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Fast Pitch
From Nic Stone, the New York Times bestselling author of Clean Getaway, comes a challenging and heartwarming coming-of-age story about a softball player looking to prove herself on and off the pitch.
Shenice Lockwood has her eyes set on the Fastpitch World Series. As team captain, she'd like nothing more than to help her girls take home the trophy and the $10,000 prize money. And as one of the few brown faces on the field, it'd be a personal triumph to show-up her rich, white opponents.
But Shenice's focus gets shaken when her Uncle Jack reveals that a family crime may have been a set-up all along. Shenice will stop at nothing to uncover the past. The closer she gets to the truth, though, the further she gets from her goals for the future.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Clean Getaway, Nic Stone seamlessly pairs the history of the Negro Leagues with the story of a contemporary, Black tween determined to blaze a trail of her own.
Shenice Lockwood has her eyes set on the Fastpitch World Series. As team captain, she'd like nothing more than to help her girls take home the trophy and the $10,000 prize money. And as one of the few brown faces on the field, it'd be a personal triumph to show-up her rich, white opponents.
But Shenice's focus gets shaken when her Uncle Jack reveals that a family crime may have been a set-up all along. Shenice will stop at nothing to uncover the past. The closer she gets to the truth, though, the further she gets from her goals for the future.
From the New York Times bestselling author of Clean Getaway, Nic Stone seamlessly pairs the history of the Negro Leagues with the story of a contemporary, Black tween determined to blaze a trail of her own.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published August 31, 2021
107 people are currently reading
4730 people want to read
About the author
Nic Stone
42 books4,672 followersNic Stone was born and raised in a suburb of Atlanta, GA, and the only thing she loves more than an adventure is a good story about one. After graduating from Spelman College, she worked extensively in teen mentoring and lived in Israel for a few years before returning to the US to write full-time. Growing up with a wide range of cultures, religions, and backgrounds, Stone strives to bring these diverse voices and stories to her work.
Stone lives in Atlanta with her husband and two sons. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @getnicced or on her website nicstone.info.
Stone lives in Atlanta with her husband and two sons. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @getnicced or on her website nicstone.info.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 443 reviews
October 29, 2021
This was SO GOOD!
Firstly, as someone who played softball-related sports from tee-ball as a little kid up to softball all through middle school, I'm so glad that there's a book about it as opposed to the usual "we want to play baseball but the school says no girls :(". Softball isn't just baseball for girls, folks! It's its own sport and just as worthy of acknowledgement. The team dynamic felt real and you can tell that Nic Stone is passionate about the sport.
But besides the softball, this is also an important look at legacy, at racism, and how they intersect, with Shenice coming from a long line of Black baseball players with her great-grandfather's career being derailed by a racist lie. The team and family dynamics were super well-written, and I was cheering for the Firebirds the entire way through!
Firstly, as someone who played softball-related sports from tee-ball as a little kid up to softball all through middle school, I'm so glad that there's a book about it as opposed to the usual "we want to play baseball but the school says no girls :(". Softball isn't just baseball for girls, folks! It's its own sport and just as worthy of acknowledgement. The team dynamic felt real and you can tell that Nic Stone is passionate about the sport.
But besides the softball, this is also an important look at legacy, at racism, and how they intersect, with Shenice coming from a long line of Black baseball players with her great-grandfather's career being derailed by a racist lie. The team and family dynamics were super well-written, and I was cheering for the Firebirds the entire way through!
September 6, 2021
Fast Pitch is a fast-paced, poignant sports mystery about family, racism, and community. Fans of Clean Getaway will enjoy this companion title focused on Scoob’s crush Shenice. With engaging sports scenes and a diverse cast of characters, this story shines a light on the history of Black men in sports and how we can honor that legacy.
Read my full review on my blog and enter a giveaway (US only, closes Sept 13).
Many thanks to the publisher for a free eARC of this book.
Read my full review on my blog and enter a giveaway (US only, closes Sept 13).
Many thanks to the publisher for a free eARC of this book.
