Thrown a Curve.

Griffiths, Sara. Thrown a Curve.
Bancroft, 2007. $16.95 151p 978-890862-48-0

Fourteen-year-old Taylor Dresden, as an alternative to pressing charges for vandalism, is given the challenge by her guidance counselor to play on the high school baseball team. She learns much about herself, her friends and her family.
As a child, Taylor loved to play baseball. In fifth grade, she overheard her single father say he was embarrassed that she played better than her brother. At that point Taylor stopped playing baseball. Her freshman year in high school Taylor gets drunk and breaks some school windows. Her guidance counselor witnesses the vandalism and her accurate throws. He gives her the choice of facing the police or trying out for the boys' baseball team. Taylor relearns how much she loves the game and gradually comes to better understand her father and his actions.
Taylor is a well-developed character. The dialog and interactions with classmates ring true. The reconciliation with her father is too slick to be believed and not sufficiently developed.
This is a generally satisfying short read. It is refreshing to see a sport book with a female protagonist. TW