Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 04/15/2023 Teddy Hopper feels like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders, as he is already being scouted for a career in professional baseball. But in his shadow is his sister, Gemma, who must put her own baseball dreams aside in order to keep her family afloat after their mother leaves, while also navigating the awkwardness of middle school. Gemma and Teddy’s complicated relationship makes the piece shine. Instead of the normal “fix everything at the end” approach that most middle-grade or YA novels do, Spangler’s graphic novel has the siblings repair and damage their relationship repeatedly over the course of the plot, making their relationship feel very honest and realistic. Her artwork, rendered in black ink lines with aqua washes, is equally genuine, capturing all the complex emotions and feelings that Gemma is going through in body language and facial expressions, while also making the many action scenes involving baseball riveting and engaging. A surprise hit for fans of sports comics and family dramas alike. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 04/01/2023 Gr 6 Up—Gemma Hopper feels invisible, even though she's the tallest girl in her grade, because her dad and town only seem to care about her baseball star brother, while her mom is taking time "to find herself." Meanwhile, she's left taking care of her younger twin brothers, doing all the dishes and laundry, and barely has any time to herself. On top of all that, she must play pitcher for her brother's batting practice. When she's given an assignment to write about her family tree, she doesn't know what to do because her maternal grandparents are no more present than her mom. Her best friend has started hanging out with a popular girl who's pressuring her for an introduction to Gemma's brother. Under all this pressure, it's no wonder that Gemma cracks. She makes up her family history, because there's no one to help her with it. Setting the popular girl up with her brother goes horribly wrong and leads to a fight with her best friend, and she accidentally embarrasses her brother in front of a crowd when she pitches what she wants instead of easy hits. It's only after getting out of her brother's shadow that she realizes she might have some baseball aspirations of her own. Gemma is down, but never out. Spangler crafts a story any middle schooler will understand, weaving together the troubles of Gemma's daily life into an intriguing graphic novel that kids will want to read. The distinct art style conveys Gemma's tendency to curl in on herself, and the palette changes to show when she's giving herself a hard time on the mound. VERDICT A good purchase for libraries.—Stacey Shapiro - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.