May 19, 2021
I truly love Nic Stone and her writing...her books simply make me happy. She's an incredible writer in both her 14+ age books for teens and then her middle grade work. I loved her MG debut Clean Getaway, so when I saw she had another one coming out I clicked the button to request an ARC immediately.
FAST PITCH is a short and fast paced little story about a girl and her all black female softball team on the cusp to make it to the championship, when she discovers a secret about a relative in her family and begins digging into the past with help of her friends on the team. It had a lot of humor and heart to the story, and even though I personally didn't get all the softball references, kids are going to love this one. Nic also so eloquently tackles racism and discrimination in baseball while making it age appropriate. Really adored this book!
FAST PITCH is a short and fast paced little story about a girl and her all black female softball team on the cusp to make it to the championship, when she discovers a secret about a relative in her family and begins digging into the past with help of her friends on the team. It had a lot of humor and heart to the story, and even though I personally didn't get all the softball references, kids are going to love this one. Nic also so eloquently tackles racism and discrimination in baseball while making it age appropriate. Really adored this book!
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August 29, 2021Nic Stone doesn't write a bad book. This is such a sweet read about Shenice, a middle schooler who is captain of her all-Black softball team. The team has dealt with ups and downs in who they play against -- it's mostly white, and the team definitely experiences racism -- but they don't let it hold them back from celebrating when they are on a winning streak. While on the road to championship, Shenice learns about the history and legacy of ball in her family, including learning about her great grandfather's near-call with the majors and how he was framed for a crime. She's focused on helping her team make history while also working to clear the history of her family.
Shenice is such a fabulous tween character. She's got all of her emotions right, all of her thoughts right, and is all of her own age. There are some little digs in there that hurt -- calling Wall-E "that old movie about a robot" felt especially painful -- but they were authentic and real to the character. I loved her fortitude, as well as the passion she has in getting to know her great uncle and helping him find resolution for his brother.
A great book about Black girls in sports.
Shenice is such a fabulous tween character. She's got all of her emotions right, all of her thoughts right, and is all of her own age. There are some little digs in there that hurt -- calling Wall-E "that old movie about a robot" felt especially painful -- but they were authentic and real to the character. I loved her fortitude, as well as the passion she has in getting to know her great uncle and helping him find resolution for his brother.
A great book about Black girls in sports.
July 9, 2024
I love Nic Stone as an author and parts of this are good, but I may have been a bit too old for this one.
This was a cute and quick read but didn't have any of the massive substance I have felt from other Stone books.
Solid 3 stars
This was a cute and quick read but didn't have any of the massive substance I have felt from other Stone books.
Solid 3 stars
March 10, 2022
This was so great!! I love Nic Stone's narration too.
Fast Pitch follows pre-teen Shenice Lockwood. She's captain of the first all Black girls' softball team. The softball World Series is coming up and winning the series would be a dream come true. But Shenice's focus is shaken when her Uncle Jack reveals that a family crime might have been a set up after all.
The family mystery and the softball plot lines in this wove together perfectly. I absolutely loved it. I was invested in Shenice's journey on both sides. I really hope we get to see more of Shenice in either a sequel or in another middle grade set in the same neighborhood as this one.
I loved seeing how supportive Shenice's family and friends were. It gave me such a warm feeling. Also there were so many characters based off of Nic's real life friends and it was so cute! Loved that Scoob shows up in this one as well, can't wait to read Clean Getaway soon!
Rep: Black female MC (possibly bisexual but not certain), Black cishet male side character with a bad knee and uses a cane, majority Black female cast, white WLW side pairing, various Black side characters.
CWs: Racism, medical content, injury/injury detail. Moderate: Death, death of parent.
Fast Pitch follows pre-teen Shenice Lockwood. She's captain of the first all Black girls' softball team. The softball World Series is coming up and winning the series would be a dream come true. But Shenice's focus is shaken when her Uncle Jack reveals that a family crime might have been a set up after all.
The family mystery and the softball plot lines in this wove together perfectly. I absolutely loved it. I was invested in Shenice's journey on both sides. I really hope we get to see more of Shenice in either a sequel or in another middle grade set in the same neighborhood as this one.
