CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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Top of the Order (4 for 4)
CCBC Review:
When a girl joins Jackson’s fifth-grade baseball team, the boys have mixed responses. Sydney is the sister of Jackson’s best friend, Gig. And Gig is furious that Sydney—who excels at everything—is moving in on the one thing he feels he does well: baseball. Jackson wants to support Gig, but Sydney is talented, too, and the team needs her, although most of the players are unwilling to welcome her. This unexpected tension during baseball season is compounded by other looming changes in the lives of Jackson and his friends, including humorous rumors and poignant fears about the pending terror of middle school. John Coy’s novel is first and foremost a sports story with plenty of baseball action to savor, but it also offers insight into pressures big and small in the lives of its characters. Coy avoids an easy resolution to the drama of whether this group will come together as a team, although the sexism Sydney faces among some of the opposing teams’ players and coaches does help spur reflection on the part of her teammates. ©2009 Cooperative Children's Book Center
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 9-11
Age Range:
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Families
Friendship
Sexism
Soldiers/Military
Sports
On CCBC Booklist:
Military Families
Publisher:
Feiwel and Friends
Publish Year: 2009
Pages: 182
ISBN: 9780312373290
CCBC Location: Fiction, Coy
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