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The Girl Who Threw Butterflies
For an eighth grader, Molly Williams has more than her fair share of problems. Her father has just died in a car accident, and her mother has become a withdrawn, quiet version of herself.
Molly doesn't want to be seen as "Miss Difficulty Overcome"; she wants to make herself known to the kids at school for something other than her father's death. So she decides to join the baseball team. The boys' baseball team. Her father taught her how to throw a knuckleball, and Molly hopes it's enough to impress her coaches as well as her new teammates.
Over the course of one baseball season, Molly must figure out how to redefine her relationships to things she loves, loved, and might love: her mother; her brilliant best friend, Celia; her father; her enigmatic and artistic teammate, Lonnie; and of course, baseball.
Mick Cochrane is a professor of English and the Lowery Writer-in-Residence at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, where he lives with his wife and two sons.
Molly doesn't want to be seen as "Miss Difficulty Overcome"; she wants to make herself known to the kids at school for something other than her father's death. So she decides to join the baseball team. The boys' baseball team. Her father taught her how to throw a knuckleball, and Molly hopes it's enough to impress her coaches as well as her new teammates.
Over the course of one baseball season, Molly must figure out how to redefine her relationships to things she loves, loved, and might love: her mother; her brilliant best friend, Celia; her father; her enigmatic and artistic teammate, Lonnie; and of course, baseball.
Mick Cochrane is a professor of English and the Lowery Writer-in-Residence at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, where he lives with his wife and two sons.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
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October 23, 2010
What a great book to read as the Giants are working hard to become this year’s National League entry in the World Series. Knowing about baseball is not a requirement for enjoying ‘The Girl Who Threw Butterflies,’ however.
A supporting character, Celia, could care less about baseball, and Celia is just as cool as cool can be. Mick Cochrane could have written a book about Celia. Baseball is only important to her because Molly, the girl of the title, the knuckleball pitcher, is her best friend. Celia calls knuckleballs mothballs.
Molly wants to pitch on her elementary school’s baseball team, the real baseball team as opposed to the girls’ softball team. ‘You’re a pioneer,’ Celia tells her. ‘You’re like one of the pioneers we read about during Women’s History Month.’ Categorizing ‘The Girl Who Threw Butterflies’ as a girl-power novel, though, would be doing it just as much a disservice as calling it a sports novel.
Sports and gender equality are important to ‘The Girl Who Threw Butterflies’ but not as important as the story. It’s a story about families, about eighth grade boys and girls, about adults and children, about death and loss, about friendships, about never really knowing your friends or your enemies, and about finding out who you are. If the book is making a point, it’s to pay attention, to look closely, to work hard on the details.
‘Baseball is all about doing little things right,’ Coach Morales tells his team, fourteen boys and one girl. And doing little things right turns out to be a sort of salvation, a balm for Molly’s sad and troubled soul.
Mick Cochrane certainly does little things right. Like his careful characterization of the coach, ‘slightly geeky’ in the school corridors, who becomes a graceful athlete on the baseball field: ‘He sounded like a drill instructor who’d studied Zen, or maybe hypnotism, like one of those perky TV fitness gurus but heavily tranquilized.’
Or like Cochrane’s spot-on observation on the way mothers and fathers interact with their children: ‘After a certain point, every kid knows what his parents are going to say. It’s what makes them so exasperating—and lovable, too.’
‘The Girl Who Threw Butterflies’ has it all—Cochrane’s lyrical and witty writing, unforgettable characters, parts that make you laugh out loud, and parts that bring tears to your eyes.
Highly recommended for fifth graders on up.
A supporting character, Celia, could care less about baseball, and Celia is just as cool as cool can be. Mick Cochrane could have written a book about Celia. Baseball is only important to her because Molly, the girl of the title, the knuckleball pitcher, is her best friend. Celia calls knuckleballs mothballs.
Molly wants to pitch on her elementary school’s baseball team, the real baseball team as opposed to the girls’ softball team. ‘You’re a pioneer,’ Celia tells her. ‘You’re like one of the pioneers we read about during Women’s History Month.’ Categorizing ‘The Girl Who Threw Butterflies’ as a girl-power novel, though, would be doing it just as much a disservice as calling it a sports novel.
Sports and gender equality are important to ‘The Girl Who Threw Butterflies’ but not as important as the story. It’s a story about families, about eighth grade boys and girls, about adults and children, about death and loss, about friendships, about never really knowing your friends or your enemies, and about finding out who you are. If the book is making a point, it’s to pay attention, to look closely, to work hard on the details.
‘Baseball is all about doing little things right,’ Coach Morales tells his team, fourteen boys and one girl. And doing little things right turns out to be a sort of salvation, a balm for Molly’s sad and troubled soul.
Mick Cochrane certainly does little things right. Like his careful characterization of the coach, ‘slightly geeky’ in the school corridors, who becomes a graceful athlete on the baseball field: ‘He sounded like a drill instructor who’d studied Zen, or maybe hypnotism, like one of those perky TV fitness gurus but heavily tranquilized.’
Or like Cochrane’s spot-on observation on the way mothers and fathers interact with their children: ‘After a certain point, every kid knows what his parents are going to say. It’s what makes them so exasperating—and lovable, too.’
‘The Girl Who Threw Butterflies’ has it all—Cochrane’s lyrical and witty writing, unforgettable characters, parts that make you laugh out loud, and parts that bring tears to your eyes.
Highly recommended for fifth graders on up.
November 30, 2009
Molly Williams learned to throw a knuckleball pitch from her father. The two of them spent hours bonding over games of catch and watching baseball on TV as Molly grew up. But now Molly’s father is gone – he died in a car accident a few months ago and 8th grader Molly is alone in her grief. Her workaholic, distracted mother is unavailable emotionally, and Molly just can’t relate to her former teammates on the girls softball team any more. Impulsively, she tries out for the school baseball team as a way of expressing her true self, using her pitching talent and honoring the memory of her father. Molly’s efforts to be accepted as the only girl on the team and to simultaneously work through the loss of her father are realistically chronicled in this short, poignant novel. Like the unpredictable flight of a knuckleball pitch (“Each floating and fluttering pitch was a little miracle. It was all about surprise”), Molly deals with sadness, anger, self-doubt and prejudice -- but also exhilaration, acceptance and reconciliation. Along the way she gets support from a loyal best friend, a caring coach, and the unexpected friendship of Lonnie, a catcher on the baseball team who understands what it’s like to lose a parent, albeit through divorce.
Molly’s voice rings true, and author Mick Cochrane does a fine job of capturing the experience of an adolescent who unexpectedly loses a parent. Secondary characters are well-developed, and Cochrane succeeds in combining gentle humor, sports action and touching emotional moments (as when Molly surreptitiously sneaks into her father’s clothes closet and tries on his favorite brown corduroy jacket). This book would be an especially good choice for teens dealing with a loss of their own, but will provide important insight into the grief process for all readers. Both boys and girls will care about Molly and find themselves rooting for her to succeed. The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is an excellent addition to any middle school library.
Molly’s voice rings true, and author Mick Cochrane does a fine job of capturing the experience of an adolescent who unexpectedly loses a parent. Secondary characters are well-developed, and Cochrane succeeds in combining gentle humor, sports action and touching emotional moments (as when Molly surreptitiously sneaks into her father’s clothes closet and tries on his favorite brown corduroy jacket). This book would be an especially good choice for teens dealing with a loss of their own, but will provide important insight into the grief process for all readers. Both boys and girls will care about Molly and find themselves rooting for her to succeed. The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is an excellent addition to any middle school library.
June 22, 2019
As eighth grader Molly Williams struggles to come to terms with the recent death of her father, killed in a car accident a number of months before, and to deal with her distant mother, who seems to be going through the motions of life on autopilot, she finds in baseball - her father's passion, and her own - something that gives her a sense of community and allows her to feel connected once again to her dad. Her talent for throwing "butterflies" (AKA knuckleballs) wins her a spot on the boys' baseball team, which brings its own series of challenges, as well as an unexpected new friendship.
Chosen as our January selection in The Children's Fiction Book Club to which I belong, Mick Cochrane's The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is an engaging tale of a young girl and her home and school life. The cast of characters, from Molly herself to her group of friends - Molly's best friend Celia, with her fierce independence and pet projects, her new friend and teammate Lonnie, with his penchant for turning everything into art - is well drawn. I appreciated the fact that the heroine confronts real issues - the loss of her father, being the only girl on a boys' sports team - and that those issues bring problems, without those problems overwhelming the narrative. I also appreciated the author's evident love for and knowledge of baseball. I don't know that I connected as deeply with the story as some other readers seem to have done, but I did appreciate it, both as a narrative of childhood loss, and as a children's sports novel. Recommended to middle grade readers who have themselves experienced such a loss, and to those looking for engaging sports stories.
