Fast Pitch
Parents say
Based on 1 review
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Fast Pitch by Nic Stone (Clean Getaway, Dear Martin) is about 12-year-old Shenice, in Atlanta, Georgia, who's captain of the only all-Black team in the Dixie Youth Softball Association. Under her leadership, the team is in the running for league championship. Her great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all baseball players; each one lost his career prematurely. Shenice meets Uncle Jack, her great-grandfather's brother, who's living out his last days in a nursing home. Their conversation launches her on a quest to clear her great-grandfather's name of the accusation that he stole Joe DiMaggio's glove from a charity auction. There's a tense, mildly scary moment when the girls' team plays in an area where they see Confederate flags on people's cars and a few people use racial slurs, including the "N" word (which is referred to, not written out).
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What's the Story?
When FAST PITCH begins, 12-year-old Shenice's softball team has lost a game. The pressure is on: They're the only all-Black team in a league that bears the name "Dixie," and they're out to prove not just that they belong, but that they're the best. Soon after, Shenice's parents take her to meet her great-grand-uncle Jack for the first time. Uncle Jack is near the end of his life, and he moves in and out of being lucid. When he and Shenice are alone, Uncle Jack shares the story about how his brother, her great-grandfather, was framed for stealing Joe DiMaggio's glove from a charity auction, an accusation that dashed his hopes for being recruited to baseball's Major League and even got him kicked out of the Negro League. Uncle Jack instructs her to "make it right," setting her off on a quest to clear her great-grandfather's name.
Is It Any Good?
Fun, fast-paced, and suspenseful, this story brings an upbeat spin to a sad history. In Fast Pitch by Nic Stone, a girl in the 2000s, a talented fast-pitch softball player, is a member of the only Black team in a league still named "Dixie." Through family history about her great-grandfather, she learns about the Negro Leagues. The author makes her point strongly but with a light touch: There has certainly been progress, but unfortunately racial equity and understanding haven't quite been achieved. Readers will root for the resourceful, tenacious, and positive characters who populate this book.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of family lore in Fast Pitch. What are your family's favorite stories about your grandparents, great-grandparents, or other relatives?
In several episodes in Fast Pitch, the characters have to perform under pressure. How do you keep your focus when something's bothering you?
What are the different ways characters exhibit leadership in Fast Pitch? Have you ever been the leader of your friends, siblings, or classmates? What did you like about being the leader? What was challenging?
Book Details
- Author: Nic Stone
- Genre: Sports
- Topics: STEM, Sports and Martial Arts, Adventures, Great Girl Role Models, Robots
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: August 31, 2021
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 240
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: January 6, 2022
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We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball
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