Dear fans of Dork Diaries and Middle School: The Worst Years of My Lifemeet your new favorite kid-next-door hero! Gabby Garcia an overly confident baseball-obsessed sport nut whos going to win your heart. If life were a baseball game, all-star pitcher Gabby Garcia would be having her Best. Season. EVER! Until shes suddenly sent to another school and her winning streak is about to disappearboth on and off the field. But Gabby never gives up! She has a PLAN to keep her champion status intact, and every step of is written outPLAY by PLAY. How could it not work? This new series written by Iva-Marie Palmer is filled with funny illustrations, sports facts, and blooper-reel moments that will have readers laughing and rooting for more. Gr 4–6—The first in a planned series. Gabby Garcia is a 12-year-old baseball prodigy, and she knows it. She's on her best win streak ever when she's forced to switch to a new school—one with a very good and established ball team. Gabby expects to waltz into her new school and be welcomed onto the team with open arms and grateful praise, but things don't exactly go as she hoped. When Gabby is relegated to the field hockey team—the worst field hockey team ever—she discovers that the ragtag group is comprised of incredibly talented peers. The team members are entering the state talent contest together, and Gabby is determined to help them take first place, but she just can't get her heart away from the ballfield. This novel joins the plethora of middle grade books in hand-drawn, journal format, though Gabby would tell readers this is "definitely NOT a diary!" The cast is diverse, both in description and illustrations. The Chicago Cubs are referred to as "loveable losers" who haven't had a World Series win since 1908 and who haven't played in the World Series since 1945; however, they recently won the pennant in 2016. The plot is mildly interesting but not likely to keep most readers engaged for the long haul. VERDICT It's refreshing to see a female ballplayer protagonist in a middle grade novel. Consider for robust collections or where baseball stories circulate well.—Taylor Worley, Springfield Public Library, OR “Gabby’s diary like narration gives readers insight into the high-spirited protagonist’s thoughts and passion for baseball, and doodled illustrations give her playbook an authentic feel.” - Booklist “Middle-grade readers will identify with Gabby’s preteen angst, laugh at her mostly self-inflicted struggles, and cheer for her success. Hilarious and joyful.” - Kirkus Reviews “Gabby’s satisfying journey toward gaining a more team-focused attitude is narrated in a wry and witty voice that ought to win over many readers, sports fans or not.” - Publishers Weekly One of the “10 Exciting New Middle Grade Books with Latinx Main Characters”! - Brightly “It’s refreshing to see a female ballplayer protagonist in a middle grade novel.” - School Library Journal “It’s rare for a sports-themed book to hold broad appeal, but Iva-Marie Palmer deserves a trophy for serving up an engaging, relatable story about a Latina athlete that even gym-phobic kids can enjoy.” - Common Sense Media “You’re going to root, root, root for Gabby Garcia! A hilarious home-run.” - Sarah Mlynowski, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Whatever After series “Big thumbs up for this endearing story of a winning-obsessed girl who learns to stop keeping score and enjoy the ups and downs of life.” - Suzanne Selfors, author of the Ever After High series “Sassy and fun from the first inning to the last! Gabby Garcia is sure to win fans among young readers everywhere.” - Lenore Look, award-winning author of the Alvin Ho series and the Ruby Lu series Iva-Marie Palmer is the author of the Gabby Garcia's Ultimate Playbook series and The Jules Verne Prophecy (with Larry Schwarz). She's also written many young adult titles, including Gimme Everything You Got . Born and raised in Chicago's south suburbs, Iva now lives in Burbank, California, with her husband and two sons. She likes many more things than she dislikes so won't list them all here. Marta Kissi is a London-based illustrator originally from Warsaw. She studied BA illustration & animation at Kingston University and MA communication art & design at the Royal College of Art. Her favorite part of being an illustrator is bringing stories to life by designing charming characters and the wonderful worlds they live in. She shares a studio in London with her husband, James, and their pet plant, Trevor.