Book Review: Soar
Jeremiah has been dealt a difficult hand from the get-go, abandoned as a baby and later diagnosed with a heart condition requiring a heart transplant at the age of 11. And that’s where his dreams of playing baseball are put on hold. Jeremiah can’t play baseball, he can’t even run while the doctors continue monitoring his new heart, which he named Alice and the medication he has to take.
But, when his father is relocated for work, Jeremiah finds a place for himself in the small town of Hillcrest, reeling from a scandal and in need of some serious can-do attitude, which is just what Jeremiah can bring.
Joan Bauer is one of my favorite middle grade/YA authors because she doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, but navigates them beautifully. I really enjoyed Soar for Jeremiah’s attitude, his single father (full of wisdom) and the cast of characters living in Hillcrest, OH are each unique and individual.
This is a great story for middle grade students looking for a book about sports, overcoming the odds, a realistic fiction story or adoption. This will definitely be something I start promoting as the weather starts warming up and the kids are out playing catch!
Read Alikes:
- The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John H. Ritter
- One-Handed Catch by MJ Auch
- Heat by Mike Lupica
- Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick
Twitter Booktalk (140 characters or less): Jeremiah lives for baseball, choosing to coach for a town facing scandal and in need of his ability to soar. @joan_bauer #ilovemiddlegrade
Title: Soar
Author: Joan Bauer
Publisher: Viking
Publication Date: 2016
Page Number: 296 pgs.