Kirkus Reviews

Twelve-year-old Gabby is a golden child, and nothing can go wrong, until it does.Gabby, the star pitcher for Luther Junior High, is about to complete her second no-hitter of the season when the game is suspended, everyone is evacuated, and the school is closed because of an asbestos situation. The young Latina is assigned to Piper Bell Academy for the duration, a very upscale private school. She creates a playbook, definitely not a mere diary, to state her goals and strategies for maintaining her status in her new school. She assumes that she will be begged to join the baseball team and achieve further greatness, all in spite of gentle warnings from her parents and best friend. But her plans go immediately, painfully awry and must be listed as losses in her book. Feeling completely vanquished, she quits baseball and joins the marvelously inept field hockey team. A bit of humble pie and determination to do the right thing brings about a satisfying conclusion. Middle-grade readers will identify with Gabby's preteen angst, laugh at her mostly self-inflicted struggles, and cheer for her success. The playbook format, heavily illustrated with doodles and delightful action sketches, also serves the purpose of describing the characters' physical appearances, including skin color and ethnicity, which are implied by naming conventions but never stated in the text. Hilarious and joyful. (Fiction. 9-12)

ALA Booklist (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

First things first: don't confuse this book with a diary. It is a playbook in which talented athlete Gabby Garcia records her strategies to "win at life." And she'll do anything to win. As the starting pitcher for her school's baseball team, everything seems to be going the seventh-grader's way. However, it all changes when her school is shut down due to an asbestos problem, and she becomes the "new kid" at a school that already has a star pitcher. Gabby has a difficult time making friends and finding her place, and she learns more about losing than she'd like. But as she learns some valuable lessons about teamwork and being a better friend, she manages to break her losing streak. Palmer creates a captivating world with baseball at its center. Gabby's diarylike narration gives readers insight into the high-spirited protagonist's thoughts and passion for baseball, and doodled illustrations give her playbook an authentic feel. Interestingly, Gabby's Latina identity is not central to the story, which stays focused on universal middle-school struggles and experiences.

School Library Journal (Mon May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Gr 4-6The first in a planned series. Gabby Garcia is a 12-year-old baseball prodigy, and she knows it. She's on her best win streak ever when she's forced to switch to a new schoolone with a very good and established ball team. Gabby expects to waltz into her new school and be welcomed onto the team with open arms and grateful praise, but things don't exactly go as she hoped. When Gabby is relegated to the field hockey teamthe worst field hockey team evershe discovers that the ragtag group is comprised of incredibly talented peers. The team members are entering the state talent contest together, and Gabby is determined to help them take first place, but she just can't get her heart away from the ballfield. This novel joins the plethora of middle grade books in hand-drawn, journal format, though Gabby would tell readers this is "definitely NOT a diary!" The cast is diverse, both in description and illustrations. The Chicago Cubs are referred to as "loveable losers" who haven't had a World Series win since 1908 and who haven't played in the World Series since 1945; however, they recently won the pennant in 2016. The plot is mildly interesting but not likely to keep most readers engaged for the long haul. VERDICT It's refreshing to see a female ballplayer protagonist in a middle grade novel. Consider for robust collections or where baseball stories circulate well.Taylor Worley, Springfield Public Library, OR

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

As a star pitcher, Gabby knows how to strategize for success; so when she's abruptly reassigned to a private school because of asbestos at Luther Junior High, she produces this playbook for all her goals. Amply illustrated in black-and-white and breezily written, it will appeal to sports-minded readers who enjoy similarly formatted journals. Lessons about ego versus genuine friendship don't outweigh the fun.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

From the opening pages of her story, baseball-obsessed seventh-grader Gabby Garcia makes it clear that her book is not a diary but a playbook, because -playbooks are how you make things happen.- And Gabby is all about making things happen for herself: she-s the star pitcher on her school-s baseball team, but when a -severe asbestos situation- forces the immediate closure of her school, Gabby is sent to a private school where the baseball team already has a great pitcher. Confident to the point of cocky, Gabby is sure that the team will be begging for her services, but when she finally gets on the team, things don-t go as she had hoped (-even though I have what-s called a -big personality,- I feel like it-s not working for me here-). Gabby-s satisfying journey toward gaining a more team-focused attitude is narrated in a wry and witty voice that ought to win over many readers, sports fans or not. Kissi-s comics-style spot illustrations (not all seen by PW) appear throughout. Ages 8-12. Author-s agent: Fonda Snyder. Illustrator-s agent: Anne Moore Armstrong, Bright Group. (May)