"Being 12 is hard" ~ Shenice 'Lightening' Lockwood, from Nic Stone's Fast Pitch, Crown Books for Young Readers, Random House Children's Books
Hernia 2021, however, will go down with a few delights - observations made because I've had to sit still. First, Chopped, the addicting, mind-blowing, and intense chef show. Glad I got that marathon done - it made my competitive side kick in. Second, hats off and a bow to the creators of Ted Lasso. I'm caught up, and impressed by the humanity of the writing. I needed to feel good. Third, a special thanks to Dr. Crombie who recommended I put off this surgery until August so I could at least could enjoy July (which I did...overdoing it on the field, in the yard, on the kayak). Because of Hendrick, I was forced to be still for many, many days, which allowed me to take-in the 2021 Little League World Series, which is one of my favorite events each year. And Fourth, I just absolutely adore what Nic Stone contributes to young adult readers, especially when she takes up stories from the field. As a result of being a lame duck, lying still, and having to have patience with myself, I got to Fast Pitch right away.
Being 12 is hard. That's 6th grade. PHEW!, she captured the voice.
Fast Pitch, published by Crown Books for Young Readers, is out later this month and someone (somebody somewhere) had an ARC sent to me the day I arrived home for surgery. I get ARCs almost daily and pile them in the order of what to read next, but when I opened the package and saw what I like to imagine as a 12-year old Nic Stone with a yellow softball tossed in the air, I smiled. I knew it'd be a couple of days before I'd get to it (drugs are weird substances, no?), and placed her book at the top of my to-be-read pile. I had to do a review/blurb on an academic text first (when the brain novocaine war off), but once I finished it I settled down for another Stone story. I knew deep down that I simply needed this one. The Great Whatever stuff...being in tune with what the Universe is telling me...sending me a way to heal through bat ball memories, plots, and discoveries.
Truth.
When I think of childhood, I think of the swampy, mosquito-infested fields of Cicero, New York, where our little league platforms were stretched along Route 31. I was the fat boy in Husky clothes from Sears who laced up for games and practices with dreams larger that his belt and waist. We all dreamed then. We were 12 and if Cicero could beat N. Syracuse, then Mattydale, then Solvay, then Liverpool, then Lyncourt, etc. and we might get to State (which didn't happen to my generation of dreamers...we never got out of the swamps). Still, there was a rhythm and it had to do with baseball, Bad News Bears, The Sandlot, over-zealous fathers who coached, and ice-cream at Larry's Fish Fry if we won. In between pools, bicycles, the end-of-school and summer picnics, we had games. Lots of them. And we lived at the field.
Ah, after 6th and 7th grade came the teen years, puberty, junior high...and the repackaging of childhood into "I'm not a kid anymore," so we put our toy boxes away. A 12-year old voice is a hard one to capture....it's a peculiar period of time. It's special.
Yet, that is what Nic Stone did/does with/in Fast Pitch. We meet Shenice, her teammates, her Great Uncle, and her family history. We meet strength, curiosity, a developing voice, and a leader, too. (I was thrilled to see a little of Scoob, as well --- loved him and his G'Ma in Clean Getaway --- and I continue to be intrigued by the middle school cohort of agentive minds Nic Stone is establishing in these books. I can't wait for more. There will be more, right?
But, back to Ah.
Ah, whereas my little league world was crushed with bags of M&Ms, Snickers, A&W cheeseburgers, and Pepsis, my little sister's softball world blew up into possibilities and excitement. She was a stellar first base girl, and an incredible hitter, so when she was in the fast-pitch 12-year old stage of her little league years...she and her All Star team took off. In fact, we traveled all over the state as they advanced. And even if they didn't get out of NY, it was way better than my pudge-ball years. It was exciting, and through the eyes of 12-year olds (well, I was 13 then) many memories were created.
And this is why I adored Fast Pitch by Nic Stone. Once again, she captures the thinking, language, zest, and quirkiness of the age for which she writes....the in-between space of childhood and young adolescents, of being babied, and a growth for independence. This is accomplished within a celebration of history, culture, and storytelling, bringing forward wonderful voices of Black youth filling in gaps where narratives have lacked. Beyond the joy of the 'bat ball' narrative arc is an underlying search for identity, time-stamps, justice, and a sojourn of a young girl, Lightening, as she makes sense of her world and finds meaning along the way --- a fast-pitch softball field, the family history, the Internet (I mean, how can anyone go 15-minutes without a Google Search?), and her friends.
I'm no longer 12, but if I was....and I came across this book...I'd pick up a pen and paper to write the author a simple question, "Okay, when can I get the next book?"
I'm totally fingersnapping and shouting out to the voice-filled, clever acknowledgements, as well -- the huffing is easily felt -- all love for Phoebe Yeh, always. And more finger snapping and shouting to Nigel Livingstone's portrait of Nic Stone in a yellow jersey, blue jean shorts, red cap, glove and ball. Fast Pitch radiates Nic Stone's voice, purpose, mission, and love of young people.
Throwing this onto my Fall syllabus now. It's going to be a different game than I planned and I can't wait.
PS: Actual photo of my glove, ball, and Nic's book...capturing the month of August perfectly (as it sits on the bed I put in the downstairs dining room so I can recover one nap at a time).
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