The Spin

Marcus Stroman #2

by Marcus Stroman

In this second book in the semi-autobiographical middle grade series from MLB pitcher Marcus Stroman, young Marcus continues to learn hard lessons on and off the baseball field.

Genres: Sports

256 pages, Paperback

Published September 26, 2023

Reviews

[Brittney Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Spin the second in semi-autobiographical middle grade series from MLB pitcher Marcus Stroman.

I jumped right into book 2 and felt very comfortable not having read book 1… just yet. Kids will eat these books up, I even think the reluctant readers will gravitate to these sports centered stories. With not only great points about the physical aspect of sports but also the mental struggles some maybe going through. This one I wouldn’t only recommend for the sports enthusiast but also for parents/care givers to see a glimpse into your athletes day to day concerns.

I really enjoyed this story and I’m excited to circle back to book 1 as well as looking forward to the next book releasing in the series!

Thank you Simon Kids for a gifted copy!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Young Marcus dealt with family issues and anxiety in The Grip, and continues on in this new book as the school year progresses. Basketball season is just starting, and Marcus feels that no one takes his interest in basketball seriously, since his father is convinced that he will be a famous baseball player. Coach Fuller believes in him, and he also meets with a mental health coach who helps him cope with his anxiety about sports and life with various mental exercises, as well as understanding his reactions. School work is important to both of his parents, who are divorced, but sometimes it is hard to get everything done as he attends practices and has to go between households. He still practices baseball with his father every morning. He has a new project at school, and his class is learning how to consume news and read articles critically. After Mrs. Tyler puts them through their paces in regards to assessing articles, the class learns that they are going to write a newspaper. There is already a school newspaper, that is printed and given away in the cafeteria, but the students don't always read the articles, except for the interviews with students. Their teacher talks about what their purpose should be, and soon the class is working hard at reporting. Marcus is very careful to make sure he includes the facts, but he feels that an article about his performance in the latest basketball game is unfair. Melanie knows basketball (her father is a coach with a professional team), but he feels that he was quoted out of context, and that she, too, feels he is only good at baseball. It doesn't help that his friend Robbie made an error with the online posting, and comments are enabled. Students say many unkind things about him before the teacher has them disable the comments. The class manages to discuss whether this article was factual and fair, and they do come to some agreements about how news should be reported. Marcus works through his feelings about basketball and baseball with his mental health coach, and is able to talk to his parents about his feelings. A family camping trip with his mom and Sabia helps him clear his mind and focus on his feelings as well.
Strengths: Marcus' concerns with mental health are definitely on trend, and readers who have used the "five senses" focusing technique will find it interesting to see this reflected in a book. I enjoyed the family dynamic, and the description of Marcus and Sabia's schedule going between houses. There are enough basketball and baseball details to keep sports enthusiasts turning the pages. Marcus has some good friends, and is willing to discuss his feelings and how they affect his playing as well as his school work.
Weaknesses: There's a lot more discussion of media literacy and mental health than basketball, and this slows the story down. It felt like the same issues were rehashed several times.
What I really think: Basketball books circulate a lot more than baseball books in my library, so if I can get basketball fans to pick up The Grip, I'll purchase this second volume in August. It's a good choice for readers who enjoyed Derek Jeter's The Contract series or the Barbers' The Kickoff.

[Alex Holt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Spin by Marcus Stroman is about a kid going through hard challenges while becoming a baseball and basketball player at the same time. It was challenging to make the team, practices were hard, and his dad constantly pushed him to be the best that he could be. His parents are divorced and he splits time from time to time between their houses. Stroman shares his personal experiences, challenges, etc managing time between dealing with playing two of his beloved sports baseball and basketball. He maintains a normal tone helping readers connect with him and his story. His writing style is informative as stroman engages in telling his life story to readers especially to the ones who are actively in 2 sports. He also discusses the importance of family, friends, and mentors that make him who he is today, and also growing up in a low income neighborhood, dealing with racism, and violence. The book is divided into 20 chapters of his life and it’s written perfectly into each of the chapters. He shares his experiences playing both sports at high school, college, and eventually into the minor leagues. The book also goes into depth with his personal struggles with his mental health with him dealing with anxiety and depression throughout his career and the help he sought out to overcome the personal problems, while speaking about this he also encourages readers to seek help for their mental problems and to overcome their problems. Stroman touches on racial injustice and the importance of black representation in sports, he shares the experiences as a black athlete in a white sport and advocates for change for the sport. Stroman provides perspectives on the challenges of young athletes of all ages and certain races as they strive to make it into professional sports and also to encourage them to make it in life. He recounters his childhood multiple times throughout the book during the 1st chapters and then talks about sports later on in the book. He provides readers with an alternate look at his life, both on and off the baseball field as he overcomes his challenges throughout this book, and he mentions the countless teams he has spent while in the MLB. In conclusion, The Spin by Marcus Stroman is a good autobiography for those who want to achieve stuff in life and also to give an unique perspective through the life of an MLB player. Through his storytelling, he encourages readers to chase their dreams and to manage their mental health.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2 in series
Marcus is concentrating on his basketball skills as well as baseball this season (book). However, most people, including his own family, only see his potential as a baseball star. One exception is his basketball coach. Luckily Marcus also has a mental health coach who helps him with different techniques to stay calm and relieve stress. This year he is also involved with newspaper class at school and when an article comes out about the basketball team and his performance, he learns that spin means more than just what you do with the ball.
While I appreciate the fact that mental health for young people is super important, especially with sports, it keeps interrupting the plotline here. In fact, true basketball lovers will find that there is not nearly enough baller action in this story for them between the newspaper, camping, mental health, family, and other story lines.

[taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

[5.0]