By Mick Cochrane

Genre: Sports Story (baseball)

Rating: 4 stars

In this quiet and introspective story, eighth-grader Molly can throw butterflies, otherwise known as the knuckleball pitch. Her father had taught her over long hours in the backyard and Molly loves throwing that pitch. But now, six months after her father has died in a car crash, Molly doesn't know how to fit baseball into her life. She tried playing softball, but it wasn't the same game. Nothing is the same since her father died--her family feels broken and her mother doesn't even seem to try and understand her. Then Molly gets an idea--she decides to try out for the baseball team, which is, of course, full of boys. And as she goes through try outs, Molly finds she has to learn brand new things about the game as well as some brand new things about herself as some of the boys make room for her and others strike out at the lone girl trying out a man's game. If she survives try outs, can baseball heal her heart? With plenty of baseball action, readers will root for Molly to do her best. A book with a lot of the beauty in baseball to it.