A Girl Named Dan (Picture Books)

Gr 2-4 In this fictionalized picture-book account of an incident from Mackall's childhood, it is 1961 and Dandi's dreams center on baseball. She roots for her local pro team, the Kansas City A's, and she's a solid player who can get on base when it counts. She's bitterly frustrated when the boys ban her from their pick-up games because she's a girl. Then she hears about an essay-writing contest that the A's are holding; the winner will get to be batboy. Although the rules state "for boys only," Dandi enters and wins, only to be disqualified. Instead, the A's send her a consolation prize, a bat. She announces to the boys that she's batting, hits the ball out of sight, and walks away, purposely leaving the bat behind. She stops rooting for the A's, her passion for writing and baseball unabated, and her spirit strong and undaunted. Mackall seamlessly weaves a good deal of baseball trivia and slang into her tale, and Graef's folksy paintings add detail and character. Dandi is an engaging and sympathetic heroine, and her story will resonate with many readers."Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA"

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