Beverly Billingsly Can't Catch

Practice makes perfect in Beverly Billingsly Can't Catch by Alexander Stadler, the third outing for this irrepressible heroine. Beverly loves softball (""she could stand in right field and sing as loud as she wanted, or watch butterflies""), never considering why she and her friend Oliver always get picked last for the team. As the two set out to shirk their ""loser"" status (coached by their favorite librarian), they become the very models for ""practice makes perfect."" Hilarious writing (""Oliver was standing somewhere that didn't even have a name"") and useful softball tips (""Never run backward; it's dangerous and slow"") add further appeal.