I loved seeing how supportive Shenice's family and friends were. It gave me such a warm feeling. Also there were so many characters based off of Nic's real life friends and it was so cute! Loved that Scoob shows up in this one as well, can't wait to read Clean Getaway soon!
Rep: Black female MC (possibly bisexual but not certain), Black cishet male side character with a bad knee and uses a cane, majority Black female cast, white WLW side pairing, various Black side characters.
CWs: Racism, medical content, injury/injury detail. Moderate: Death, death of parent.
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September 30, 2021
What history is chosen to be preserved, and what history is paved over?
In a book that shows how pervasive racism is within the United States in both the past and the present, an all-Black softball team goes to bat within their Georgia league.
I really, really enjoyed this book. The friendships, Shenice herself, the Lockwood family, and the mystery with Great-Grandpa Jack and the crime he was falsely accused of committing by a jealous whyte man.
And, I loved reading about softball!
So much joy in building a team and the pressure of being team captain when you don't really feel qualified for it (despite being both a fantastic teammate and great player), all while playing the game, dealing with family expectations (done so well, I loved how supportive her mom and dad were), managing illness within the family and the beginning stages of grief...while also discovering a long-kept family secret and mystery.
I don't know that I've ever read a book about softball before (maybe once or twice?) and I feel like a lot of the books about girls in sports that get a lot of publicity are about girls who decide to play boys sports and play with the boys. So it's wonderful to see a book about girls playing on teams together in a sport without boys getting involved (even though there is an instance of a couple boys thinking they're better at it and they get rightly schooled...and handle their loss with misogynoir).
Anywho, it's a great bit of Black history (particularly about Black men in sports but also about Black communities), girls in sports, family relationships and a healthy dose of mystery. It would have been five stars but there was a bit of whyte saviorism at the end that came out of nowhere (okay, not entirely out of nowhere but it was out of right field and seemed slapped onto the end to give the story a neatly gift-wrapped ending that it didn't need).
In a book that shows how pervasive racism is within the United States in both the past and the present, an all-Black softball team goes to bat within their Georgia league.
I really, really enjoyed this book. The friendships, Shenice herself, the Lockwood family, and the mystery with Great-Grandpa Jack and the crime he was falsely accused of committing by a jealous whyte man.
And, I loved reading about softball!
So much joy in building a team and the pressure of being team captain when you don't really feel qualified for it (despite being both a fantastic teammate and great player), all while playing the game, dealing with family expectations (done so well, I loved how supportive her mom and dad were), managing illness within the family and the beginning stages of grief...while also discovering a long-kept family secret and mystery.
I don't know that I've ever read a book about softball before (maybe once or twice?) and I feel like a lot of the books about girls in sports that get a lot of publicity are about girls who decide to play boys sports and play with the boys. So it's wonderful to see a book about girls playing on teams together in a sport without boys getting involved (even though there is an instance of a couple boys thinking they're better at it and they get rightly schooled...and handle their loss with misogynoir).
Anywho, it's a great bit of Black history (particularly about Black men in sports but also about Black communities), girls in sports, family relationships and a healthy dose of mystery. It would have been five stars but there was a bit of whyte saviorism at the end that came out of nowhere (okay, not entirely out of nowhere but it was out of right field and seemed slapped onto the end to give the story a neatly gift-wrapped ending that it didn't need).
September 1, 2021
A fun quick listen.
March 21, 2022
Perfection.
I loved everything about this book. The softball, the history of the Negro Leagues, the team dynamics, the sleuthing, and how it was all tied together.
My favorite scene was when Cala struck out that loud mouth boy that told the girls they weren’t hitting right. While I have a clear love for baseball, softball and baseball are two different sports, and I don’t understand when people think softball is easier because it’s a “girls” sport.
Did you know: Players in the Negro Leagues and their stats weren’t recognized by MLB until 2020.
Content warnings: racism, sexism, physical injury, death of a parent
I loved everything about this book. The softball, the history of the Negro Leagues, the team dynamics, the sleuthing, and how it was all tied together.
