The Sweet Spot

By Elaine Vickers

★ “Twelve-year-old William Henry Roberts III—known as Trip—faces bumps on the road to winning his last Little League championship. Trip’s baseball roots run deep: His dad’s team won the Little League championship when he was 12, and Grandpa was a minor-league ballplayer. Trip is well aware of the family legacy of baseball, but he feels the heavy expectation to achieve and struggles to carve out a legacy of his own. After his father, who’s a Marine, is deployed overseas, Trip shoulders responsibilities on the field as captain and at home, where Dad tells him to “Take care of your mom and your sisters.” He assumes these roles with great seriousness, but troubling news about his father adds stress, and his team leadership is tested when Samantha “Sam” Callahan joins them and teammate Dylan makes derisive remarks. Trip questions whether he can give his all to both baseball and family. The authentic first-person narration shows him facing pressures and reassessing the importance of family. His relationship with Sam is nuanced: Dad, Coach, and Trip are supportive of girls’ inclusion and believe in girls’ equality, but Trip’s admiration for Sam’s talent stirs up feelings of jealousy and self-doubt. As the season unfolds, Trip confronts uncomfortable realities and learns to be guided by his conscience, shaping a legacy that extends far beyond the baseball diamond. Main characters are cued white. A thrilling and nuanced baseball story proving that determination and compassion can coexist.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

★ “A warm, fast-paced novel about baseball, identity, and belonging that will resonate with middle graders, especially baseball fans. Twelve-year-old Trip—“the Third,” proudly carrying a family name and a love of Little League—enters the summer with one clear goal: win the championship. When his father is unexpectedly deployed overseas and a new teammate, Sam (short for Samantha), joins the team, Trip’s carefully balanced world begins to shift both on and off the field. As Trip navigates changing friendships, complicated family dynamics involving parents, siblings, and a memorably flatulent grandfather, he also grapples with leadership, fairness, and what it means to be part of a team. The presence of a girl on the team challenges long-held assumptions, opening space for growth, empathy, and self-reflection. Trip’s internal struggle—wondering whether some people are born with advantages while others must fight harder for recognition—adds emotional depth without slowing the story’s momentum. Humorous, honest, and heartfelt, this novel explores responsibility, loyalty, and standing up for what is right, while affirming that passion and compassion do not have to be at odds. Trip and his family are cued white. VERDICT A strong choice for school and public libraries, this is a positive, engaging story for upper middle graders and a welcome addition to baseball fiction collections.–School Library Journal, starred review

“As the third William Henry Roberts in his family, Trip thinks a lot about his legacy, and he’s pretty sure it’s baseball. The book opens with Trip anticipating his final season of Little League—as team captain, playing on his father’s old team—just as his Marine dad heads off on deployment. His excitement fades when it turns out that new player Sam is a girl. Trip had relied on Little League as a refuge from a house filled with sisters, but he and Sam bond over their shared love of the game; they both grow as players while developing a valuable friendship. Trip must learn to navigate issues including gender dynamics, peer pressure, and sibling rivalry. He matures and sees his team succeeding but then decides to give up baseball when his dad is injured. The book steers clear of preachiness as Trip sorts out his priorities and finds a balance between his passion and his responsibilities. Baseball fans will appreciate Vickers’s (Half Moon Summer, rev. 7/23) talent for describing the action on the field and the ups and downs of team cohesion, and even nonfans will come away with an understanding of why the game means so much to Trip. His family is also a highlight with complex but loving relationships that both challenge and support him.”—The Horn Book

“A tween baseball player wrestles with toxic masculinity and feelings of abandonment in this insightful novel from Vickers (Half Moon Summer). Middle schooler Trip looks forward to a carefree summer hanging out with his friends and winning the Cedar Valley Little League championship with the same team his father played on during his own childhood. But when Trip’s dad—a Marine Corps soldier who had been in reserve—is deployed, Trip feels dejected about being left at home with his three sisters and their devoted, career-focused mother. Charged by his dad with taking care of the family, Trip grapples with whether such responsibility is “something a twelve-year-old kid can do.” His sense of identity is further unsettled when newcomer Sam, a skilled and determined baseball player, becomes the first girl to join his all-boys team, challenging Trip’s assumptions about gender roles. As the season intensifies, Trip and Sam forge a quick friendship, and Trip reevaluates what strength, leadership, and care can look like, both on and off the field. Measured prose balances pulse-pounding baseball scenes with a thoughtful exploration of family dynamics and personal growth, presenting an earnest story anchored by a well-drawn, white-cued cast and a protagonist striving to do right by himself and others.”—Publishers Weekly