Chosen as our January selection in The Children's Fiction Book Club to which I belong, Mick Cochrane's The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is an engaging tale of a young girl and her home and school life. The cast of characters, from Molly herself to her group of friends - Molly's best friend Celia, with her fierce independence and pet projects, her new friend and teammate Lonnie, with his penchant for turning everything into art - is well drawn. I appreciated the fact that the heroine confronts real issues - the loss of her father, being the only girl on a boys' sports team - and that those issues bring problems, without those problems overwhelming the narrative. I also appreciated the author's evident love for and knowledge of baseball. I don't know that I connected as deeply with the story as some other readers seem to have done, but I did appreciate it, both as a narrative of childhood loss, and as a children's sports novel. Recommended to middle grade readers who have themselves experienced such a loss, and to those looking for engaging sports stories.
September 19, 2017
Mick Cochrane is the author of “The Girl Who Threw Butterflies,” a young adult sports fiction novel. The story follows the life of a middle school girl who loves baseball. Molly Williams, the main character, must deal with the loss of her father after he died in a tragic accident. Her relationship with her mother deteriorates as her mom withdraws herself while grieving. Molly and her father were very close and he taught her all she knew about baseball. Molly then decides she wants to join the baseball team at her school. With the help of her quirky best friend Celia, Molly tries her best to become part of the team and show everyone she may be a girl, but that will not stop her from accomplishing her goal. It is during her time playing ball that she develops a friendship with a boy named Lonnie and she embarks on this journey of becoming a part of the school baseball team.
I really liked that the author used figurative language throughout the book. Through various parts of the story, I was able to identify similes and metaphors that really added to the book’s story. Furthermore, I enjoyed that the main character, Molly was a very persistent character that did not give up easily. Her character was developed to be strong and have perseverance. I enjoyed the connections the book made to women who did extraordinary things that the world would not expect because this added to the importance of Molly’s achievement.
I think this book is a great whole class read because the storyline is very interesting. This book could be used for literature circles because there are various aspects of the book that could be discussed with students such as theme and figurative language. Although it is a sports story, I don’t think that you need to know much about sports to follow along. I personally do not know anything about sports, but I did not find the sports talk confusing as the book did a great job at explaining the concepts of baseball. I would certainly use this book for a 7th grade ELA classroom and I would even use it in a social studies classroom if the curriculum discussed sports history because the book does discuss famous baseball players.
January 4, 2009
So, a story about a girl who tries out for the boys' baseball team... nothing new here, right? Soooo wrong! This is the sweetest, most touching story I have read in a while. While she struggles with normal 8th grade stuff, she also struggles with the death of her father and the aloofness of her mother. Her constant memories of the father that we never meet in the book and how he taught her the game of baseball are wonderful.
This book is full of beautiful analogies and symbolism that would be great for teaching writing. The main one is that her father taught her that to throw a knuckleball, you had to release it like you were releasing a butterfly. This reference comes up many times in the book, including at the end. The whole metamorphasis theme comes through loud and clear. The coccoon of childhood is also referred to many times, along with the need to escape from that coccoon as you get older.
But my favorite quote is the one where Molly says that you can't truly appreciate something and possess it at the same time (referring to her father, her mother's old carefree ways, her childhood, and her childhood home). She states, "To love it, you first have to lose it." Such a sad thought, but such a true sentiment in so many ways. And so true to what an 8th grader about-to-go-to-high-school feels about life as a "child" vs life as a "grown up" teenager.
This book would be a nice one to read in middle school.
This book is full of beautiful analogies and symbolism that would be great for teaching writing. The main one is that her father taught her that to throw a knuckleball, you had to release it like you were releasing a butterfly. This reference comes up many times in the book, including at the end. The whole metamorphasis theme comes through loud and clear. The coccoon of childhood is also referred to many times, along with the need to escape from that coccoon as you get older.
But my favorite quote is the one where Molly says that you can't truly appreciate something and possess it at the same time (referring to her father, her mother's old carefree ways, her childhood, and her childhood home). She states, "To love it, you first have to lose it." Such a sad thought, but such a true sentiment in so many ways. And so true to what an 8th grader about-to-go-to-high-school feels about life as a "child" vs life as a "grown up" teenager.
This book would be a nice one to read in middle school.
January 9, 2020
"The most important stuff, what was closest to the bone, was just what you never talked about. There were no words for it...The trivial and silly is what you spend your day chatting about. You could ask your friends how they liked your hair, but you could never ask them what you really wanted to know: Is there hope for me, yes or no?"
—The Girl Who Threw Butterflies, P. 5
I have read many of the newly published books from 2009, and I must say that this is one of the very best Newbery eligible volumes of the year.
At first glance one might be tempted to dismiss The Girl Who Threw Butterflies as a baseball book, a sports book, something that would only really appeal to boys. It is so much more than a read for reluctant young readers who are athletes, though. Author Mick Cochrane writes with insight that burrows deep to the core of the human heart, revealing in ourselves thoughts that we might have never found the language to adequately express before, as he shows us the person that his lead character, Molly, really is.
Molly's life as she now knows it really is defined by the tragic accidental death of her father, and I think that in a very real way, her desire to use the knuckleball pitch that she has mastered over the years is more than just the natural way that an athletic girl implements the skills that her father helped her to hone. Her attempt to make the boy's baseball team on the back of her unusual pitching skill is a silent outpouring of grief, a way to try to fill the void that her father's death has caused, by doing something officially (i.e., baseball on a team, as opposed to simply playing around on her own with bat and ball) that reminds her of her father. Because of this, the reality of sadness can be felt throughout her whole experience, and it serves as a powerful emotional undercurrent to the story.
As I said before, this really isn't a baseball book. The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is about a girl who is totally lost and has been that way for the past six months, a girl who doesn't even know what her life is supposed to mean anymore after the subtraction of her father. How can she keep on going after a tragedy like that, and try to reform her family of two into a new structure that can still function sufficiently without its vital third piece? How is she to recalibrate her dreams for her own life, now that the whole thing has gone irretrievably so far off from its original course?
Molly doesn't want to sit around and think about these things, and it is when she decides to try out for the boy's baseball team at school that the healing process for all that she has lost finally begins to work. It is slow going and Molly knows that nothing she can do will erase the mark left by her father's absence, but maybe she can find a way forward, anyway, with the help of an old friend and a new friend who join her in putting her life back on track.
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies doesn't contain the kind of electric, suspenseful sportswriting that one can find from the likes of Robert Cormier and Edward Bloor. It is, however, a tremendously potent emotional journey that manufactures no miracles to find its solutions, and gives Molly the dignity of an unfinished ending. The book leads us toward the horizon of her future and, without taking us across that line, offers a glimmer of what her life might be like as she continues to work hard to deal with her losses, never relinquishing herself or her affection for those that make up her new "family."
I highly recommend The Girl Who Threw Butterflies as one of the best books of the year for younger readers. I would even consider augmenting my rating to three and a half stars.
—The Girl Who Threw Butterflies, P. 5
I have read many of the newly published books from 2009, and I must say that this is one of the very best Newbery eligible volumes of the year.
At first glance one might be tempted to dismiss The Girl Who Threw Butterflies as a baseball book, a sports book, something that would only really appeal to boys. It is so much more than a read for reluctant young readers who are athletes, though. Author Mick Cochrane writes with insight that burrows deep to the core of the human heart, revealing in ourselves thoughts that we might have never found the language to adequately express before, as he shows us the person that his lead character, Molly, really is.
Molly's life as she now knows it really is defined by the tragic accidental death of her father, and I think that in a very real way, her desire to use the knuckleball pitch that she has mastered over the years is more than just the natural way that an athletic girl implements the skills that her father helped her to hone. Her attempt to make the boy's baseball team on the back of her unusual pitching skill is a silent outpouring of grief, a way to try to fill the void that her father's death has caused, by doing something officially (i.e., baseball on a team, as opposed to simply playing around on her own with bat and ball) that reminds her of her father. Because of this, the reality of sadness can be felt throughout her whole experience, and it serves as a powerful emotional undercurrent to the story.
As I said before, this really isn't a baseball book. The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is about a girl who is totally lost and has been that way for the past six months, a girl who doesn't even know what her life is supposed to mean anymore after the subtraction of her father. How can she keep on going after a tragedy like that, and try to reform her family of two into a new structure that can still function sufficiently without its vital third piece? How is she to recalibrate her dreams for her own life, now that the whole thing has gone irretrievably so far off from its original course?
Molly doesn't want to sit around and think about these things, and it is when she decides to try out for the boy's baseball team at school that the healing process for all that she has lost finally begins to work. It is slow going and Molly knows that nothing she can do will erase the mark left by her father's absence, but maybe she can find a way forward, anyway, with the help of an old friend and a new friend who join her in putting her life back on track.
