Ben and Emma’s Big Hit

K-Gr 2–Drawing a parallel between baseball and learning to read, this school story about dyslexia is a home run. Ben (a shaggy, blond-haired boy) is a natural at baseball but when it comes to reading, “it felt like going up against the hardest team in the league, every day.” Fortunately for Ben, and three other students of varying skin colors and ethnicities, they have a patient and empathetic reading coach in Ms. Kim. The alphabet and reading drills frustrate Ben and his emotions get the better of him but gentle intervention by Ms. Kim re-centers him so that he can rejoin the class. He learns that Emma, even though she carries around the largest books, only does so because she likes to pretend she can read them. Ben’s emotions and the constructive classroom environment are thoughtfully depicted. When the class finds that Ms. Kim likes baseball but has never been able to hit the ball, the tables are turned and Ben finds himself coaching and motivating his teacher as his classmates cheer her on. Realistic illustrations with soft colors dominated by pale blue and green, and expressive characters, depict the supportive environment and the themed connection between reading and baseball well. As the class gathers together outside, the ending sentiment to try hard every day may seem trite but fits well with the twin themes of teamwork and coaching. Newsom, governor of California, provides a note about his own journey with dyslexia.