THROWING LIKE A GIRL

When 15-year-old Ella Kessler moves with her parents from Chicago to Dallas, she’s less than thrilled. Making her new school’s softball team—even though she barely knows how to play—turns out to help Ella begin to navigate her way through the challenges of her new life—including making friends; falling for the cute, nice-guy brother of a nasty teammate; and discovering that when her playing skills vastly improve, athletic prowess is her key to increased self-understanding and self-esteem and the joy of finding her niche in the world. Here’s an undemanding and pleasant—if pat—read that teen girls, sports-minded or not, will appreciate. While predictable, it demonstrates that “throwing like a girl” can mean feeling like a winner, and not just on the ball field. (Fiction. 12-14)