The Sweet Spot

A tween baseball player wrestles with toxic masculinity and feelings of abandonment in this insightful novel from Vickers (Half Moon Summer). Middle schooler Trip looks forward to a carefree summer hanging out with his friends and winning the Cedar Valley Little League championship with the same team his father played on during his own childhood. But when Trip’s dad—a Marine Corps soldier who had been in reserve—is deployed, Trip feels dejected about being left at home with his three sisters and their devoted, career-focused mother. Charged by his dad with taking care of the family, Trip grapples with whether such responsibility is “something a twelve-year-old kid can do.” His sense of identity is further unsettled when newcomer Sam, a skilled and determined baseball player, becomes the first girl to join his all-boys team, challenging Trip’s assumptions about gender roles. As the season intensifies, Trip and Sam forge a quick friendship, and Trip reevaluates what strength, leadership, and care can look like, both on and off the field. Measured prose balances pulse-pounding baseball scenes with a thoughtful exploration of family dynamics and personal growth, presenting an earnest story anchored by a well-drawn, white-cued cast and a protagonist striving to do right by himself and others. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Aevitas Creative Management. (May)