You Throw Like a Girl

I may be biased because I know the author, but this book blew me away. Not only is it about baseball (one of my true loves), but it's about a girl beating the odds (and the boys) and a sport that she loves.

Gabby is spending the summer in Chester, Ohio. He father was just deployed and she's having a hard time adjusting. She left behind her friends and her softball team but she's hoping that playing for Chester's team will make things better. She promised her dad she would pitch in the Championship game, just like he did when he was a kid.

Unfortunately, she finds out that there aren't enough girls to participate in softball this season because everyone in town seems to be part of the Miss Popcorn Pageant. She leaves the rec center defeated.

By a twist of fate, Gabby's mom signs her up for the pageant. She is a legacy in town because she won the crown several years. Gabby's mom is so excited about the pageant that Gabby can't bear to squash her dreams of a daughter following in her footsteps.

Grace and composure are not something Gabby thinks herself to be good at, but this summer will test her in more ways than one. Refusing to go back on her promise to her dad, Gabby signs up for the Chester baseball team. Unsure of the rules, she disguises herself as “Johnny” and blows the boys out of the water with her arm.

Juggling these two new personas (beauty queen and a boy) gets out of hand and her friendships are in trouble because of her lies.

Can she make her mom and her dad proud?

Most important, can she pull it off?