Through to You

Former baseball star Penn Mattingly can have any girl he wants at school, while Harper Fairbanks is a nice, smart girl who always does the right thing—like staying away from boys like Penn. On a whim, Penn tosses Harper a flirty note, and suddenly the two are involved in a romance. Penn intrigues Harper, but she’s skeptical about his interest in her and nervous about what might happen between them. Penn tries not to fall for Harper (he has problems at home with his father and is mourning a lost future in baseball after an injury), but each time he pushes her away, he finds himself begging her to forgive him. Writing in alternating points of view, Barnholdt (Sometimes It Happens) sets up romantic situations—batting lessons, evening picnics, carnivals—that are the stuff of high school dreams. Despite the characters’ reluctance to fall for the other, Penn turns out to be a guy to root for, while Harper remains kind, confident, and intelligent. A sweet, straightforward romance with the expected bumps along the way. Ages 14–up. [em]Agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, Trident Media Group. (July)[/em]