There's No Base Like Home

June 25, 2018
Sophia Garcia, a sixth grader from a warm, extended Mexican-American family, aspires to follow in the athletic footsteps of her older sister, a former ace pitcher on a crackerjack softball team. After Sophia fails to make the team (“pretty much the worst thing that’s ever happened to me”), she is recruited by a start-up team and finds her niche by trading the pitcher’s mound for the outfield. Life throws her some unsettling curveballs, though, as she adjusts to cliquey middle school, her best friend’s sudden obsession with boys, and her harried parents’ increased work schedule, which curtails their game attendance. The sibling authors know well of what they write: Mendoza, a two-time Olympic medalist as a member of the U.S. women’s softball team, is an MLB analyst for ESPN; Dusan played Division 1 softball in college. Their insider knowledge of the sport, team dynamics, and the give-and-take of sisterhood lends the narrative authenticity and candor, and their debut strikes a steady balance between on-the-field action and interpersonal interactions. Multiple recaps of plays and plot will help keep hesitant readers in the game. Ages 8–12.

June 1, 2018
Grades 4-7 Now that she's in middle school, Sophia Garcia dreams of following in her sister's footsteps and playing for the Waves softball team. Devastatingly, she doesn't make the cut, but not making that particular team turns out to be a blessing in disguise. During tryouts, shy Sophia meets Teresa, an outgoing girl whose mother is forming another team, the Quakes. Sophia is invited to join the Quakes, and though she starts out warming the bench, she scores ample playing time once she switches from pitcher to outfielder. While she succeeds at softball, Sophia must cope with almost losing her best friend and the disappointment of having busy parents who can't attend many games. Additionally, she's dealing with the arrival of adolescent hormones and feels she has little support. How wrong she is! Her home base is as strong as ever. The Mendoza sisters' strong bond shines throughout their engagingly illustrated collaboration, resulting in a wonderful story of family and friendship that will quickly become an MVP among softball-fiction fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
The sister coauthors, both softball players (Jessica Mendoza is a two-time Olympic medalist), weave unusually detailed, useful information about softball into the story of twelve-year-old Sophia Garcia trying to prove herself to be as good a ballplayer as her older sister. Lessons about sportsmanship, finding one's own strengths, familial loyalty, and societal pressures are smoothly integrated into the warm family story. Doodle-like spot art is included.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)