Peter Friedman loves baseball more than anything. He’s the star, lefty pitcher for his eighth grade baseball team and he needs to strike out three batters to claim the championship. His elbow is throbbing and is in great pain. He strikes out the first two and he’s facing two strikes and one ball.  Peter winds up the pitch and throws as hard as he can, when suddenly a pain in his elbow explodes and he goes down.

The way Jordan Sonnenblick writes this book keeps the reader engaged. There is no reading between the lines because his straightforward style keeps things simple and easy to comprehend. Sonnenblick’s style makes it a perfect read for young readers.

           Peter ends up needing surgery on his elbow and the doctor tells him he’ll never be able to pitch again. So to lessen the pain of losing baseball, he starts taking pictures with his grandpa, a former professional photographer who also encourages him to take photography class at school.

           Starting 9th grade is tough, especially when Peter is trying to tell his best friend, the other half of Peter and AJ’s dynamic duo that he will never be able to play baseball. To top it off, he also has to keep his grandfather’s Alzheimer’s a secret from him.

        The whole book is through 9th grader Peter Friedman’s eyes, keeping the reader captivated through the whole book. Through all of Peter’s mishaps and freshman mistakes, he keeps a positive attitude and a naive outlook on life.