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies doesn't contain the kind of electric, suspenseful sportswriting that one can find from the likes of Robert Cormier and Edward Bloor. It is, however, a tremendously potent emotional journey that manufactures no miracles to find its solutions, and gives Molly the dignity of an unfinished ending. The book leads us toward the horizon of her future and, without taking us across that line, offers a glimmer of what her life might be like as she continues to work hard to deal with her losses, never relinquishing herself or her affection for those that make up her new "family."
I highly recommend The Girl Who Threw Butterflies as one of the best books of the year for younger readers. I would even consider augmenting my rating to three and a half stars.
September 20, 2017
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is a delightful YA sports fiction novel, written by Mick Cochrane, that captivates the reader in its dealings with family, friends, loss, and determination. 8th grade is proving to be quite the tumultuous year for protagonist, Molly Williams. Dealing with her father's passing six months prior and her mother's solemn, methodical withdrawal from life, Molly finds solace in baseball. Due to her excellent pitching skills, she is put on the on the boys' baseball team, where she must navigate and endure bullying, misogynistic ideas, and passive aggression from teammates in order to maintain her spot on the team. With the help of her best friend, Celia, and fellow teammate, Lonnie, Molly embarks on an exciting adventure. She discovers allies in the most unlikely people, reconnects with her mother, and throws a few butterfly balls along the way.
I really enjoyed reading this novel due to its realistic depiction of teenage girl quandaries. Molly Williams is an 8th grade girl who has never really fit in with the crowd. As an adolescent, she played baseball with her dad and enjoyed Grimm fairytales over Disney princesses. As a middle school student, Molly does not seem to be interested in the petty, superficial ways of her peers, and explores one of her passions in hopes of coping with her father's loss: baseball. Cochrane strategically inserts underlying messages in Molly's journey as the only female player on the team. Bullying, feminism, friendship, and resilience are all underlying themes the author sneaks into the seemingly innocent story of a girl who loves to pitch. The novel exemplifies contemporary language and possesses a compelling protagonist while simultaneously including themes that touch on current social issues.
As a reader, I really enjoyed reading this YA sports fiction. I found the characters to be humorous, relatable, and entertaining. It was the perfect blend of humorous comedy and serious reflection. I would definitely consider re-reading the novel sometime in the future. Using a teacher's lens, I believe that this novel is perfect for 6th and 7th graders. Not only does the book contain simple, concise syntax and diction, but it also touches on bigger social justice issues. Bullying, feminism, loss, relationships, and determination are all themes found in this book that will be touched on more in depth in high school. The sports references would appeal to students who are baseball fans, and Mr. Cochrane's humorous, yet matter-of-fact tone throughout the novel will keep students engaged until the last page. I also believe this book to be a perfect selection for ELA classrooms because many of the students will be able to relate to Molly Williams in one way or another. A number of reading strategies can be utilized to teach this novel, and I see a lot of potential for writing opportunities for the students as well.
I really enjoyed reading this novel due to its realistic depiction of teenage girl quandaries. Molly Williams is an 8th grade girl who has never really fit in with the crowd. As an adolescent, she played baseball with her dad and enjoyed Grimm fairytales over Disney princesses. As a middle school student, Molly does not seem to be interested in the petty, superficial ways of her peers, and explores one of her passions in hopes of coping with her father's loss: baseball. Cochrane strategically inserts underlying messages in Molly's journey as the only female player on the team. Bullying, feminism, friendship, and resilience are all underlying themes the author sneaks into the seemingly innocent story of a girl who loves to pitch. The novel exemplifies contemporary language and possesses a compelling protagonist while simultaneously including themes that touch on current social issues.
As a reader, I really enjoyed reading this YA sports fiction. I found the characters to be humorous, relatable, and entertaining. It was the perfect blend of humorous comedy and serious reflection. I would definitely consider re-reading the novel sometime in the future. Using a teacher's lens, I believe that this novel is perfect for 6th and 7th graders. Not only does the book contain simple, concise syntax and diction, but it also touches on bigger social justice issues. Bullying, feminism, loss, relationships, and determination are all themes found in this book that will be touched on more in depth in high school. The sports references would appeal to students who are baseball fans, and Mr. Cochrane's humorous, yet matter-of-fact tone throughout the novel will keep students engaged until the last page. I also believe this book to be a perfect selection for ELA classrooms because many of the students will be able to relate to Molly Williams in one way or another. A number of reading strategies can be utilized to teach this novel, and I see a lot of potential for writing opportunities for the students as well.
September 18, 2017
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is a sports young adult novel by Mick Cochrane. The story follows Molly, a middle school girl, who recently lost her dad after he was in a terrible car accident. One way in which Molly still feels connected to her dad is through baseball because it was one of their favorite pastimes together. Molly decides to be brave and tryout for the school baseball team despite the fact that she is a girl trying out for a boys team. The novel follows Molly’s journey through the process of deciding to try out, attending tryouts and learning if she made the team or not. In the story, Molly builds new relationships as well as develops old relationships but through it all she learns who she can count on even in life’s difficult circumstances.
The characters in this novel seem to develop relationships with each other in differing lengths of time. While this may be reflective of real life, but reading it in a young adult novel made for an interesting experience. Molly and Celia’s relationship develops appropriately and Celia is a constant support for Molly. Molly and her mother develop their relationship slowly throughout the story but it seems very realistic. However, Lonnie and Molly’s relationship seems to develop at different speeds at different times in the book. At the beginning they become quick friends and it looks possible that they would begin a relationship. However, for most of the rest of the book their relationship continues somewhat awkwardly and sporadically. Although their relationship seems to have dissolved into a friendship, at the end of the book their romantic spark returns and the reader is left understanding that they have grown closer romantically. Following the relationship of Lonnie and Molly is somewhat confusing but it does seem to be an accurate representation of many middle schoolers’ experience with romantic relationships.
I personally really enjoyed this novel. It had elements such as friendship, romantic relationship, family difficulties, feminism and new journeys which all contributed to the overall impact this novel had on me as I read it. I believe that this would be a great book for young adolescents to read because it appeals to a variety of audiences while also teaching quality themes. I think The Girl Who Threw Butterflies would be a good option to teach in class because it addresses some serious issues that middle schoolers would likely feel connected to or passionate about. Molly’s story may seem unusual or unrealistic but the book teaches readers that there is no limit to your possibilities when you put forth effort and try.
The characters in this novel seem to develop relationships with each other in differing lengths of time. While this may be reflective of real life, but reading it in a young adult novel made for an interesting experience. Molly and Celia’s relationship develops appropriately and Celia is a constant support for Molly. Molly and her mother develop their relationship slowly throughout the story but it seems very realistic. However, Lonnie and Molly’s relationship seems to develop at different speeds at different times in the book. At the beginning they become quick friends and it looks possible that they would begin a relationship. However, for most of the rest of the book their relationship continues somewhat awkwardly and sporadically. Although their relationship seems to have dissolved into a friendship, at the end of the book their romantic spark returns and the reader is left understanding that they have grown closer romantically. Following the relationship of Lonnie and Molly is somewhat confusing but it does seem to be an accurate representation of many middle schoolers’ experience with romantic relationships.
I personally really enjoyed this novel. It had elements such as friendship, romantic relationship, family difficulties, feminism and new journeys which all contributed to the overall impact this novel had on me as I read it. I believe that this would be a great book for young adolescents to read because it appeals to a variety of audiences while also teaching quality themes. I think The Girl Who Threw Butterflies would be a good option to teach in class because it addresses some serious issues that middle schoolers would likely feel connected to or passionate about. Molly’s story may seem unusual or unrealistic but the book teaches readers that there is no limit to your possibilities when you put forth effort and try.
January 25, 2013
This was a wonderful book about Molly overcoming the death of her father and how she strenthens her own self by joining the boys' baseball team at school. Molly is at a difficult age in 8th grade and struggles to understand her mother and friends at school. It is a magical tale of a wonderful girl using the talents her father taught her in pitching the famous "knuckleball." She not only surprises herself, but gains the respect of the team and her friends. There are many solid emotional and humorous teachings for the reader to find in this short book. Cochrane has written a super book for children and adults.
August 24, 2010
I think this book affected me more than it would have otherwise because I just read another book about death (and Hunger Games #3 is coming up). So aside from my need to meet with a therapist because of my depressing book choices, I'm doing okay.
Molly Williams is recovering from the death of her father. She decides to honor his memory/stay connected to him by going out for the boy's baseball team (not softball!) What follows is a sweet and audience age-appropriate book on grieving and moving on.
Molly Williams is recovering from the death of her father. She decides to honor his memory/stay connected to him by going out for the boy's baseball team (not softball!) What follows is a sweet and audience age-appropriate book on grieving and moving on.
September 12, 2011
I loved this book, couldn't put it down. I thought the story was compelling and believable and the writing was simple and beautiful. Excellent, strong female breaking tradition for her own, deeply personal reasons. This rang very true for me...I would highly recommend it to either gender...
