develop in a satisfying manner.
A solid baseball story more interested in the game than its hero.Pub Date: March 11, 2026
ISBN: 9798994855317
Page Count: 184
Publisher: Secret Lair Books, LLC
Review Posted Online: July 20, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.
In Florence’s middle-grade fantasy novel, a young girl’s heart is tested in the face of an evil, spreading Darkness.
Eleven-year-old Lydia, “freckle-cheeked and round-eyed, with hair the color of pine bark and fair skin,” is struggling with the knowledge that she has reached the age to apprentice as an herbalist. Lydia is reluctant to leave her beloved, magical Mulberry Glen and her cozy Housetree in the woods—she’ll miss Garder, the Glen’s respected philosopher; her fairy guardian Pit; her human friend Livy; and even the mischievous part-elf, part-imp, part-human twins Zale and Zamilla. But the twins go missing after hearing of a soul-sapping Darkness that has swallowed a forest and is creeping into minds and engulfing entire towns. They have secretly left to find a rare fruit that, it is said, will stop the Darkness if thrown into the heart of the mountain that rises out of the lethal forest. Lydia follows, determined to find the twins before they, too, fall victim to the Darkness. During her journey, accompanied by new friends, she gradually realizes that she herself has a dangerous role to play in the quest to stop the Darkness. In this well-crafted fantasy, Florence skillfully equates the physical manifestation of Darkness with the feelings of insecurity and powerlessness that Lydia first struggles with when thinking of leaving the Glen. Such negative thoughts grow more intrusive the closer she and her friends come to the Darkness—and to Lydia’s ultimate, powerfully rendered test of character, which leads to a satisfyingly realistic, not quite happily-ever-after ending. Highlights include a delightfully haunting, reality-shifting library and a deft sprinkling of Latin throughout the text; Pit’s pet name for Lydia is mea flosculus (“my little flower”). Fine-lined ink drawings introducing each chapter add a pleasing visual element to this well-grounded fairy tale.
An absorbing fantasy centered on a resilient female protagonist facing growth, change, and self-empowerment.Pub Date: Jan. 7, 2025
ISBN: 9781956393095
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Waxwing Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 14, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
