It's a Hit!

by Arin Cole Barth, Marika Barth

Wil never expected to end up at baseball camp instead of his beloved theater camp with all his nerdy friends. When he came out as trans, his well-meaning father was so excited to share his own boyhood love of baseball that Wil didn’t have the heart to say no. Taylor looks forward to camp every summer, eager to get on the pitching mound and be immersed in his favorite sport. He feels a disconnect between his flamboyant, queer family and the sporty community he thrives in. During camp, Wil and Taylor connect over family, growing up, and geeking out about the things they enjoy. Together, they realize that they can define their masculinity on their own terms and find ways to connect with their families while still being themselves.

Genres: Middle Grade, Transgender, Queer

207 pages, Paperback

Published January 25, 2022

Reviews

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really cute story about two middle schoolers going through baseball camp. One is a transboy named Wil, with a traditional father but a love for theater, and an autistic aromantic boy named Taylor, who has drag-theater, DND, and Star Trek-loving moms. Despite not liking baseball, Wil still wants to try and make his dad proud, and Taylor, who loves baseball, learns how to deal with new emotions and situations, and learns what these feelings toward Wil mean. This read is the right length, short and sweet, and it has an ending that you would expect in an underdog story. Wil being trans isn't the focus, but it is brought up a few times what being a boy means, the concepts of what femininity and masculinity mean to someone, and how that is warped depending on how you grew up. I think there are a few good lessons for kids in this story. There is no right way to be boy-ish or girly; having fun is more important than winning, but it's ok to be upset when you lose, and communication is key in any relationship. :)

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's so nice to see healthy role models (and representation) for kids in books. The characters are awkwardly adorable and the tension comes from them figuring themselves out, not from outside pressures of sucky parents or society. If you liked The Weight of the Stars, that's another example of good role models (but does have the sucky adults/society also).

I wasn't a huge fan of the formatting (what happened to the good old fashioned indent?) but maybe that's more of a small-press / self-publishing issue rather than the story or author.

[Asher Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. It switches POV really well without feeling disjointed and gives a good sense of what the characters are feeling and thinking.

I especially liked the representation of autistic and queer characters that felt like they were authentic and that they were themselves without being archetypes. I feel like a lot of people would be able to get a lot from reading this book, especially if they’ve ever struggled to feel welcome in spaces they didn’t think they’d fit in.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A totally charming middle grade novel about two kids getting to know each other at baseball camp. Full of queerness and neurodiversity. I inhaled it.

CN: realistic depictions of the experiences of anxiety, especially gender, performance, and social anxiety, and of sensory overload

[A]

MC Rep: trans male

[Kimi Loughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute and such vibrant characters. I was grinning from ear to ear the whole time!!!