Fast Pitch

by Nic Stone (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone comes a challenging and heartwarming coming-of-age story about a softball player looking to prove herself on and off the field.

Shenice Lockwood, captain of the Fulton Firebirds, is hyper-focused when she steps up to the plate. Nothing can stop her from leading her team to the U12 fast-pitch softball regional championship. But life has thrown some curveballs her way.

Strike one: As the sole team of all-brown faces, Shenice and the Firebirds have to work twice as hard to prove that Black girls belong at bat.

Strike two: Shenice's focus gets shaken when her great-uncle Jack reveals that a career-ending--and family-name-ruining--crime may have been a setup.

Strike three: Broken focus means mistakes on the field. And Shenice's teammates are beginning to wonder if she's captain-qualified.

It's up to Shenice to discover the truth about her family's past--and fast--before secrets take the Firebirds out of the game forever.

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$8.99

Kirkus

Starred Review
A grand slam of an adventure.

ALA/Booklist

Tensions are high as the plot bounces between gameplay and sleuthing, ultimately reaching a satisfying conclusion.... Readers of all ages will cheer for Shenice

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Nic Stone
Nic Stone is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Dear Martin and Odd One Out. She was born and raised in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, and the only thing she loves more than an adventure is a good story about one. After graduating from Spelman College, she worked extensively in teen mentoring and lived in Israel for a few years before returning to the US to write full-time. Growing up with a wide range of cultures, religions, and backgrounds, she strives to bring these diverse voices and stories to her work. Learn more at nicstone.info.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781984893017
Lexile Measure
790
Guided Reading Level
23
Publisher
Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication date
August 20, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV011010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JUV039120 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Prejudice & Racism
Library of Congress categories
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