Season of Comebacks ANNOTATION
Ten-year-old Molly competes for the attention of her father who seems to be only interested in cultivating the talent of Molly's older sister Allie, a star softball pitcher.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Getting out of her sister Allie�s shadow is harder than ever when 10-year-old Molly is drafted to play on her big sister�s team, the Blazers. Now Molly has to watch from the bench while her sister strikes out practically every batter she faces. Will Molly ever get a chance to shine? Utterly engrossing from the first page, this novel offers exacting insights on and off the field. � Kirkus Reviews It�s a welcome change to find a sports novel about girls� teams, especially one that concentrates on the sport.�An enjoyable read that helps fill a gap in sports fiction. � School Library Journal Kathy Mackel lives in Pepperell, Massachusetts.
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Mary Sue Preissner
Following in your spectacular older sister's footsteps is.... bothersome. Just ask Molly. How unnerving to have "her" be the pitching star of the Blazers, while Molly sits, mortified to be drafted by the team, Cookie Monsters. Sure, fast-pitch softball is the best game in the world; but it seems that this year will be the worst ever. Just as the season settles in, an accident makes it impossible for Allison to pitch. The only solution is to move Molly "up" in the league. This begins a chain of events that allow Molly to learn that she is valued for just being herself.
School Library Journal
Gr 3-6Like many sports novels, this one is long on action and short on character development. Narrator 10-year-old Molly, a softball lover, lives in the shadow of her 12-year-old sister, Allie, the best pitcher at her level in California. Egged on by their father, whose main focus is Allie's success, the older girl is difficult to live with. Molly escapes from the oppressive home atmosphere with her friend Chris, a boy with whom she bikes, hikes, and enjoys imaginary adventures. Sudden changes of heart by Allie and their father, which are not entirely convincing, put softball into a more sane perspective, and the family harmoniously unites in their love of the sport. It's a welcome change to find a sports novel about girls' teams, especially one that concentrates on the sport and eschews romance. The text incorporates the vocabulary of fast-pitch softball, lists lineups, and describes games and plays in detail. A quick, enjoyable read that helps fill a gap in sports fiction.Kathleen Odean, Moses Brown School, Providence, RI
Kirkus Reviews
Mackel's first novel has the killing pace and gritty sports realism certain to snag readers well beyond the target audience of fast-pitch softball enthusiasts and other sports-mad readers.
Molly, 10, tells the story of the year when her older sister Allie, the best fast-pitch softball pitcher in California, is expected to take her team, the Blazers, to the nationals. With her father devoting all of his time to coaching Allie's team, Molly feels left out. When she is drafted for the Blazers, Molly unexpectedly feels even worse. In a tale with myriad surprising twists and no outright scoundrels, Molly's obsessed father gets some well-deserved comeuppances, but recognizes his own folly in time to make things right. Utterly engrossing from the first page, this novel offers exacting insights on and off the field, where family dynamics, Molly's friendship with an understanding and supportive boy, and scenes of imaginative play all carry the ring of emotional truth.
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