A Season of Comebacks (by Kathy Mackel)

Molly envies her big sister Allie, the best softball pitcher in California. Molly also loves softball and plays well, but their father only cares about Allie. Can the two sisters and their father reconcile? Girls in sports have been waiting for this book, which cheers them on all the way, but boys who give it a chance like it too.

Plenty of girls have become just as involved in sports as boys are, so they'll cheer a book that portrays sports-loving girls as completely normal. But author Kathy Mackel doesn't touch upon any of the difficulties female athletes still face. In fact, everyone in this story treats girls' softball as though it were the only game in town. The local newspaper interviews Allie and prints her pitching statistics as a regular feature. Crowds attend the games. It's as though girls never had trouble getting into sports. If the book were written about boys, only the names would have to be changed.

Giant leaps of faith aside, the writing sparkles. Mackel's dialogue sounds like that of real kids, and she peppers the book with humor, such as Molly's wild throws into the stands. Kids will love this book, never noticing the impossibilities that so neatly tie the story together.