About this item
For fans of Lynda Mullaly Hunt and Rita Williams-Garcia, Jenn Bishop s heartwarming debut is a celebration of sisterhood and summertime, and of finding the courage to get back in the game. Last summer, Quinnen was the star pitcher of her baseball team, the Panthers. They were headed for the championship, and her loudest supporter at every game was her best friend and older sister, Haley. This summer, everything is different. Haley s death, at the end of last summer, has left Quinnen and her parents reeling. Without Haley in the stands, Quinnen doesn t want to play baseball. It seems like nothing can fill the Haley-sized hole in her world. The one glimmer of happiness comes from the Bandits, the local minor-league baseball team. For the first time, Quinnen and her family are hosting one of the players for the season. Without Haley, Quinnen s not sure it will be any fun, but soon she befriends a few players. With their help, can she make peace with the past and return to the pitcher s mound? "Recommend this poignant novel to fans of "Keeping Score" by Linda Sue Park and "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin. "--"School Library Journal ""A piercing first novel... Bishop insightfully examines the tested relationships among grieving family members and friends in a story of resilience, forgiveness, and hope. ""--Publishers Weekly ""With appeal to both sports- and drama-minded girls, this will make a good book club selection and pass-it-among-your-friends read. ""--The Bulletin ""The life-and-death themes are thought-provoking, but readers may love the book even more for its many digressions. ""--Kirkus""
About the Author
Jenn Bishop is the author of the middle-grade novels Things You Can't Say, 14 Hollow Road, and The Distance to Home. She grew up in Massachusetts and as a college student spent one incredible summer in Wyoming. She has been obsessed with bison ever since. After working as a children's librarian, she received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Jenn currently calls Cincinnati, Ohio, home. You can visit her online at jennbishop.com.
