SOAR by Joan Bauer tells the powerful story of a heart transplant survivor who becomes an amazing baseball coach.
Although Jeremiah isn’t allowed to run because of his heart transplant, he hasn’t given up his baseball dreams. Instead, he decides to turn his middle school baseball team into champions. Along the way, he connects with a neighbor and brings a town alive.
Librarians will find this heart-warming story to be a great addition to the library’s realistic fiction collection. Books about sports are always popular with boys, but this title crosses boundaries and its likely to inspire a wide range of readers. The focus on coaching rather than playing baseball provides a unique perspective. The robotics, steroids, and adoption subplots provide a bonus that will appeal to some youth.
Keep in mind that this title also fits well with the growing number of books exploring ways youth are overcoming disabilities.
To learn more about the author, go to http://joanbauer.com/.
Published by Viking Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin. ARC courtesy of the publisher.