Gr 7–9—Sonnenblick adds to his growing list of distinguished YA novels with this tale of a youngster whose dreams of baseball glory are crushed when an injury ruins his pitching arm. Realizing that his baseball career is over, Peter Friedman, 13, turns to sports photography, in emulation of his beloved grandfather, who was a professional photographer. It soon becomes evident, however, that Grampa is slipping into senility. Peter feels that his parents are unwilling to accept this reality, and so he attempts to deal with his grandfather's growing impairment on his own, with near-catastrophic results. He also keeps the extent of his arm injury secret from his best friend, the popular and outgoing AJ, who continues to make plans for their mutual success on the diamond. With the help of wise and sassy Angelika, a fellow photographer, Peter confronts the evasions and equivocations he has used to avoid dealing with the difficult issues in his life. Peter's development flows naturally out of the action of the novel, and the lessons he learns seem like an integral part of the characters' interaction. The dialogue sparkles, and Peter's conversations with the randy, politically incorrect AJ are often laugh-out-loud funny. Another winner that can be confidently recommended to readers, athletes or not.—Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT
The start of Peter’s freshman year is marked by twin tragedies: a serious arm injury during a baseball game means his pitching days are over, and his beloved grandfather, a photographer who taught Peter how to shoot, is losing his memory. Peter tries to keep the extent of both problems hidden—the first from his best friend and fellow pitcher, AJ, and the second from his mother, per his grandfather’s request. But his secrets prove harder and harder to keep, especially when his new girlfriend and fellow photography enthusiast, Angelika, gives him an ultimatum, and his deteriorating grandfather ends up in an emergency situation. Sonnenblick’s story may be straightforward, but Peter’s natural and self-effacing narrative voice makes it sing. The novel is populated with kind, vulnerable characters who care about each other (mellow San from Zen and the Art of Faking It even makes an appearance), and the thoroughly enjoyable mix of sports, art, family drama, and budding romance will have readers invested in Peter’s struggles to accept his new world and appreciate what he has. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)
Praise for Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie:"A brave book . . . Jordan Sonnenblick carries it off with such charm and elan, you forget for a moment your heart is breaking." —Frank McCourt, author of Angela's Ashes* "Sonnenblick shows that even in the midst of tragedy, life goes on, love can flower, and the one thing you can always change is yourself." —Booklist, starred review"The reader falls in love with the brothers, laughing and crying by turns and rooting for both of them until it almost hurts." —Kirkus ReviewsPraise for After Ever After:* "As hilarious as it is tragic, and as honest as it is hopeful, don't confuse this book with inspirational reading. It's irresistible reading." —Booklist, starred review* "Sonnenblick's intimate first-person tale of survival . . . will leave an emotional, uplifting imprint." —School Library Journal, starred review"Jordan Sonnenblick continues Jeffrey's story in his signature style using an authentic teenage voice and laugh-out-loud humor." —TeensReadToo.comPraise for Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip: "Jordan Sonnenblick scores a home run with Curveball as he continues what he does best: getting to the core of issues that resonate with teens in a style that's direct and witty." —Book Page * "Sonnenblick again shows an adept ability to tackle big-deal life issues, treat them seriously and believably, and filter them into a high-spirited, even fun story." —Booklist, starred review* "The novel is populated with kind, vulnerable characters who care about each other, and the thoroughly enjoyable mix of sports, art, family drama, and budding romance will have readers invested in Peter's struggles to accept his new world..." —Publishers Weekly, starred reviewPraise for Notes from the Midnight Driver:* "[A] funny, bittersweet tour de force." —Booklist, starred review* "Readers [will be] nodding with recognition, sighing in sympathy, and gasping with laughter—often on the same page." —The Horn Book, starred review* "Sonnenblick revisits several key themes from his debut novel, Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie, to even greater effect here." —Publishers Weekly, starred reviewPraise for Zen and the Art of Faking It:* "Wildly funny." — Kliatt, starred review"This light-hearted situation comedy is peppered with genuine Zen insight." —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books"Hilarious and heart-wrenching." —Kirkus Reviews"The writing is fresh, the characters appealing, and it looks like the author has another hit." —Oakland Tribune
Can a high school freshman be in need of a comeback? Peter, a ninth grader who's good at baseball and photography, needs one badly. His beloved grandpa is forgetting things, his parents are distracted, his pitching elbow is injured, and he's just met a girl. So how can he get back in the game? Luke Daniels's warm take on Peter brings the teen to life and gives the story depth. Not so much a sports story, this is a story of sportsmanship: "You must play every game like it's your final shot at the World Series." It turns out that sports is a metaphor for life—when you put your heart into it. M.M.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine
When Peter Friedman injures his arm the summer before starting high school, and the doctors tell him he will never pitch again, his life is turned upside down. Not only has Peter's pitching career gone down the tubes, his beloved grandfather is showing signs of Alzheimer's disease. Grampa, a well-known photographer, has taught Peter much of what he knows about the craft, which comes in handy when Peter takes a photography elective at school. There he meets Angelika, a girl with the most amazing pale blue eyes, and she becomes Peter's on-and-off-again girlfriend and moral compass throughout the story as he learns to handle high-school life, his disappointment over not playing ball, his grampa's decline and his first relationship with a girl. The first-person point of view works well for getting readers inside Peter's head, and his narration is poignant and frequently humorous, but the story as a whole doesn't quite cohere: Grampa's words of guidance and wisdom eventually feel didactic; it's never quite believable that it takes months for Peter to tell his best friend his arm will not heal, and he'll never play ball again; and Angelika is, oddly, too off-camera as the story ends. Still, Peter is a likable narrator for a satisfying story with heart. (Fiction. 12 & up)