October 4, 2010
Perfectly set in Buffalo, NY.
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October 3, 2013So sad, but amazing!
March 22, 2016
I really liked this book. It was super entertaining!
May 23, 2024
Molly is coming to terms with the death of her father in a car accident. She feels lost, and isn’t sure how to manage. So she embraces what has always been a source of comfort…baseball.
As the way she and her dad bonded, baseball offers her a chance to feel closer to herself and her past. Unsure, but determined, she tries out for the baseball team.
Thanks to her dad Molly has the ability to throw a knuckleball. She hopes this will be enough to impress both her coaches and her team mates. And so we follow her through her season, watching as she grows and develops both as a player and a person.
As the way she and her dad bonded, baseball offers her a chance to feel closer to herself and her past. Unsure, but determined, she tries out for the baseball team.
Thanks to her dad Molly has the ability to throw a knuckleball. She hopes this will be enough to impress both her coaches and her team mates. And so we follow her through her season, watching as she grows and develops both as a player and a person.
March 30, 2013
What an incredible read! This really is one of those books I can see myself reading again and again, and which I won’t hesitate to recommend as a must-read.
A few of the things I loved so much about Molly is how realistically she’s painted and how easy it was to relate to her in some ways. Also, she doesn’t come across as a strong character at first because she’s shy and withdrawn, but she’s intelligent and astonishingly perceptive of her surroundings and the people around her. The reader learns more about Molly’s parents, which is a vital part of the storyline, by the way Molly draws the comparisons between her mom and dad’s different personalities – done perfectly to “show” the reader how this little family functioned before the death of her father pulled them apart. Sadly, the relationship between Molly and her mother is more than a little strained after Molly’s father’s death. It was heart-rendering to see Molly trying to reach out to her mother for a little affection, but knowing she might be rebuffed, pulling back into her shell again.
“Her mother was right there in front of her, and still, somehow, Molly missed her. It didn't make sense, but it was true. She missed her mother who laughed, her mother for whom life was not one tedious task after another. It was as if that woman had been kidnapped—she might be tied up in a basement somewhere. And in her place there was this mother, a joyless impostor wearing her real mom's clothes.”
Once Molly’s on the baseball field, though, she regains some of her confidence and she shines! The budding friendship on the field between Molly and Lonnie drew me so much deeper into Molly’s world. Not only is Lonnie her personal catcher, he’s also the type of friend who doesn’t mind sticking up for the only girl player on his team. The author didn’t sketch him as a typical obnoxious teenage boy, but rather as a quiet, artistic kid dealing with his own set of problems at home. So by the way…I know zilch about baseball, but I gained a lot of knowledge about the game - and some wicked baseball trivia – while reading this book. Plus, the game practices, the excitement, anxiety, the build-up, and the game itself was so well described, I felt like one of the players on the field. It was awesome!
“She was not a tomboy, just a girl who liked baseball.”
I absolutely loved Molly’s best friend, Celia. Her spontaneous personality and strong character reminded me very much of my own best friend I had in school. Molly isn’t as outgoing as Celia, but their different personalities complement each other perfectly. Celia – even though she’s not into sports at all – is Molly’s biggest cheerleader and encourages her all the way. Who wouldn’t want a friend like her?
“She was not shy, that was for sure. She was part of the horn section in band with Molly. She played the tuba. All her parts were boring, of course —it wasn't like she was ever going to play a solo. But Molly always figured that her friend simply relished the chance to make a big noise.”
One thing the author did tremendously well was to bring home to the reader the importance of Molly’s dad in her life. From the get-go you understand that he was the foundation of their family. He wasn’t perfect, but Molly was the apple of his eye, and he likewise was her whole world. Every time she had flashbacks or a memory about her dad, it tugged at my heart. Many times Molly’s inner-dialogue and thought processes had me smiling by the way she perceived things, but I couldn’t ignore the underlying sadness she constantly felt at the loss of this very important figure in her life. Everything Molly did pointed back in some way to something her dad had taught her - especially everything about baseball.
“Molly knew that other girls had tea parties with their dads. She played catch with hers. It wasn't weird, it wasn't cool, it was just what they did together.”
Baseball, teamwork, friendship, and closure are the prevalent themes in this heartfelt story. The author expertly blends together Molly’s friendships with Celia and Lonnie, her floundering relationship with her mom, and Molly gaining self-confidence on the baseball field while working through the heartache of her father’s death, to form the basis on which this story is built. Sometimes I find that certain books in which a character has to deal with the loss of an important person in their life, it can become emotionally taxing. Here it’s not the case. It’s not often I come across an author who tells a story in such a touching way, it has me reading most of the book with tears in my eyes, and without me feeling emotionally worn-out at the end.
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies might be most suitable for readers aged nine to twelve, but I have to admit, I had a wonderful time reading this book. It elicited all the good feelings a fantastic book that ends on a satisfying note can leave with you after turning the final page. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s into baseball, or those who can relate to dealing with the loss of a loved one. Readers who simply enjoy books with a powerful moral-of-the-story theme and a feel-good ending, will undoubtedly also find something to love about this story.
A few of the things I loved so much about Molly is how realistically she’s painted and how easy it was to relate to her in some ways. Also, she doesn’t come across as a strong character at first because she’s shy and withdrawn, but she’s intelligent and astonishingly perceptive of her surroundings and the people around her. The reader learns more about Molly’s parents, which is a vital part of the storyline, by the way Molly draws the comparisons between her mom and dad’s different personalities – done perfectly to “show” the reader how this little family functioned before the death of her father pulled them apart. Sadly, the relationship between Molly and her mother is more than a little strained after Molly’s father’s death. It was heart-rendering to see Molly trying to reach out to her mother for a little affection, but knowing she might be rebuffed, pulling back into her shell again.
“Her mother was right there in front of her, and still, somehow, Molly missed her. It didn't make sense, but it was true. She missed her mother who laughed, her mother for whom life was not one tedious task after another. It was as if that woman had been kidnapped—she might be tied up in a basement somewhere. And in her place there was this mother, a joyless impostor wearing her real mom's clothes.”
Once Molly’s on the baseball field, though, she regains some of her confidence and she shines! The budding friendship on the field between Molly and Lonnie drew me so much deeper into Molly’s world. Not only is Lonnie her personal catcher, he’s also the type of friend who doesn’t mind sticking up for the only girl player on his team. The author didn’t sketch him as a typical obnoxious teenage boy, but rather as a quiet, artistic kid dealing with his own set of problems at home. So by the way…I know zilch about baseball, but I gained a lot of knowledge about the game - and some wicked baseball trivia – while reading this book. Plus, the game practices, the excitement, anxiety, the build-up, and the game itself was so well described, I felt like one of the players on the field. It was awesome!
“She was not a tomboy, just a girl who liked baseball.”
I absolutely loved Molly’s best friend, Celia. Her spontaneous personality and strong character reminded me very much of my own best friend I had in school. Molly isn’t as outgoing as Celia, but their different personalities complement each other perfectly. Celia – even though she’s not into sports at all – is Molly’s biggest cheerleader and encourages her all the way. Who wouldn’t want a friend like her?
“She was not shy, that was for sure. She was part of the horn section in band with Molly. She played the tuba. All her parts were boring, of course —it wasn't like she was ever going to play a solo. But Molly always figured that her friend simply relished the chance to make a big noise.”
One thing the author did tremendously well was to bring home to the reader the importance of Molly’s dad in her life. From the get-go you understand that he was the foundation of their family. He wasn’t perfect, but Molly was the apple of his eye, and he likewise was her whole world. Every time she had flashbacks or a memory about her dad, it tugged at my heart. Many times Molly’s inner-dialogue and thought processes had me smiling by the way she perceived things, but I couldn’t ignore the underlying sadness she constantly felt at the loss of this very important figure in her life. Everything Molly did pointed back in some way to something her dad had taught her - especially everything about baseball.
“Molly knew that other girls had tea parties with their dads. She played catch with hers. It wasn't weird, it wasn't cool, it was just what they did together.”
Baseball, teamwork, friendship, and closure are the prevalent themes in this heartfelt story. The author expertly blends together Molly’s friendships with Celia and Lonnie, her floundering relationship with her mom, and Molly gaining self-confidence on the baseball field while working through the heartache of her father’s death, to form the basis on which this story is built. Sometimes I find that certain books in which a character has to deal with the loss of an important person in their life, it can become emotionally taxing. Here it’s not the case. It’s not often I come across an author who tells a story in such a touching way, it has me reading most of the book with tears in my eyes, and without me feeling emotionally worn-out at the end.
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies might be most suitable for readers aged nine to twelve, but I have to admit, I had a wonderful time reading this book. It elicited all the good feelings a fantastic book that ends on a satisfying note can leave with you after turning the final page. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s into baseball, or those who can relate to dealing with the loss of a loved one. Readers who simply enjoy books with a powerful moral-of-the-story theme and a feel-good ending, will undoubtedly also find something to love about this story.
