The Girl Who Threw Butterflies

Gr 5—9—When Molly's father dies in a mysterious car accident, her mother becomes withdrawn and distant. She feels alienated by Molly's love of baseball and seems unfocused and unsupportive. Left to deal with her grief on her own, Molly uses the mean knuckleball, a pitch that flutters like a butterfly, that her father taught her to become the pitcher of the boy's 8th grade baseball team. All the characters in Mick Cochrane's leisurely, gentle story ring true, including colorful supporting characters like her best friend Celia and her dreamy, maybe boyfriend Lonnie. The narrative is full and funny and feeling. While this is a story about death and dealing with grief in different ways, it isn't overly heavy and is balanced by wonderful sports action. Maria Cabezas's narration keeps the deliberate pace of Mick Cochrane's story (Knopf, 2009) while still maintaining listeners' interest. Fans of Kristi Roberts's My Thirteenth Season (Holt, 2005) will enjoy this novel.—Terry Ann Lawler, Phoenix Public Library, AZ