Overview

ESPN Major League Baseball analyst and two-time Olympic medalist Jessica Mendoza teams up with her sister Alana Mendoza Dusan for their first highly-illustrated novel for young readers, a Dork Diaries for sporty kids. This will be twelve-year-old Sophia Maria Garcia's best year ever: she's trying out for the same championship softball team her sister played on at her age, and she's starting middle school. New school, new team, new Sophia! But all does not go according to plan. Sophia does not make the Waves softball team and her best friend is suddenly more interested in boys than Sophia. As the middle school blues set in, and her family is pulled in different directions, Sophia must reach deep down and find a little UMPH-the difference between being good and great-to figure out her own place, on and off the field. ESPN Major League Baseball analyst and two-time Olympic medalist Jessica Mendoza teams up with her sister Alana Mendoza Dusan for their first highly-illustrated novel for young readers, based on their own childhood softball adventures.

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9781620145883

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Reviews

"""The Mendoza sisters' strong bond shines throughout their engagingly illustrated collaboration, resulting in a wonderful story of family and friendship that will quickly become an MVP among softball-fiction fans."" -- Booklist ""[The Mendoza sisters'] insider knowledge of the sport, team dynamics, and the give-and-take of sisterhood lends the narrative authenticity and candor, and their debut strikes a steady balance between on-the-field action and interpersonal interactions. Multiple recaps of plays and plot will help keep hesitant readers in the game."" -- Publishers Weekly ""Jessica and Alana turn their experiences as softball sisters into pure gold. Great sports action and family drama--with personal details and game tips--combine to make There's No Base Like Home a heart-felt novel filled with empowering messages."" -- Billie Jean King, Founder of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative and the Women's Sports Foundation ""An inspirational children's book written by a trailblazer in women's sports."" -- Lisa Fernandez, three-time Olympic gold medalist in softball There's No Base Like Home: a perfect title with a beautiful message authored by two women who have clearly found their ""home base"" within. There is strength in uniqueness.... This is timely and timeless. -- Kerri Walsh Jennings, three-time Olympic gold medalist and professional beach volleyball player ""In this story of stepping outside the box, Jessica Mendoza and her sister Alana have written a delightful, female-driven sports story about a young girl following her dreams and not being afraid to stand out. I was rooting for awesome Sophia and her whole familia from the first pitch. Go Sophie, go!"" -- Pablo Cartaya, Pura Belpré Honor-winning author of THE EPIC FAIL OF ARTURO ZAMORA"

Now that she's in middle school, Sophia Garcia dreams of following in her sister's footsteps and playing for the Waves softball team. Devastatingly, she doesn't make the cut, but not making that particular team turns out to be a blessing in disguise. During tryouts, shy Sophia meets Teresa, an outgoing girl whose mother is forming another team, the Quakes. Sophia is invited to join the Quakes, and though she starts out warming the bench, she scores ample playing time once she switches from pitcher to outfielder. While she succeeds at softball, Sophia must cope with almost losing her best friend and the disappointment of having busy parents who can't attend many games. Additionally, she's dealing with the arrival of adolescent hormones and feels she has little support. How wrong she is! Her 'home base' is as strong as ever. The Mendoza sisters' strong bond shines throughout their engagingly illustrated collaboration, resulting in a wonderful story of family and friendship that will quickly become an MVP among softball-fiction fans. -- Booklist Sophia Garcia, a sixth grader from a warm, extended Mexican-American family, aspires to follow in the athletic footsteps of her older sister, a former ace pitcher on a crackerjack softball team. After Sophia fails to make the team (pretty much the worst thing that's ever happened to me), she is recruited by a start-up team and finds her niche by trading the pitcher's mound for the outfield. Life throws her some unsettling curveballs, though, as she adjusts to cliquey middle school, her best friend's sudden obsession with boys, and her harried parents' increased work schedule, which curtails their game attendance. The sibling authors know well of what they write: Mendoza, a two-time Olympic medalist as a member of the U.S. women's softball team, is an MLB analyst for ESPN; Dusan played Division 1 softball in college. Their insider knowledge of the sport, team dynamics, and the give-and-take of sisterhood lends the narrative authenticity and candor, and their debut strikes a steady balance between on-the-field action and interpersonal interactions. Multiple recaps of plays and plot will help keep hesitant readers in the game. -- Publishers Weekly Jessica and Alana turn their experiences as softball sisters into pure gold. Great sports action and family drama--with personal details and game tips--combine to make There's No Base Like Home a heart-felt novel filled with empowering messages. -- Billie Jean King, Founder of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative and the Women's Sports Foundation An inspirational children's book written by a trailblazer in women's sports. -- Lisa Fernandez, three-time Olympic gold medalist in softball There's No Base Like Home: a perfect title with a beautiful message authored by two women who have clearly found their home base within. There is strength in uniqueness. . . . This is timely and timeless. -- Kerri Walsh Jennings, three-time Olympic gold medalist and professional beach volleyball player

The Mendoza sisters' strong bond shines throughout their engagingly illustrated collaboration, resulting in a wonderful story of family and friendship that will quickly become an MVP among softball-fiction fans. -- Booklist [The Mendoza sisters'] insider knowledge of the sport, team dynamics, and the give-and-take of sisterhood lends the narrative authenticity and candor, and their debut strikes a steady balance between on-the-field action and interpersonal interactions. Multiple recaps of plays and plot will help keep hesitant readers in the game. -- Publishers Weekly Jessica and Alana turn their experiences as softball sisters into pure gold. Great sports action and family drama--with personal details and game tips--combine to make There's No Base Like Home a heart-felt novel filled with empowering messages. -- Billie Jean King, Founder of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative and the Women's Sports Foundation An inspirational children's book written by a trailblazer in women's sports. -- Lisa Fernandez, three-time Olympic gold medalist in softball There's No Base Like Home: a perfect title with a beautiful message authored by two women who have clearly found their home base within. There is strength in uniqueness.... This is timely and timeless. -- Kerri Walsh Jennings, three-time Olympic gold medalist and professional beach volleyball player

Author Information

Jessica Mendoza is currently an MLB analyst for Sunday Night Baseball, ESPN's premier MLB franchise. She is the first female analyst in MLB postseason history, and ESPN's first ever female MLB analyst. Jessica also serves as a contributor on ABC's Good Morning America. She won a gold & silver Olympic medal in 2004 and 2008, respectively, as a member of the US Women's Softball Team. Jessica's younger sister, Alana Mendoza Dusan, was a Division 1 softball player (2B/UT) at Oregon State University. A lifelong Dodger fan, she is currently a high school English teacher who lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband and two children. Alana's passion is to motivate younger generations to pursue their dreams, and she loves taking advantage of all the outdoor activities Central Oregon has to offer. Ruth McNally Barshaw is the illustrator of seven books for young readers, including the Ellie McDoodle Diaries, which she also wrote. She resides in Michigan.

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