The Girls Strike Back: The Making of the Pink Parrots

With its catchy title, splashy cover and colorful cast of characters, this novel gets the Pink Parrots series off to a running start. Tired of sitting on the bench during her coed baseball team's games, Amy (aka Breezy) Hawk decides to form her own all-girl team. But the spunky girl has to overcome a few obstacles--like recruiting players and locating a team sponsor. Her search for the former turns up an unlikely crew, including her boy-crazy cousin, Jazz, who does handstands and other gymnastic feats in the outfield; and Crystal, an aspiring dancer who sets out to learn baseball from a how-to book. Breezy is about to give up on finding a sponsor when Ro, the energetic, eccentric owner of the Pink Parrot beauty parlor, volunteers her services--and takes over as coach. Proboz's lively account of the girls' antics on the field will amuse even those readers who have never warmed to baseball. The scene is set for a peppier-than-average series that is likely to be a hit. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)