My favorite scene was when Cala struck out that loud mouth boy that told the girls they weren’t hitting right. While I have a clear love for baseball, softball and baseball are two different sports, and I don’t understand when people think softball is easier because it’s a “girls” sport.
Did you know: Players in the Negro Leagues and their stats weren’t recognized by MLB until 2020.
Content warnings: racism, sexism, physical injury, death of a parent
September 8, 2021
Honestly, a book having softball or baseball in it immediately gives extra stars (unless the book is racist, homophobic, sexist, etc....but this book clearly isn't). Because I LOVE reading about the game I love playing and watching (makes sense).
Fast Pitch is a very quick read, it's only 175 pages, but it is just so much FUN. Obviously there were some parts that were not fun, like the racism and sexism, but any time that happened, these girls totally showed anyone being racist or sexist. Best part in the book was CLEARLY when Cala struck out that boy who was being really awful to them. Honestly, the nerve of that kid to tell them that THEY weren't hitting the ball right, when those boys didn't even know how to play. Some people just think that girls are bad at a sport because they're girls.
All in all, I LOVED this book. I really enjoyed how much the sport was part of it, it's like my extra little softball boost until fall ball starts (Friday!!! Technically). And the mystery was also *fun* to read, though obviously disheartening that that would happen. Still, super cool that she was able to solve it, and I liked how she connected with her great-uncle Jack!
When she got injured I was so sad, I know what that's like to not be able to play softball because your arm is injured (left arm, even!) and it is not fun.
BEFORE READ:
The first Nic Stone book I read was...not great (Odd One Out) but I am SUPER excited about this one. I LOVE sports books, especially girls in sports, and given that I PLAY softball, this one looks extremely interesting! I'm also fascinated with how it is going to tackle how white softball is because, and I say this as a white teen, it is very white, and that needs to change. Really looking forward to this book!
Fast Pitch is a very quick read, it's only 175 pages, but it is just so much FUN. Obviously there were some parts that were not fun, like the racism and sexism, but any time that happened, these girls totally showed anyone being racist or sexist. Best part in the book was CLEARLY when Cala struck out that boy who was being really awful to them. Honestly, the nerve of that kid to tell them that THEY weren't hitting the ball right, when those boys didn't even know how to play. Some people just think that girls are bad at a sport because they're girls.
All in all, I LOVED this book. I really enjoyed how much the sport was part of it, it's like my extra little softball boost until fall ball starts (Friday!!! Technically). And the mystery was also *fun* to read, though obviously disheartening that that would happen. Still, super cool that she was able to solve it, and I liked how she connected with her great-uncle Jack!
When she got injured I was so sad, I know what that's like to not be able to play softball because your arm is injured (left arm, even!) and it is not fun.
BEFORE READ:
The first Nic Stone book I read was...not great (Odd One Out) but I am SUPER excited about this one. I LOVE sports books, especially girls in sports, and given that I PLAY softball, this one looks extremely interesting! I'm also fascinated with how it is going to tackle how white softball is because, and I say this as a white teen, it is very white, and that needs to change. Really looking forward to this book!
May 10, 2021
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.
I loved this book. It was a lovely mix of sports action, realistic fiction, mystery, and plucky middle grade characters. If you liked Clean Getaway you have to pick this up. It is also a fantastic next read for kiddos who have sped through all of the books in Reynolds' Track series.
Shenice is the captain of her softball team. And this year they have a chance to do something no other team has ever done: be the first all-Black team to make it to the district championships and beyond. As the team's season continues on, Shenice becomes distracted by something her Great-Uncle Jack tells her about her Great-Grandfather JonJon, who was a great baseball player himself and almost become one of the first few black men in the Major Leagues. But, according to Jack, JonJon was framed for a crime he didn't commit and his legacy in baseball was erased. So now Shenice is determined to find out what really happened. But focusing on that means not focusing on her team.
Highly recommend. This is a first purchase for all collections.
I loved this book. It was a lovely mix of sports action, realistic fiction, mystery, and plucky middle grade characters. If you liked Clean Getaway you have to pick this up. It is also a fantastic next read for kiddos who have sped through all of the books in Reynolds' Track series.
