{"id":37305,"date":"2020-06-03T18:05:31","date_gmt":"2020-06-03T22:05:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=37305"},"modified":"2020-06-03T18:05:31","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T22:05:31","slug":"review-of-out-of-left-field-by-ellen-klages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=37305","title":{"rendered":"Review of Out of Left Field, by Ellen Klages"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Out of Left Field<\/em><\/p>\n

by Ellen Klages<\/p>\n

Viking, 2018. 314 pages.
\nStarred Review
\nReview written September 3, 2018, from a book sent by the publisher
\n2018 Sonderbooks Stand-out<\/a>:
\n#7 Historical Children’s Fiction<\/p>\n

This book is historical fiction set in 1957 when San Francisco is about to get a major league baseball team, the Giants. Katy Gordon is the best pitcher in the neighborhood, and she\u2019s thrilled when she tries out for Little League and makes the team. But when they find out she\u2019s a girl, she\u2019s not allowed to play, and she gets an official letter from Little League saying baseball has always been a man\u2019s sport.<\/p>\n

Katy suspects that\u2019s not true. She starts at the library and discovers a woman who struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig \u2013 consecutively.<\/p>\n

One thing leads to another. Katy interviews women, writes letters, and does more research \u2013 and uncovers hundreds of women who played professional baseball, some in their own leagues, some in the Negro leagues, and some as barnstormers playing exhibition games along with men.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s interesting how much fun it is to read about a kid doing research. Back in 1957, most of these women were still alive, and Katy was able to meet them and talk with them. And Katy\u2019s research is interwoven with her baseball games and perfecting her pitching. I like the part when she gets to pitch to Willie Mays!<\/p>\n

With all the kids\u2019 books I\u2019ve been reading, it was refreshing that even though Katy\u2019s best friend Jules got assigned to a different teacher this year, and even though she doesn\u2019t like playing baseball and has other interests instead \u2013 the girls stay friends and stay supportive of each other. What\u2019s more, there are no dead parents in this book! Okay, Katy\u2019s parents are divorced, but this doesn\u2019t seem to be traumatic in her life and her father sends supportive messages.<\/p>\n

I learned a whole lot about women\u2019s baseball by reading this book \u2013 but all the information never got in the way of the story of Katy, the best pitcher in the neighborhood.<\/p>\n

penguin.com\/YoungReaders<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Childrens_Fiction\/out_of_left_field.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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