The Laura Line

Laura Dyson loves three things in life:  fashion and modeling, baseball, and that chunky hunky Troy Bailey!  Kids at school make fun of her because she's a little overweight, Troy barely acknowledges her existence, and she's never told anyone outside of her family about loving baseball.  She doesn't want to give them any more ammunition to use against her--a girl pitching baseball.

Despite this, Laura is pretty happy.  She has her best friend, Sage, for support.  Everything goes wrong when she has to spend two weeks with her grandmother at the farm while her parents are away at their National Guard training.  Heck to the double no!  Laura knows her grandmother will bore her to tears with all her talk about the slave shack and the Laura Line.  She doesn't see why anyone would be proud of that symbol of injustice in her family.  Plus, her grandmother knows nothing about baseball!

But Laura doesn't have a choice, and with Sage making a play for the more popular kids(doesn't she see they're just using her?), and Troy and his dad taking care of her grandmother's yard (sweet mother of chunky hunkies!), and a class field trip to the slave shack (oh, heck to the double no), her life is about to be turned upside down.

Crystal Allen's new book is about staying true to yourself and finding strength and courage in those who came before.  Don't miss the author at the book festival this Saturday!

Baseball Great

Josh is the new kid at Grant Middle School, but things are starting off pretty well.  A reporter for the school paper (who happens to be a cute girl who knows a lot about sports) has written an article praising his baseball talents and predicting a winning season.  He even has a best friend, Benji.

Unfortunately, he also has an enemy who is bigger and stronger and who thinks Josh is trying to steal his girlfriend.  And he's about to get a lot more enemies when his dad gets him a place on Rocky Valentine's U14 travel team.  Josh wants to play with his friends, but his dad thinks this is his best chance for a future career in the majors.  Plus Rocky Valentine gave him a job, too.

The Titans are scary big and intense.  Josh is intimidated and exhausted, but Rocky's supplements and workouts are making him stronger.

When a member of the team offers him something than the supplements to improve his game and the team's prospects, Josh is in a difficult position.  He doesn't want to risk his health, but he doesn't want to get his father in trouble, too.

Josh and his friends will have to rely on each to find the truth against an enemy more dangerous than any they've faced before.

Read the latest book from Tim Green for a story packed with sports, mystery, and danger!

Watch the video below to hear Tim Green talk about what makes a good story.

Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip

This is the newest book by Jordan Sonnenblick, author of Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie and other fabulous books.  Curveball has the same energy and tone as the others as Sonnenblick's characters face life's disasters with humor and sensitivity.

Peter Friedman loves baseball.  He and his best friend AJ have been pitching and catching on the same team since they were kids, but just as they are on the cusp of what they know will be their brilliant high school careers, Peter faces a devastating injury that will impact his ability to play baseball forever.

But he does have one more thing going for him, photography.  Peter's grandfather has been sharing his love of photography with him his whole life, and the two are close friends beyond the lens.  One day on a photography trip something strange happens to Gramps.  It's like he's just gone for a few minutes, and things get worse from there.

So instead of starting high school on a high Peter is beginning with the specter of his injury and his worries about Gramps hanging over him.

Even with all this, there is Angelika, the really cute girl who keeps flirting with him and the hope of something other than baseball to love.

Will Peter be able to handle life's curveball, or will completely lose his grip?  Read the book to find out!