Shenice is the captain of her softball team. And this year they have a chance to do something no other team has ever done: be the first all-Black team to make it to the district championships and beyond. As the team's season continues on, Shenice becomes distracted by something her Great-Uncle Jack tells her about her Great-Grandfather JonJon, who was a great baseball player himself and almost become one of the first few black men in the Major Leagues. But, according to Jack, JonJon was framed for a crime he didn't commit and his legacy in baseball was erased. So now Shenice is determined to find out what really happened. But focusing on that means not focusing on her team.
Highly recommend. This is a first purchase for all collections.
September 18, 2021
Fast Pitch is a middle grade contemporary written by Nic Stone. It centers on a girl with a family baseball legacy that is a weight on her shoulders as she attempts to clear the name of her great-grandfather and win a historic title for her team.
Twelve-year-old Shenice "Lightning" Lockwood has been playing baseball her whole life – just like her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather before her. Now captain of the Fulton Firebirds, the first all-Black team in Georgia's Dixie Youth Softball Association, her goal is to lead her team to the championship and send a message that girls do belong on the field.
However, when that goal sees a setback, Shenice's father gives her Great-Grampy JonJon's mitt as a reminder of what is within her. However, the item that truly captures her attention in JonJon's off-limits trunk is his leather journal and his story.
When Shenice meets her great-uncle Jack, JonJon's brother, in an assisted living facility, she learns that her great-grandfather was almost one of the first Black MLB players until he was kicked out of the league for a theft that Jack insists JonJon was framed for. Considering her family legacy, Shenice struggles to maintain her focus as captain while following Jack's clues to clear JonJon's name.
Fast Pitch is written extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes rather close. The narrative is fast-paced and heartwarming and it captures the essence of familial duty through a warm family dynamic and a child protagonist with genuine agency. It discusses race at a level the target audience will understand but without condescension. It is a novel of positive Black representation without shying away from the historical realities of the American South.
All in all, Fast Pitch is a grand slam of an adventure in this energetic, engaging, complex novel that will appeal to readers whether or not they are fans of baseball.
Twelve-year-old Shenice "Lightning" Lockwood has been playing baseball her whole life – just like her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather before her. Now captain of the Fulton Firebirds, the first all-Black team in Georgia's Dixie Youth Softball Association, her goal is to lead her team to the championship and send a message that girls do belong on the field.
However, when that goal sees a setback, Shenice's father gives her Great-Grampy JonJon's mitt as a reminder of what is within her. However, the item that truly captures her attention in JonJon's off-limits trunk is his leather journal and his story.
When Shenice meets her great-uncle Jack, JonJon's brother, in an assisted living facility, she learns that her great-grandfather was almost one of the first Black MLB players until he was kicked out of the league for a theft that Jack insists JonJon was framed for. Considering her family legacy, Shenice struggles to maintain her focus as captain while following Jack's clues to clear JonJon's name.
Fast Pitch is written extremely well – it is far from perfect, but comes rather close. The narrative is fast-paced and heartwarming and it captures the essence of familial duty through a warm family dynamic and a child protagonist with genuine agency. It discusses race at a level the target audience will understand but without condescension. It is a novel of positive Black representation without shying away from the historical realities of the American South.
All in all, Fast Pitch is a grand slam of an adventure in this energetic, engaging, complex novel that will appeal to readers whether or not they are fans of baseball.
September 15, 2021
I think this is my least favourite Nic Stone book (which is truly saying nothing negative, I'm obsessed with everything she does) but I think that's mostly because I'm a) older than the target audience b) not a sports person and c) the logic leaps and plot holes that'd slip past an actual 12 year older reader obviously bothered me more than it would it's target audience. Clean Getaway is also MG and full of logical leaps but I feel like it works more with the road trip vibe than this one does so where there it was endearing, here it takes you out of the narrative a bit.
Beyond a few small details though, this was wonderful as always and I'm still glad I read it.
Beyond a few small details though, this was wonderful as always and I'm still glad I read it.
August 6, 2021
Low 4 Stars!
