Synopsis
Tremendously burdened by a secret guilt, twelve-year-old Lindy uses her skill at baseball to help her cope with a new school, scornful classmates, and complicated family ...
Barbara L. Talcroft - Children's Literature
Twelve-year-old Lindy Perkins hates her rundown home in the suburbs and longs for her old neighborhood in Philadelphia. Middle readers soon discover that Lindy's family is in deep trouble; her tired mother works as a cleaner in the local hospital; her withdrawn father does not work, but collects roadside junk for sculptures. Although her teenage brother makes friends, Lindy lives in fear that her wealthy classmates will find out her address or identify the trash sculptor as her father. Fortunately, Lindy excels in baseball, so the suburban kids and teachers put up with her evasiveness and feisty independence, but Lindy has a secret. Readers get a tantalizing series of hints about an absent sister, Lindy's feelings of guilt, and the reason for her father's silence and withdrawal. They will probably breathe a sigh of relief when the unhappy situation is finally resolved and a more mature Lindy can look forward to a happier life, but readers never do find out exactly what happened (or how or why), leaving them with a sense of uncertainty and frustration. Lindy is an appealing character and her struggle for acceptance will evoke similar feelings in many preteens, although those who do not share her love for baseball may find the sports metaphors less than riveting. As in many coming-of-age stories, things are definitely looking up for Lindy and the rest of her family by the end of the last chapter, but the solutions fall into place a bit too suddenly and completely for total belief. 2004, Boyds Mills Press, Ages 10 up.