October 26, 2018
"The Girl Who Threw Butterflies" by Mick Cochrane is a sports young adult novel. The text follows the story of eighth grade Molly Williams, who loves baseball, but, she has a lot going on in her life. She has to deal with the grief of her recently deceased father who passed in a tragic accident. The relationship with her mother is getting rocky, as her mom is slowing withdrawing herself more and more while grieving the loss of her husband. Molly and her father were extremely close, and he taught her how to play baseball, and to throw her famous knuckleball. She wants to be seen by her peers as more than just the girl who's dad died, and she wanted to stay connected to him, so she decides to try out for the baseball team at her school. Molly's best friend Celia is all for her decision and does anything to help her get on the team. Molly is very determined to accomplish her goal, even though she's a girl, and the odds are against her. However, while she plays baseball, she can form a friendship with creative, Lonnie. So the question is, does she make the team? Will Molly and her mother repair their relationship? To find out how Molly Williams navigates this pivotal year in her life you'll have to read to find out.
Mick Cochrane utilizes a lot of figurative language in this text. The way he goes about writing this novel is by using language that is so detailed it makes it very easy for the reader to visualize what it is that he is describing to you. The use of the language made everything he was describing feel so much more real, and something that as a reader you could connect to the text on a deeper level. Furthermore, while the language use added a lot to the text, so did the overall character of Molly Williams. Cochrane did an excellent job at creating the main character who was relatable, persistent, struggling, and was strong. I think that it made her character so much more realistic, and allowed the reader to connect to her on a such a deeper level. I liked that he portrayed her as a strong and independent person, as it shows young readers the importance of being yourself, and going for what you want. She wasn't afraid to stand out, and I thought that this was a crucial characteristic to showcase to a young audience, to ensure that they knew the importance of truly being yourself.
Overall, I liked this book; it was a very nice young adult text that I could see a lot of young readers connecting to, and loving. I didn't love the book, as for me, being a bit older, it was a little too basic for me to be fully enveloped in the story, but I thought that it was still an excellent text with a lot of great content. As a reader, it was a little bit predictable for me, and I had a feeling I knew what was coming most of the time. However, the language of the book and the underlying messages of the text were what I liked the most. I thought the messages of perseverance, being youself, death, grief, relationships, and so much more are essential concepts that need to be discussed especially with a younger audience. However, as a teacher, I thought that the content within it would be so helpful for students, and it provides them with great messages. I believe that students would be able to see themselves and make personal connections to the book and would be able to get a lot out of the text. I could see myself utilizing this text in a literature circle, as it's something I could see some students getting a lot out of, while others may not be as interested in it. Regardless, I think it is a text that I would keep in my classroom library for students to be able to have access to whenever they want, as the book is good. Ultimately, I liked the book, and it is something that I am to going to ensure my students have access to.
Mick Cochrane utilizes a lot of figurative language in this text. The way he goes about writing this novel is by using language that is so detailed it makes it very easy for the reader to visualize what it is that he is describing to you. The use of the language made everything he was describing feel so much more real, and something that as a reader you could connect to the text on a deeper level. Furthermore, while the language use added a lot to the text, so did the overall character of Molly Williams. Cochrane did an excellent job at creating the main character who was relatable, persistent, struggling, and was strong. I think that it made her character so much more realistic, and allowed the reader to connect to her on a such a deeper level. I liked that he portrayed her as a strong and independent person, as it shows young readers the importance of being yourself, and going for what you want. She wasn't afraid to stand out, and I thought that this was a crucial characteristic to showcase to a young audience, to ensure that they knew the importance of truly being yourself.
Overall, I liked this book; it was a very nice young adult text that I could see a lot of young readers connecting to, and loving. I didn't love the book, as for me, being a bit older, it was a little too basic for me to be fully enveloped in the story, but I thought that it was still an excellent text with a lot of great content. As a reader, it was a little bit predictable for me, and I had a feeling I knew what was coming most of the time. However, the language of the book and the underlying messages of the text were what I liked the most. I thought the messages of perseverance, being youself, death, grief, relationships, and so much more are essential concepts that need to be discussed especially with a younger audience. However, as a teacher, I thought that the content within it would be so helpful for students, and it provides them with great messages. I believe that students would be able to see themselves and make personal connections to the book and would be able to get a lot out of the text. I could see myself utilizing this text in a literature circle, as it's something I could see some students getting a lot out of, while others may not be as interested in it. Regardless, I think it is a text that I would keep in my classroom library for students to be able to have access to whenever they want, as the book is good. Ultimately, I liked the book, and it is something that I am to going to ensure my students have access to.
March 9, 2011
A few short months. That’s how long it’s been since Molly’s father died in the car accident. Molly and her mom don’t talk about it. In fact, Molly knows all that her mom wants to hear is that everything is fine – 8th grade is fine, Molly’s friends are fine, Molly is fine. Molly’s mom doesn’t want to know that Molly is tired of being known as Miss Difficulty Overcome – identified only by surviving her father’s death. Molly’s mom certainly doesn’t want to know that Molly’s not going to be on the softball team this year. It’s not softball, it’s baseball that Molly and her dad connected over – practicing the butterfly pitch, a perfect knuckleball, over and over again in their backyard, spending hours watching games and discussing stats. So, almost without realizing it, it’s baseball that Molly decides to try out for, not softball. Of course, there’s no girl’s baseball team and before Molly knows it, it’s sure not her father’s death that’s being talked about. After all, whoever heard of a girl pitching for a boys’ baseball team?
I'm always surprised by how much I enjoy sports stories since I don't play sports much myself. The baseball part of this was excellent, but I could have used more play-by-play throughout the book; I loved when Cochrane talked about what drills they were doing at practice and how the coach focused on how much mental toughness and focus is required. I also really liked that Molly wasn't great all the time. She has a good knuckleball, but it doesn't work every time and she has to work hard and practice to make it better and get it working more consistently.
I thought the grief work was handled pretty well, I particularly resonate with Molly's desire to not have her father's death be the only defining thing about her, but the ending left me a little unsastified because a few things seemed too neat. The biggest plot point I noticed this with was Molly's mom wanting to move away from Buffalo and then at the end that desire just seems to have evaporated. I get that we're not seeing Molly's mom's grief process and it would be a complicated decision, but it just felt a little unrealistic to me that Molly's mom figured out Molly would be unhappy moving and "poof" they're not moving.
The other thing that I was disappointed about is really a problem with my expectations - I went into the book thinking we would be getting a whole season of baseball games and instead it ended after the first one. I also went into this thinking it might be a good gift for my travel softball playing 6th grade niece, but with the way some of the softball girls are depicted I think I'm going to give this one a pass.
Listened to Recorded Books audio edition narrated by Maria Cabezas. Cabezas didn't do anything outright terrible with her narration, but it felt a little too flat and it was hard to distinguish Molly's voice from her friend Celia's sometimes. I wonder how much more I would have liked the book if I had read it instead of listening to it and will not be recommending the audio to others.
I'm always surprised by how much I enjoy sports stories since I don't play sports much myself. The baseball part of this was excellent, but I could have used more play-by-play throughout the book; I loved when Cochrane talked about what drills they were doing at practice and how the coach focused on how much mental toughness and focus is required. I also really liked that Molly wasn't great all the time. She has a good knuckleball, but it doesn't work every time and she has to work hard and practice to make it better and get it working more consistently.
I thought the grief work was handled pretty well, I particularly resonate with Molly's desire to not have her father's death be the only defining thing about her, but the ending left me a little unsastified because a few things seemed too neat. The biggest plot point I noticed this with was Molly's mom wanting to move away from Buffalo and then at the end that desire just seems to have evaporated. I get that we're not seeing Molly's mom's grief process and it would be a complicated decision, but it just felt a little unrealistic to me that Molly's mom figured out Molly would be unhappy moving and "poof" they're not moving.
The other thing that I was disappointed about is really a problem with my expectations - I went into the book thinking we would be getting a whole season of baseball games and instead it ended after the first one. I also went into this thinking it might be a good gift for my travel softball playing 6th grade niece, but with the way some of the softball girls are depicted I think I'm going to give this one a pass.
Listened to Recorded Books audio edition narrated by Maria Cabezas. Cabezas didn't do anything outright terrible with her narration, but it felt a little too flat and it was hard to distinguish Molly's voice from her friend Celia's sometimes. I wonder how much more I would have liked the book if I had read it instead of listening to it and will not be recommending the audio to others.
October 17, 2009
Life is as unpredictable as a knuckleball. Molly learns that the hard way — her father has just died in a mysterious car accident. Her mother is in that ”distant, ticked-off, unreachable place.” Molly is left to navigate on her own the morass of 8th grade and grief. And the one thing that she knows can help her the most is BASEBALL.