*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Fast Pitch follows the story of twelve-year-old Shenice “Lightning” Lockwood as she tries to help get the first all-black fast pitch softball team to the district championship. Shenice comes from a long line of baseball players, and she also hopes to make her mark on the field being the team captain of the Firebirds. Shenice spends her days studying hard at school, and practicing even harder at softball practices, but after the death of her grandpa, she stumbles across a family scandal that involved her great-grandfather JonJon, which causes her to be more distant at school and practice. She learns from her uncle Jack, that JonJon was innocent of the crime he was suspected of committing, and she sets out to help clear his name. But with her being pulled in all sorts of directions, Shenice starts to feel the pressure from her team, teachers, friends, and family.
This was another good book by Nic Stone, and my first time reading one of her books at the middle grade level. I still prefer her YA books over this middle grade book, but I think my students will be pulled into the sports theme and will stay interested in the story because of the mystery. The author was able to integrate history into a modern sports theme book which middle grade readers will be drawn to. Even people who don’t play softball will still enjoy this book due to the history and conversation topics that will be brought up with the Confederate Flag, racial issues from the 30’s, segregation, and social injustice. Even with these heavy topics, this book still makes it approachable for readers between the ages of 9-12.
I think students will find this book engaging and will find Shenice’s character very relatable. She is dedicated to her team. I think any young athlete will relate to the pressure even 12-year-olds feel when they play a team sport.
The only downsides for me, was that parts of this book were pretty unbelievable, but I think middle grader readers won’t really notice those issues. I also felt like Shenice seemed more like a 14-year-old in this book. Even though I thought the ending was cute, it happened so fast that I can see myself forgetting a lot of this ending within a few months.
Overall, this will be a grand slam with my younger students! For personal tastes, I prefer the harder hitting YA books by this author but would still recommend this to young readers. Especially those that enjoy sports themes and/or historical fiction.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Fast Pitch follows the story of twelve-year-old Shenice “Lightning” Lockwood as she tries to help get the first all-black fast pitch softball team to the district championship. Shenice comes from a long line of baseball players, and she also hopes to make her mark on the field being the team captain of the Firebirds. Shenice spends her days studying hard at school, and practicing even harder at softball practices, but after the death of her grandpa, she stumbles across a family scandal that involved her great-grandfather JonJon, which causes her to be more distant at school and practice. She learns from her uncle Jack, that JonJon was innocent of the crime he was suspected of committing, and she sets out to help clear his name. But with her being pulled in all sorts of directions, Shenice starts to feel the pressure from her team, teachers, friends, and family.
This was another good book by Nic Stone, and my first time reading one of her books at the middle grade level. I still prefer her YA books over this middle grade book, but I think my students will be pulled into the sports theme and will stay interested in the story because of the mystery. The author was able to integrate history into a modern sports theme book which middle grade readers will be drawn to. Even people who don’t play softball will still enjoy this book due to the history and conversation topics that will be brought up with the Confederate Flag, racial issues from the 30’s, segregation, and social injustice. Even with these heavy topics, this book still makes it approachable for readers between the ages of 9-12.
I think students will find this book engaging and will find Shenice’s character very relatable. She is dedicated to her team. I think any young athlete will relate to the pressure even 12-year-olds feel when they play a team sport.
The only downsides for me, was that parts of this book were pretty unbelievable, but I think middle grader readers won’t really notice those issues. I also felt like Shenice seemed more like a 14-year-old in this book. Even though I thought the ending was cute, it happened so fast that I can see myself forgetting a lot of this ending within a few months.
Overall, this will be a grand slam with my younger students! For personal tastes, I prefer the harder hitting YA books by this author but would still recommend this to young readers. Especially those that enjoy sports themes and/or historical fiction.
November 14, 2024
Nic Stone can write delightfully for kids of all ages. She’s also a fantastic reader. Action, mystery, history, vocabulary words, family, friends, crushes, and lots of softball.
January 7, 2022
Good middle grades YA that uses family, softball, and an endearing main character to consider issues of right, wrong, and racism
May 26, 2021
BLAZE UP!
