Dandi loves baseball, but the boys won't let her play at school or in after-school pickup games because she's a girl. Undeterred, she enters an essay contest to become a Kansas City A's batboy, even though it's 1971 and the contest is open to "boys only." She signs her entry "Dan," and wins, but she is disqualified once her secret is revealed. Despite disappointment, though, Dandi perseveres, both in playing baseball and in her writing. While the sometimes dense text may be better suited for older children, this picture book, which incorporates autobiographical elements, offers a spirited, descriptive account of an everyday girl who, despite restrictions and frustrations, determinedly pursues her dreams. The soft, colorful illustrations, filled with vintage detail, set the story in its historical context. An introductory author note on Title IX uses some cold war and racial politics to frame sports inequities, which, along with interspersed baseball jargon ("chasing junk," "worm-burner") and pop-cultural references (Fabian), may not resonate with all readers and listeners. Still, the story provides a personal perspective on girls in sports before Title IX and highlights the importance of equal opportunities.

Gr 2-4 In this fictionalized picture-book account of an incident from Mackall's childhood, it is 1961 and Dandi's dreams center on baseball. She roots for her local pro team, the Kansas City A's, and she's a solid player who can get on base when it counts. She's bitterly frustrated when the boys ban her from their pick-up games because she's a girl. Then she hears about an essay-writing contest that the A's are holding; the winner will get to be batboy. Although the rules state "for boys only," Dandi enters and wins, only to be disqualified. Instead, the A's send her a consolation prize, a bat. She announces to the boys that she's batting, hits the ball out of sight, and walks away, purposely leaving the bat behind. She stops rooting for the A's, her passion for writing and baseball unabated, and her spirit strong and undaunted. Mackall seamlessly weaves a good deal of baseball trivia and slang into her tale, and Graef's folksy paintings add detail and character. Dandi is an engaging and sympathetic heroine, and her story will resonate with many readers. Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

A girl named Dandi daydreams about baseball and loves to play. She even submits a 50-word essay to the Kansas City A's on why she wants to be a batboy, signing it "Dan." Although she wins, she can't accept, because—like Little League at the time (1961)—girls are not allowed. In her disappointment, she takes out her frustration by forcing herself into the boys' game and hitting a home run—and by switching her allegiance to the Cardinals. Dandi narrates her own tale, spinning out her grasp of the game with sprinkles of baseball lingo. Graef's static images set in flat landscapes and interiors do nothing to enliven the prosaic text: Dandi's pigtails seem stolid even when flying in the wind. A note on the flap states that the story comes from the author's own attempt to win the batboy contest, but this tie to reality doesn't make up for the lack of spirit and energy. (Picture book. 7-9)