Softball Surprise

by Jake Maddox, Katie Wood (Illustrator), Leigh McDonald (Contributor)

Jo can't wait for the summer softball league to start. She knows this will be the year she's on a winning team. But when she finds out some surprising information, Jo has to decide between the team that wins and the team she's come to love.

Genres: Sports

72 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Who is Jake Maddox? Athlete, author, world-traveler–or all three? He has surfed in Hawaii, scuba-dived in Australia, and climbed the mountains of Peru and Alaska. His books range from the most popular team sports to outdoor activities to survival adventures and even to auto racing. His exploits have inspired numerous writers to walk in his footsteps–literally! Each of his stories is stamped with teamwork, fair play, and a strong sense of self-worth and discipline. Always a team-player, Maddox realizes it takes more than one man (or woman) to create a book good enough for a young reader. He hopes the lessons learned on the court, field, or arena and the champion sprinter pace of his books can motivate kids to become better athletes and lifelong readers.

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complimentary copy provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review written by Peyton, my 10 year old daughter.

Softball Surprise is the story of a girl named Jo and how she is always on a losing team. But when she finds out that the team that always wins is handpicked of only the best players and coaches, she is shocked. When Jo is picked to substitute for the shortstop on the winning team who broke her finger, she has to choose between a guaranteed win with the new team, or risk the chance of losing with the team she has come to love. I liked this book because I play softball so I can understand Jo’s dilemma, it’s not fun to lose. I also liked it because it’s a story about a girl that could have had a sure thing, but chose to go with her heart, and what she felt was right.

Softball Surprise is a book that says you should always go with the thing you love, that it is okay to take chances. I also liked the glossary of softball terms in the back, it would be helpful to someone who doesn’t play. A definite five star book, I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series!

[amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, it teaches softball players like me the value of a team and teamwork.

[Taylor Paull · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how this book brings attention to a sport that doesn't get a ton of recognition but, I would of liked to see the illustrations be more realistic. Playing softball myself for 12 years. I know that you get sweaty, dirty, and your hair usually ends up in a knot by the end of the game. In this book, the players appear to be wearing makeup and have their hair done. To me, this isn't a true representation of the game and portrays Softball as being a typical "girl" sport instead of being competitive, dirty, and thrilling. That being said, I loved the story line and the connection it will make to children who play the sport.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the book was a great sports books for an age (and sport) that may not got a lot attention. My big problem with this book were the illustrations. The girls looked way more mature than the age I would assume them to be and they were so done up the whole time. They are playing softball and wearing what looks like makeup and their hair is all styled. Who plays softball and has her bangs in her face and styled perfectly? I'm trying to move past it to recommend it to kids, but I'm having a tough go at this.

[Keith Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and inspiring

This is a great book for readers whether you play softball or not. The experiences and feelings Jo Adler has are very realistic and add great authenticity to this sweet book.

A must read!

[Marylynn Antoine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because it shows the the main character is strong, honest and independent. She is a good leader. It was a really easy book to read and it's worth 1.0 AR point. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes to read or any beginner reader. It took about 15_20 minuets to read.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid early chapter book for young readers. I love seeing a book about competitive sports involving girls and the main character is drawn as a person of color.

[Alexis Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it but I think it should have been longer because I finished it in three of my classes at school and I don't finish books that fast unless it's a picture book. I really liked though.

[Zachary S]

I think this book is a 5 star book I think who ever is a girl that likes sports should read this book it does init care if you don't like this sport. I think that if you don't like this sport you will love it after you read the book.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was quite exciting. My youngest stated she could really relate to some of the situations and it actually made her want to play the game.