You do not want to miss this fast pitch, lightning of a MG novel. First off, I love that Scoob is in the story (Clean Getaway) and Mr. Bonner from RCA.
Secondly, the bad ass girl power, the history, the ability be brave in the face of bigots - powerful stuff. Nic can write, but even more than that she can tell a damn good story. Obsessed with the softball/baseball background and even more in love with Uncle Jack and the mystery behind her Great-Grampy JonJon’s inability to get into the MLB and stripped of all his records (even though it was his to be in).
You do not want to miss this fast pitch, lightning of a MG novel. First off, I love that Scoob is in the story (Clean Getaway) and Mr. Bonner from RCA.
Secondly, the bad ass girl power, the history, the ability be brave in the face of bigots - powerful stuff. Nic can write, but even more than that she can tell a damn good story. Obsessed with the softball/baseball background and even more in love with Uncle Jack and the mystery behind her Great-Grampy JonJon’s inability to get into the MLB and stripped of all his records (even though it was his to be in).
March 20, 2026
such a fun read ! i got sucked into the world of sports this year and while i am having the time of my life, there’s a nagging reminder that there’s a ton of discrimination within these institutions. this book was a testament to the importance of uplifting diverse voices and being on the right side of history
February 26, 2022
It's been awhile since I read a middle grade book so vexing. I suppose I was due for a fall all things considered.
Nic Stone has been a rising Black author compared to the likes of Jason Reynolds or Angie Thomas, both of whom are authors who have definitively solidified their positions as preeminent writers of Black youth fiction. While I'm pretty meh on Angie Thomas overall I did really enjoy The Hate U Give and the only Jason Reynolds book I've read was a pretty solid venture. Thus, I've always had Nic Stone on my list of must reads. When Fast Pitch became available at my library with a ton of holds waiting in the wings I couldn't say no.
I was shocked by how thoroughly unenjoyable I ultimately found this book.
One of the most aggravating aspects was the parents. The book tries to act like they're such caring, supportive people who Shenice can go to for anything without doing proper leg work and even at times directly disproving that assertion.
Up until 6 years ago Shenice’s now deceased grandfather lived with the family. His room was off limits because he was sick and her parents didn't want her or her younger brother Drake bothering him. When he died her father gave her a key to his special trunk. Whenever Shenice asked about it he'd tell her she'd get it when she was ready. She eventually stopped asking and actually assumed the key was a metaphor.
At the beginning of the book the trunk is finally brought out by her father. Once it's opened there is absolutely nothing in it that she couldn't have had access to in the meantime. He, like her great grandfather and father, all played baseball so most of it is baseball memorabilia. I understand wanting to make sure she'll appreciate it or not break anything since she was so young.
She's shocked to find out this trunk really exists because he was so cryptic. Instead of informing her why she can't access it in sufficient detail, her father told her in the unclearest possible way for no reason other than an unsatisfying 'it wasn't the right time'.
For similar reasons Shenice is not informed about the existence of an entire member of her family. When she finds out, you guessed it, she's only told because it relates to baseball; her father wants the great uncle Shenice thought was dead - he was actually in a nursing home - to tell her old baseball stories.
In this case her parents' justification is that they were worried she couldn't handle it due to her great uncle's declining mental state. The specific issue is never named, however, it sounds a lot like he has dementia. I'm not going to pretend to know the procedure for when a family member has dementia in terms of dos or don’ts. Regardless, I'm pretty sure that as long as she had adult supervision it would have been fine for the two to interact before she was twelve. Possibly even helpful for family to be around.
They essentially deprive her of a relationship with her uncle on the basis that she was too young yet the moment she needs a pick me up via baseball they're willing to forsake their rules about it. Technically you can argue she's just finally old enough, but it's revealed later on that her great uncle has a terminal illness worsening everyday. So like waiting until some arbitrary age becomes increasingly less viable the longer you think about it. Plus they make a point to say they want to take her brother who is 14 months younger than her to meet him. So if it was about age either Shenice should have been allowed to meet him 14 months ago or Drake really shouldn’t be allowed now.