Remembering the long afternoons playing baseball with her father, mastering the art of throwing a knuckleball, Molly decides to try out for the baseball team — the boy’s baseball team: “‘You don’t just aim a butterfly,’ her father used to say. ‘You release it.’ ” He told her that the knuckleball isn’t just a pitch but an attitude toward life, a way of being in the world — a philosophy…
In Mick Cochrane’s The Girl Who Threw Butterflies, the characters are so well-drawn, the descriptions of baseball make me want tickets to the World Series and drew me into the magic of the game, and the rich metaphors and story brilliantly capture the transitions and struggles in the life of an 8th grader. For example, from her father “Molly understood that keeping score was a kind of storytelling, an almost magical translation of loud and dusty events in the world — a stolen base, an around-the-horn double play, a triple — into pencil marks, a kind of secret code, numbers and lines and shapes, like cuneiform or hieroglyphics, the handiwork of some ancient scribe.” From the baseball team Molly discovers that as the pitcher, if there’s a runner on first base, it’s her responsibility to talk to the shortstop and second baseman. It’s her job to call out who should take a bunt if the first and third basmen are both charging it. If Coach Morales touches his forearm, it means steal a base. If he touches the bill of his cap, it means bunt. Molly loves this entire system of wordless communication.
She wonders if she could apply this system to the rest of her life, like when her locker is defaced, or when she’s sitting across the table from her mother at dinner. She would love to try and communicate some of their dinner conversations using signs. But then again there are many nights when she doesn’t see how she possibly could, because half the time she doesn’t even know what she wants to get across.
Even the signs and scorebook don’t show just how nervous a pitcher is, or how exuberant a teammate is when he clears the plate with a double, with all the attendant whistling and cheering. Or how terrible Molly feels if her knuckler has gone completely wild. “You’re cruising along one minute, feeling like you can do no wrong. Life is good, all’s right with the world. And then all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, things change.” Baseball = 8th grade = life.
Remembering the long afternoons playing baseball with her father, mastering the art of throwing a knuckleball, Molly decides to try out for the baseball team — the boy’s baseball team: “‘You don’t just aim a butterfly,’ her father used to say. ‘You release it.’ ” He told her that the knuckleball isn’t just a pitch but an attitude toward life, a way of being in the world — a philosophy…
In Mick Cochrane’s The Girl Who Threw Butterflies, the characters are so well-drawn, the descriptions of baseball make me want tickets to the World Series and drew me into the magic of the game, and the rich metaphors and story brilliantly capture the transitions and struggles in the life of an 8th grader. For example, from her father “Molly understood that keeping score was a kind of storytelling, an almost magical translation of loud and dusty events in the world — a stolen base, an around-the-horn double play, a triple — into pencil marks, a kind of secret code, numbers and lines and shapes, like cuneiform or hieroglyphics, the handiwork of some ancient scribe.” From the baseball team Molly discovers that as the pitcher, if there’s a runner on first base, it’s her responsibility to talk to the shortstop and second baseman. It’s her job to call out who should take a bunt if the first and third basmen are both charging it. If Coach Morales touches his forearm, it means steal a base. If he touches the bill of his cap, it means bunt. Molly loves this entire system of wordless communication.
She wonders if she could apply this system to the rest of her life, like when her locker is defaced, or when she’s sitting across the table from her mother at dinner. She would love to try and communicate some of their dinner conversations using signs. But then again there are many nights when she doesn’t see how she possibly could, because half the time she doesn’t even know what she wants to get across.
Even the signs and scorebook don’t show just how nervous a pitcher is, or how exuberant a teammate is when he clears the plate with a double, with all the attendant whistling and cheering. Or how terrible Molly feels if her knuckler has gone completely wild. “You’re cruising along one minute, feeling like you can do no wrong. Life is good, all’s right with the world. And then all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, things change.” Baseball = 8th grade = life.
May 2, 2011
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is one of those books that seems short and easy to read through just from the looks of it, but there are so many layers within the story that it is not just a brief, quick read. Molly is not only dealing with the death of her father, which she believes could be more than just an accident, but she is also experiencing life with a mother who acts distant and unreachable due to the fact that she has lost her husband. Molly experiences a number of feelings in regards to her father’s death and the grieving process, which gives readers a clear understanding of how Molly is feeling.
Aside from Molly experiencing that, she is also going through the awkward stages of middle school, including feeling self conscious and unsure of boys. In addition, when softball tryouts are about to start, she feels torn because even though she is a girl and the softball team is where she “belongs”, Molly has such a stronger connection with baseball that she would rather try out for the baseball team than the softball team, no matter what the consequences might be. I liked this aspect of the story because Molly wasn’t just some girl wanting to be on a sports team for boys. Instead, she grew up loving and playing baseball with her father, that that is where she truly felt comfortable and where she belonged. She shows readers that it is ok to want something beyond what’s expected of you.
This book also contained light humor, which made it enjoyable to read. One of my favorite passages in the book is when Molly is describing some of the boys on the baseball bench: “They were chewing gum and spitting sunflower seeds, pushing and pawing each other and kicking up dirt, knocking off each other’s caps. They were tall as men, some of them, had ropey muscles in their arms, but they still acted like little boys. The whole scene at the bench looked a lot like fourth-grade recess.” Working with middle school students for a couple of years, this image is perfectly done. Boys especially are growing and although they might look like teens/young adults, they are still just regular middle school boys.
Besides grief and sports, Molly also questions her interest and “sort of” romance with a boy on the baseball team. Rather than this being a complete romance book, it just lightly touches on the topic. Although I was wanting a little more development at the conclusion of the book, The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is one of those light-hearted, emotionally connecting books that will be a perfect read for the tween/middle school level student.
Aside from Molly experiencing that, she is also going through the awkward stages of middle school, including feeling self conscious and unsure of boys. In addition, when softball tryouts are about to start, she feels torn because even though she is a girl and the softball team is where she “belongs”, Molly has such a stronger connection with baseball that she would rather try out for the baseball team than the softball team, no matter what the consequences might be. I liked this aspect of the story because Molly wasn’t just some girl wanting to be on a sports team for boys. Instead, she grew up loving and playing baseball with her father, that that is where she truly felt comfortable and where she belonged. She shows readers that it is ok to want something beyond what’s expected of you.
This book also contained light humor, which made it enjoyable to read. One of my favorite passages in the book is when Molly is describing some of the boys on the baseball bench: “They were chewing gum and spitting sunflower seeds, pushing and pawing each other and kicking up dirt, knocking off each other’s caps. They were tall as men, some of them, had ropey muscles in their arms, but they still acted like little boys. The whole scene at the bench looked a lot like fourth-grade recess.” Working with middle school students for a couple of years, this image is perfectly done. Boys especially are growing and although they might look like teens/young adults, they are still just regular middle school boys.
Besides grief and sports, Molly also questions her interest and “sort of” romance with a boy on the baseball team. Rather than this being a complete romance book, it just lightly touches on the topic. Although I was wanting a little more development at the conclusion of the book, The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is one of those light-hearted, emotionally connecting books that will be a perfect read for the tween/middle school level student.
Read
December 9, 2011Genre: Junior book—Contemporary Realism
Summary: Molly Williams is a girl whose life changes very quickly as her father is killed in a car accident and her mother changed tremendously after his death. As Molly has the love for baseball and remembers a special knuckleball her father taught her, she does the unexpected and joins the baseball team at her school. Joining the baseball not only made Molly stand out, it helps her with many relationships throughout her life.
Critique:
a. I personally believe the greatest strength of this contemporary realism novel is the story of Molly and how she learned to overcome the negative.
b. As Molly was faced with a life changing event, it really affected her life as a whole. Her mother acted very different since her father’s death and people at school only knew her because of her father’s death. Molly was put to the test to figure out ways to redefine the relationships throughout her life. She learns to deal with many things as young individual and follow her dreams. This book took a stand with such realistic events that can occur in a person’s life, especially during the adolescent stages. Molly defines herself, even though it is different from everyone else and leads her to her dreams and more positive relationships.
c. Molly surprised many people and even caught much negative feedback as she tried out for the baseball team but it didn’t stop her. When Molly showed up to try outs, some boy made remarks such as “what is this? Yoga?” (pg. 28). Her friend, Celia even seemed surprised and iffy as she asked her many times was she sure and why she wasn’t going to turn out for softball (pg. 18-20). These actions did not change Molly’s mind. She stuck with her love for baseball no matter what anyone said.
Curriculum Connection:
This novel can be connected with students to show them to never give up on their dreams. Students should always follow them no matter what they believe will happen, just like Molly done. This book could be requested for young students to read, if they have experienced a tragic moment like Molly had. This will give students for these situations more encouragement that things will be okay and they have to be the one to step up and tackle the uncontrollable.
