  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 03/15/2018 *Starred Review* It’s 1957 and the end of an era for fifth-grader Katy Gordon’s beloved San Francisco Seals, who will be replaced next year by the Giants, the first major league team to play in San Francisco. A skilled pitcher, Katy gets scouted for her local Little League team, only to find out she’s barred from playing—because she’s a girl—which sets her off on a quest to prove to them that girls are perfectly capable of playing baseball. Whether it’s researching at the library at UC Berkeley, where her mom is a chemistry professor, or writing letters to women who played on women-only baseball teams in the 1940s, Katy uncovers the truth. Women have always played baseball—as barnstormers, in Bloomer leagues, and in the Negro leagues. A girl struck out Babe Ruth, for Pete’s sake! So why have these stories been left out of the history books? In her newest novel, set against the backdrop of the space race, acclaimed historical fiction author Klages returns in fine form. Katy’s fury is palpable, and her drive to make things better both for her generation and those to come will inspire. Notable, too, is the care and attention paid to Katy’s mother, whose own experience with discrimination has shaped her worldview and how she raises her daughters. Appended “baseball cards” of 12 notable female baseball players and an author’s note provide further context. A grand slam. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. School Library Journal - 04/01/2018 Gr 4–7—"Keep asking questions. Never settle for being ordinary." Katy Gordon is anything but ordinary. She's got a special Sunday pitch that will strike out just about anybody, but her local Little League won't let her on the team just because she's a girl. Katy sets out to change their minds; after all, it's 1957 and the world is changing. To back up her legal argument (including a phone call with an ACLU lawyer), she uncovers the history of the All-American Girls Baseball League during WWII, the Bloomer Girls teams of the 1890s, and the young women who played in the Negro Leagues throughout the 1940s and 50s. Spurred on by her intelligent and independent single mother, Katy incorporates all of these forgotten women into a school project. Whenever Katy makes a new discovery, her excitement is contagious. The 1957 setting, a particularly tumultuous year for the U.S., is incorporated seamlessly into the narrative. The narrative, though rich in details, never gets bogged down. This title also includes substantial back matter, such as a list of female ballplayers, an author's note, a glossary of baseball terms, and further recommended reading. Klages gives Katy a strong voice and helps spotlight the history of marginalized women in sports history. VERDICT Featuring powerful female characters, this is historical fiction that doesn't drag for a second. A fine purchase.—Kerri Williams, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Loading...
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