Rooting for Rafael Rosales

Rafael Rosales is an 11-year-old aspiring baseball player from the Dominican Republic, whose dedication to the sport and dream of playing for an American team occupy his every moment. Nine years later, 12-year-old Maya, a passionate environmentalist, sees Rafael playing (badly) as a prospect for the Minnesota Twins and quickly declares him her favorite player. She's drawn to the tenacious underdog, believing that, if he can succeed, anyone can. Bijou, a Dominican girl with connections to both Rafael and Maya, provides a thread that ties their stories together, through correspondence, allowing Maya to see her own privilege and better understand Rafael's roots. Moving between Rafael's childhood and Maya's present, Scaletta (The Winter of the Robots) weaves a powerful story of two children whose realities seem entirely dissimilar but, in truth, converge in significant ways, namely in their desire to excel and make a difference. The character of Rafael feels somewhat underdeveloped compared to that of Maya, but his persistence and work ethic make it easy to understand why she rallies behind him. Readers will, too. Ages 9-12. Agent: Tina Wexler, ICM. (Apr.)

Gr 5-8—This middle grade novel alternates between past and present to tell the stories of two young people. Rafael is a struggling Minor League Baseball player when 12-year-old Maya first sees him. He's the only ballplayer who will sign her sister's scorecard, and Maya impulsively decides she's going to root for him. Flashbacks follow Rafael's youth in the Dominican Republic. Rafael and his best friend Juan play streetball and dream of reaching baseball's Major Leagues. Juan's older brother Hugo seems to have the best chance; as Juan says: -When he gets signed, my family never needs to worry again.- Rafael's big-league ambitions are tempered by his parents' concerns and his awareness that -there are one million boys the teams can choose from.- Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, Maya worries about the environment, reads her sister's blog, and babysits a local toddler. She is alarmed to learn that the company her father works for makes an insecticide that is toxic to bees; in response, she plants a garden with native wildflowers. Rafael and Maya are intriguing characters, and Scaletta sensitively limns their concerns and circumstances. Credibility-straining plot twists, including Maya writing a post on her sister's blog that goes viral, and an email friendship with one of Rafael's friends, bring Rafael and Maya together. Readers will root for both protagonists, but there's a little too much going on here, with a few too many coincidences. VERDICT This lacks the humor of Audrey Vernick's Screaming at the Ump or the high drama of Paul Volponi's Game Seven, but thoughtful readers who enjoy compelling characters and learning about how baseball is played in other countries may appreciate this title.—Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

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