Summary: Molly Williams is a girl whose life changes very quickly as her father is killed in a car accident and her mother changed tremendously after his death. As Molly has the love for baseball and remembers a special knuckleball her father taught her, she does the unexpected and joins the baseball team at her school. Joining the baseball not only made Molly stand out, it helps her with many relationships throughout her life.
Critique:
a. I personally believe the greatest strength of this contemporary realism novel is the story of Molly and how she learned to overcome the negative.
b. As Molly was faced with a life changing event, it really affected her life as a whole. Her mother acted very different since her father’s death and people at school only knew her because of her father’s death. Molly was put to the test to figure out ways to redefine the relationships throughout her life. She learns to deal with many things as young individual and follow her dreams. This book took a stand with such realistic events that can occur in a person’s life, especially during the adolescent stages. Molly defines herself, even though it is different from everyone else and leads her to her dreams and more positive relationships.
c. Molly surprised many people and even caught much negative feedback as she tried out for the baseball team but it didn’t stop her. When Molly showed up to try outs, some boy made remarks such as “what is this? Yoga?” (pg. 28). Her friend, Celia even seemed surprised and iffy as she asked her many times was she sure and why she wasn’t going to turn out for softball (pg. 18-20). These actions did not change Molly’s mind. She stuck with her love for baseball no matter what anyone said.
Curriculum Connection:
This novel can be connected with students to show them to never give up on their dreams. Students should always follow them no matter what they believe will happen, just like Molly done. This book could be requested for young students to read, if they have experienced a tragic moment like Molly had. This will give students for these situations more encouragement that things will be okay and they have to be the one to step up and tackle the uncontrollable.
October 20, 2009
Molly williams has always had a thing for baseball. She often played softball, but it wasn't quite the same. It isn't just the thrill of the game because baseball was something special she shared with her father. In fact, he helped her master the knuckleball.
Her dad had been an editor for one of the local papers in Buffalo. He had always had dreams of being a sports journalist, but that just didn't pan out, and his dream was not quite achieved. That was one of the reasons why people questioned what really happened when he was killed in a one-car accident six months earlier. Most people said it was an accident, but some couldn't help but question....
Molly and her mother are still a bit stunned over what happened. Rather than being drawn closer together by their loss, they grow apart. Molly finds a respite in baseball as her mom keeps thinking of moving on and starting over.
It is because of the connection between baseball and her dad that Molly decides to try out for the school baseball team. There is no shortage of people who doubt whether a girl should play for the boys team, but she does find some encouragement in Coach V, an older coach who helps out.
The book is finely written and full of rich detail, particularly during the baseball game, which fans of sports novels will like. Unfortunately, the book seems to plod along through the two entwined plots. The tale moves very slowly, mostly because I think it skips over so much of the baseball element. There is almost no coverage of the practices and there is only one game included.
With that said, this is definitely a feel-good read that carries the tale to the predictable end in both story lines and even a bit of light romance for Molly and a teammate. For those looking for stronger titles in the genre, I would suggest taking a look at the young adult novels of Mike Lupica and Tim Green. Both craft more interesting and exciting sports tales. If you are looking for a similar book about a teen girl breaking through (think Girl Power!)into a boy's team, I would suggest Dairy Queen and its sequel The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, which also have a more balanced pacing for the storyline.
Her dad had been an editor for one of the local papers in Buffalo. He had always had dreams of being a sports journalist, but that just didn't pan out, and his dream was not quite achieved. That was one of the reasons why people questioned what really happened when he was killed in a one-car accident six months earlier. Most people said it was an accident, but some couldn't help but question....
Molly and her mother are still a bit stunned over what happened. Rather than being drawn closer together by their loss, they grow apart. Molly finds a respite in baseball as her mom keeps thinking of moving on and starting over.
It is because of the connection between baseball and her dad that Molly decides to try out for the school baseball team. There is no shortage of people who doubt whether a girl should play for the boys team, but she does find some encouragement in Coach V, an older coach who helps out.
The book is finely written and full of rich detail, particularly during the baseball game, which fans of sports novels will like. Unfortunately, the book seems to plod along through the two entwined plots. The tale moves very slowly, mostly because I think it skips over so much of the baseball element. There is almost no coverage of the practices and there is only one game included.
With that said, this is definitely a feel-good read that carries the tale to the predictable end in both story lines and even a bit of light romance for Molly and a teammate. For those looking for stronger titles in the genre, I would suggest taking a look at the young adult novels of Mike Lupica and Tim Green. Both craft more interesting and exciting sports tales. If you are looking for a similar book about a teen girl breaking through (think Girl Power!)into a boy's team, I would suggest Dairy Queen and its sequel The Off Season by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, which also have a more balanced pacing for the storyline.
October 31, 2018
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is a realistic fiction young adults novel by Mike Cochrane. It is a coming-of-age story about Molly Williams whose father has just died six months ago. She had such a strong bond with him, especially because they both loved baseball. Molly doesn't know how to connect to her mom, so she especially misses her father. When she decides to try out for the boys baseball team instead of the softball team, Molly feels like she stands out even more than she already does. Will she make the team? Will she find the family she is craving? Can her and her mom have a relationship without her father in the picture? Molly has a lot to learn through her journey of self-discovery and healing.
The theme of finding yourself through pain and tragedy is beautifully written throughout the book. There was a lot of good symbolism that helped the reader understand more about Molly, but also about what it is like to lose a loved one. I liked all the comparisons between Molly and famous historical women, like Amelia Earhart and Jackie Mitchell. It help ground the story in reality. I gave this novel four stars because I felt like there were some aspects that were did not fully make sense. Molly and Lonnie's relationship was confusing because of the fact that the reader could not figure out whether they were friends or more than friends. Also, Molly seemed more mature than most 8th graders, so I kept thinking that she was in high school versus middle school. Overall, though, I thought that it was a good novel that dealt with real issues in a beautiful and realistic way.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was an easy read, but it didn't feel like it was "dumbed down" for middle school students. I liked the way Cochrane wrote the book and loved how he empowered Molly as a female athlete. I would use this novel in my classroom because it is age appropriate and deals with some of the issues that other middle schoolers would be going through. I think that it will lead to good discussions, especially about familial relations and gender roles. I would also recommend this book to my friends because it is so well written!
The theme of finding yourself through pain and tragedy is beautifully written throughout the book. There was a lot of good symbolism that helped the reader understand more about Molly, but also about what it is like to lose a loved one. I liked all the comparisons between Molly and famous historical women, like Amelia Earhart and Jackie Mitchell. It help ground the story in reality. I gave this novel four stars because I felt like there were some aspects that were did not fully make sense. Molly and Lonnie's relationship was confusing because of the fact that the reader could not figure out whether they were friends or more than friends. Also, Molly seemed more mature than most 8th graders, so I kept thinking that she was in high school versus middle school. Overall, though, I thought that it was a good novel that dealt with real issues in a beautiful and realistic way.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It was an easy read, but it didn't feel like it was "dumbed down" for middle school students. I liked the way Cochrane wrote the book and loved how he empowered Molly as a female athlete. I would use this novel in my classroom because it is age appropriate and deals with some of the issues that other middle schoolers would be going through. I think that it will lead to good discussions, especially about familial relations and gender roles. I would also recommend this book to my friends because it is so well written!
June 13, 2012
Molly Williams isn’t too good at talking about her feelings, or what’s going on in her head. It makes more sense to her in baseball terms, like a box score:
L-for Loss: like a 7-3 defeat against the Red Sox—or the night the police showed up to tell Molly’s mom her father had died in a car accident.
E—for error: An easy ground ball goes right between your legs and into the outfield—or, Molly loses control with her mother and starts screaming at her. She doesn’t want to be this way, like some kind of emotional terrorist, ready to blow at the tiniest little thing. But she doesn’t understand what her mother wants from her. How could it matter whether she wants to go out for the softball team again this year? What difference does it make what she does after school now?
SB-Stolen Base: the runner surprises the other team and advances to second base while the pitcher isn’t looking—not unlike trying out for the boys’ baseball team without telling your mom. Not that Molly wanted to keep it a secret exactly—she just didn’t know how to bring it up. It would be easier if she and her mother had signs like real base runners: touch your cap for “I don’t want to play soft ball” swipe across the letters for “No, they’re not the same thing,” jerk your right earlobe for “I don’t want to move to Milwaukee”.
S- for Save- A relief pitcher comes in and strikes out the last batter with the bases loaded—or when Molly’s new friend Lonnie draws a mural on her locker to obscure the rude message one of her new teammates had left on it. Lonnie might be Molly’s only friend on the baseball team and she’s beginning to think it’s not just because he’s the only catcher who can handle her knuckleball.
B for Butterfly Ball—okay, so that one’s not really in the scorebook, but it should be. Except, you could never come up with just one symbol for all the ways a knuckleball can move. Each one has a life of its own, just like Molly’s father taught her: you don’t try and aim a butterfly, you just release it. All she had to do was learn to let it go.
