Gabby Garcia’s Ultimate Playbook

From the opening pages of her story, baseball-obsessed seventh-grader Gabby Garcia makes it clear that her book is not a diary but a playbook, because “playbooks are how you make things happen.” And Gabby is all about making things happen for herself: she’s the star pitcher on her school’s baseball team, but when a “severe asbestos situation” forces the immediate closure of her school, Gabby is sent to a private school where the baseball team already has a great pitcher. Confident to the point of cocky, Gabby is sure that the team will be begging for her services, but when she finally gets on the team, things don’t go as she had hoped (“even though I have what’s called a ‘big personality,’ I feel like it’s not working for me here”). Gabby’s satisfying journey toward gaining a more team-focused attitude is narrated in a wry and witty voice that ought to win over many readers, sports fans or not. Kissi’s comics-style spot illustrations (not all seen by PW) appear throughout. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Fonda Snyder. Illustrator’s agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Group. (May)