Curveball The Year I Lost My Grip 

by Jordan Sonnenblick

I had read a couple of Sonnenblick books previously, but this is my favorite now. To be fair, I played college baseball and have a tendency to be a little sappy when it comes to sports books and movies. I shed a tear every time I watch Rudy, The Blindside, and a bunch of others.

Life throws us all curveballs. We dream, we plan, we want, we expect, and then life happens and you either go with it or you mire in the misery of what can't be controlled. Peter Friedman had a plan. He worked hard, got good grades, and loved spending time with his family. He shared a special connection with his grandfather who taught him everything he knows about photography. He was living his dreams.

Suddenly, every thing began to change. Peter, a Freshmen in high school, is forced to accept some new realities that he would have never even dreamed of before. Will he embrace new opportunities that come his way and forge a new path or wallow in the anger, frustration, and self-pity that come with unwanted change?

Sonneblick once again creates unique and fantastic characters. Characters you can care about and identify with. In my latest book, Little Land of Loose Ends, I tackled the topic of Alzheimer's Disease with the help of a dear friend. Her family rose to the challenges it presented to her and her family and made the best of difficult challenges. Sonneblick takes on the same topic in his book and I can only hope readers feel I did half as good a job as he did sharing information about Alzheimer's. 

A fantastic read for sixth grade students through Freshmen in high school or adults that love middle-grade works.

Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