EVA TO THE MAX

A passionate young athlete’s hopes of qualifying for a national motocross tournament rest on her ability to control her temper, accept support, and make heartrending sacrifices.

In free verse that occasionally breaks into rhyme, rap, or shape poems, the strong voice and competitive spirit of 12-year-old Evelyn Rae—or Eva Knievel, to use her race name—comes through clearly in her compellingly heady experiences on the track and between races in conflicts with her parents and troubles socializing at school. The author provides good reasons for both of the latter, which will give readers perspective on how she treats and is treated by others. Eva’s father, a wheelchair user, was a motocross racer until his terrible accident. For seventh grade, Eva’s making a fresh start at a new school: “No one’s gonna goad me into a fight / that might cause me to lose my bike.” A tentative new friendship blossoms with a classmate, and she weathers occasionally harrowing crises on the way to a conclusion that’s triumphant enough to exceed even her expectations. In the end, what may resonate most with readers is white-presenting Eva’s resolute sense of self: “…there are so many / different ways / to be a girl.” Caprara has definitely done her research for this verse novel, as the scorching history she appends of how girls and women have had to struggle for their place in the world of dirt bike racing testifies.

Exciting, inspiring, and intense.