L-for Loss: like a 7-3 defeat against the Red Sox—or the night the police showed up to tell Molly’s mom her father had died in a car accident.
E—for error: An easy ground ball goes right between your legs and into the outfield—or, Molly loses control with her mother and starts screaming at her. She doesn’t want to be this way, like some kind of emotional terrorist, ready to blow at the tiniest little thing. But she doesn’t understand what her mother wants from her. How could it matter whether she wants to go out for the softball team again this year? What difference does it make what she does after school now?
SB-Stolen Base: the runner surprises the other team and advances to second base while the pitcher isn’t looking—not unlike trying out for the boys’ baseball team without telling your mom. Not that Molly wanted to keep it a secret exactly—she just didn’t know how to bring it up. It would be easier if she and her mother had signs like real base runners: touch your cap for “I don’t want to play soft ball” swipe across the letters for “No, they’re not the same thing,” jerk your right earlobe for “I don’t want to move to Milwaukee”.
S- for Save- A relief pitcher comes in and strikes out the last batter with the bases loaded—or when Molly’s new friend Lonnie draws a mural on her locker to obscure the rude message one of her new teammates had left on it. Lonnie might be Molly’s only friend on the baseball team and she’s beginning to think it’s not just because he’s the only catcher who can handle her knuckleball.
B for Butterfly Ball—okay, so that one’s not really in the scorebook, but it should be. Except, you could never come up with just one symbol for all the ways a knuckleball can move. Each one has a life of its own, just like Molly’s father taught her: you don’t try and aim a butterfly, you just release it. All she had to do was learn to let it go.
October 31, 2018
What's it like to be the first to do something? It may not be on a revolutionary scale, but 8th-grader Molly Williams breaks the mold at her school, and in people's minds in Mick Cochrane's young adult novel The Girl Who Threw Butterflies. Trying to find a way to reconnect with her recently passed father, Molly decides that she isn't going to be on the softball team at her school this year, she is going to try out for the baseball team regardless of what people say or think. Not just is she going to try out, but she's trying out to be a pitcher, and she's got a secret weapon in her arsenal. The Girl Who Threw Butterflies is a nice quick read that takes the readers through Molly's process as she has to convince her mom, her team, and the world that she deserves to be on the team.
A stand out in the novel is Molly's character. As an eighth-grader she is at the age where she is beginning to become much more aware of the outside world and her place in it. This really shows throughout the text as much of the text is written in a reflective manner. Although not completely omniscient the reader gets a great insight into how Molly processes the world around her, and how this change from childhood into an emerging adult affects how she interacts with the people around her.
A stand out in the novel is Molly's character. As an eighth-grader she is at the age where she is beginning to become much more aware of the outside world and her place in it. This really shows throughout the text as much of the text is written in a reflective manner. Although not completely omniscient the reader gets a great insight into how Molly processes the world around her, and how this change from childhood into an emerging adult affects how she interacts with the people around her.
November 28, 2018
The Girl Who Threw Butterflies, a YA sports novel by Mick Cochrane, follows the story of Molly Williams. Molly is an eighth grader from Buffalo, NY whose father recently passed away, leaving Molly with her mom. Molly's dad was a baseball enthusiast, and his love for baseball was matched by Molly, with games of catch a regular bonding experience for the two. Her mother, also processing her grief, has withdrawn into herself- a figure that Molly doesn't recognize as her own mother. Molly takes her love of baseball to tryouts, without her mother's knowledge, and soon finds her place among the team with her secret talent, the knuckleball. Throughout the story, Molly will learn to love baseball in a new way, honoring her father's memory and making new friends in the process. Following in the steps of female role models like Amelia Earhart and Jackie Mitchell, Molly will define herself on and off the field.
With a predictable plot line and archetypal characters, this is a basic book with reader friendly language perfect for a fun and easy read. While the plot is a bit too predictable, that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be a good read for less advanced readers. Molly is a fun character, and more complex than one would suppose with the level of story.
In the classroom, I would hope to include this book in my classroom library. I would not use this book as a whole class reading though, or even present this as a book club choice. Unfortunately, especially for middle school, this book is not advanced enough to spend the time required for class. However, for lower level readers or any reader who might be wanting to enjoy a simpler read, this would be perfect. Underlying issues of sexism in sports would be easy and nice to explore, plus the simple plot might work well for examples of predictions in stories. In all, this book is well written and will always have a spot in my classroom library.
With a predictable plot line and archetypal characters, this is a basic book with reader friendly language perfect for a fun and easy read. While the plot is a bit too predictable, that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be a good read for less advanced readers. Molly is a fun character, and more complex than one would suppose with the level of story.
In the classroom, I would hope to include this book in my classroom library. I would not use this book as a whole class reading though, or even present this as a book club choice. Unfortunately, especially for middle school, this book is not advanced enough to spend the time required for class. However, for lower level readers or any reader who might be wanting to enjoy a simpler read, this would be perfect. Underlying issues of sexism in sports would be easy and nice to explore, plus the simple plot might work well for examples of predictions in stories. In all, this book is well written and will always have a spot in my classroom library.
June 16, 2016
I was searching the library on-line, and found there were some books on baseball, with girls playing. When I was ten, and into my teens, I loved baseball, and I went to as many games as possible with my dad. I read all the fiction books on baseball from our school library. The librarian was always trying to get me to read the typical girls books. I was really happy to see that there are now books about girls playing baseball. Now days girls are in so many sports. In my day, it was unusual for girls to play sports.
I loved this book. It had a mom and daughter, who were grieving the death of a husband and father. Molly remembers her times playing catch with her dad, and the two of them imagining playing real baseball games.
The author has her characters dealing with bullying by the popular kids. That seems to be one of the big topics of the teen books I have been reading this week.
Molly has been playing on a softball team, and she wants to play baseball, so she goes out to the practices to try to make the team. She gets harassed by the boys, who are also trying out. One of those boys sprayed her locker door to try to intimated her. The coach wants a team that will work as a team, and picks the players who will work together. Molly earns her spot on the team, and she works through some of her problems.
I loved this book. It had a mom and daughter, who were grieving the death of a husband and father. Molly remembers her times playing catch with her dad, and the two of them imagining playing real baseball games.
The author has her characters dealing with bullying by the popular kids. That seems to be one of the big topics of the teen books I have been reading this week.
Molly has been playing on a softball team, and she wants to play baseball, so she goes out to the practices to try to make the team. She gets harassed by the boys, who are also trying out. One of those boys sprayed her locker door to try to intimated her. The coach wants a team that will work as a team, and picks the players who will work together. Molly earns her spot on the team, and she works through some of her problems.
October 29, 2018
I thought that it is a really good book it talks about a girl named Molly who loves pitching with her dad but sadly her dad ends up passing away. She ends up not liking softball so she went to play for her schools baseball team with all the boys. She ends up meeting this kid on the team name Lonnie. Lonnie and her were now friends and every time they would worm up with each other. Molly's dad had showed molly how to throw a pitch that they called the butterfly ball also know as the knuckle ball. Molly ends up winning the game for her team on striking out the last batter. Later in the book molly invites her friends Lonnie and Celia to her house to eat and her mom gets to know Lonnie . Molly is always thinking about her dad when she is on the mound. Molly ended up playing baseball for now on instead of play softball.
June 22, 2009
This is a 3.5 from me.
Unlike Mudville (which I read a little bit earlier in the year) here the baseball is very personal. This is an emotional story of love, loss, and life, all wrapped up in baseball. It is completely different as baseball stories go - not the in your face excitement of the game - but I found it was completely gripping from the other direction. Certainly an interesting reading comparison for two baseball books out in the same publishing season from the same publisher.
Recommended. Grades 6-9.
Unlike Mudville (which I read a little bit earlier in the year) here the baseball is very personal. This is an emotional story of love, loss, and life, all wrapped up in baseball. It is completely different as baseball stories go - not the in your face excitement of the game - but I found it was completely gripping from the other direction. Certainly an interesting reading comparison for two baseball books out in the same publishing season from the same publisher.
Recommended. Grades 6-9.
October 24, 2009
After Molly's dad dies, nothing feels right, but when she decides to go out for baseball (as in, the boys' team), she finds more strength inside herself than she ever knew she had.
I went into this one expecting to breeze through it, but I immediately realized that I needed to slow down and savor the writing. It's beautifully written; sad in parts, but ultimately hopeful. Message: life takes unexpected turns, just like a knuckleball, but if you make a bad throw you just dust yourself off and keep playing the game.
Read my full review on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/200...
I went into this one expecting to breeze through it, but I immediately realized that I needed to slow down and savor the writing. It's beautifully written; sad in parts, but ultimately hopeful. Message: life takes unexpected turns, just like a knuckleball, but if you make a bad throw you just dust yourself off and keep playing the game.
Read my full review on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/200...
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