Curveball

In this uplifting graphic novel, Cartaya (The Last Beekeeper) and Diaz Rivas (the FGTeeV series) chronicle the trials and tribulations of baseball-playing Latinx middle schooler Elena Rueda. Though she loves the sport and is a skilled player—and the only girl on her team—her mother’s single-minded focus on furthering Elena’s career forces Elena to consider leaving the diamond. A tweaked medial collateral ligament prevents her from attending a summer baseball clinic, which seems like a blessing in disguise—until she realizes that she doesn’t have friends to spend her downtime with. But a summer LARPing with her younger brother Benji may be the spark to get her back on the field. The conflict between Elena’s prodigious skill and her own desires, complicated by her mother’s hovering, presents a moving take on the struggles of growing up surrounded by the pressure to succeed and lacking the opportunity to explore different facets of oneself. By centering Benji’s fanciful hobbies and rendering the siblings’ individual challenges via vibrant color and kinetic movement, this grounded tale of self-discovery transcends a rote sports narrative. Ages 8–12. Author’s agent: Jessica Regel, Helm Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Atlanta Japp, Advocate Art. (May)