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Roy Morelli Steps Up to the Plate

by Thatcher Heldring
231p. 978-0-38573-391-5.
COPY ISBN
Gr 6-9 Eighth-grader Roy Morelli is looking forward to playing on an elite all-star baseball team as a means of impressing the high school coach and enhancing his chances of starting on the varsity as a freshman. When his history grade slips, however, his parents make him drop down to a less competitive, less demanding rec-league team, where none of the other players seem to care about winning. Roy alienates his teammates with his aggressive style and know-it-all attitude and gets in trouble at home for his continued apathetic approach toward his studies. When his divorced father's girlfriend becomes his tutor, Roy is initially resentful, but eventually comes to appreciate the way she makes history come alive. He is able to apply the lessons he has learned both to improve his history grade and to mend relationships with his teammates. While somewhat predictable, the novel features good characterization and some sizzling dialogue, especially between Roy and his frenemy, Valerie Hopkins. The game action is fast paced and exciting, the depiction of middle school dynamics rings true, and the main character shows genuine emotional growth over the course of the novel."Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
In this predictable sports novel, eighth-grader Roy is more motivated by baseball than by history class. He loses his spot on the All-Stars and has to play with the sub-par Rec League to allow time for school. Roy initially feels the Rec League is beneath him but eventually sees the parallels between athletic and academic success.
Roy’s bigheaded attitude is frustrating, but his determination to succeed is endearing. He is a well-rounded, sympathetic main character. The baseball action comes to life with resonant detail and skilled pacing. The conflict between Roy’s stubborn play-to-win approach and some of his teammates’ lackadaisical attitudes causes a rift on the team, heightening the stakes during games. Protagonists in sports-centric novels for this age level typically are either extraordinary athletes or poor athletes. This story finds a refreshing and believable middle ground between the two. Subplots concerning Roy’s academic struggles and his relationships with his divorced parents add realism to the story.

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