Despite their ‘best efforts’ Drake doesn’t end up meeting Jack because it's clear baseball is all that matters in this family and he doesn't play. They mention taking Drake to meet him, but weeks i.e. chapters pass with no mention of Drake at all let alone a special outing to visit Jack too. When he gets checked into the hospital later on after his condition worsens, Drake never even gets taken to visit. At this point Jack effectively never recovers mentally which means Drake sadly wouldn't have been meeting the real Jack anyway but the point still stands seeing as they had plenty of time to have a relationship of some kind beforehand. After all, Shenice did it.
And if you thought it couldn’t get any worse, hold onto your seat belt: the parents already knew that the great uncle was sick and could take a bad turn at any point. But they specifically chose not to tell Shenice because they thought she’d write him off if they told her he was dying.
Like what? How does that make any sense? I don't know about you but if I knew a person was not long for this world I'd care more not less.
They tried to excuse it by saying that they were young once too so they know how a kid's brain works. Except this directly flies in the face of the daughter they actually have. She is nothing but kind, compassionate and giving. In fact I'd argue she's too considerate as it makes her character boring. There is nothing about Shenice to indicate she wouldn't have cared about a dying man. In fact if I were Shenice I would have been unbelievably insulted at such an insult to my character.
They robbed a sick man of his family all to ensure Shenice would take baseball tips to heart.
I would have been fine if the intention was to highlight how harmful it is to place such pressure on Shenice, but it’s clear that the book does not see anything wrong with their decisions. Shenice says she and her father are close - how close can the two really be when he truly believes she’s so selfish as to not care about what could be his favorite uncle’s final days? Even if you take that off the table, the alternative is that he is willing to emotionally manipulate his twelve year old daughter in order to live vicariously through her burgeoning baseball career. Pick your poison, both are deadly.
The mystery at the heart of the story is poor. Jack knows exactly what happened already. He just couldn’t do anything at the time on account of him being a Black young man living in the twentieth century. So in effect Shenice has to do basically nothing to prove her great grandfather John John’s innocence. All the pieces sit firmly in her lap until the moment she decides to pursue it. Most of the book is just her running circles in her own mind. The most obvious things she could do to take an active part in the story - reading a journal her great grandfather wrote, talking to her father about what happened, going to see her great uncle a second time - happen at a snails’ pace.
It was obvious from the beginning Nic Stone did not have many events prepped to drive the story. Instead she manufactured reasons for Shenice to twiddle her thumbs until she was ready for her to arrive at the next plot point.
Take the aforementioned journal for instance. She finds said journal in the trunk 17% into the book. She waffles on reading this journal until 65% into the book. The reason she doesn’t read it? It feels wrong somehow. Like what kind of paper thin explanation is that? She’s so determined to right the injustice done to her family, but she won’t do the most obvious simple thing to possibly get intel because that’d be ‘rude’? Her great grandfather undoubtedly treated poorly yet she’s worried about invading a dead man’s privacy . Such a flimsy justification for dragging the story out.
When she does finally read the journal there is nothing important gleaned from it making all the nervous hand wringing done before even more of a waste of time. Why was it made so narratively significant if it wasn’t going to matter in the end anyways?
The same thing happens with her dad. She could merely ask her father why her great grandfather was kicked out of the Negro League/lost his chance at the white Big Leagues. There is no indication he won’t answer her or has any hang ups about it. She vetoes this option for nondescript, nebulous reasons. Again, when she finally does so he reveals nothing making it silly that so much emphasis was put on the fact that she ‘couldn’t’ ask.
This last was super easy to fix thereby annoying me further. Literally just make it well known what John Johns’ crime was in the community. There. Now Shenice can’t talk to her father because he’s not willing to discuss it due to the shame it brought to the family name.
Shenice being captain of her softball team means nothing. She doesn't give pep talks, she doesn’t have any tips for her teammates, she doesn't come up with plays. She honestly doesn't feel like she cares about baseball all that much let alone the captainship. She’s never studying baseball, doing extra practices on her own time, watching games for fun or for tricks. I didn’t know who her favorite players were or her favorite teams. A few male baseball players were mentioned yet no prominent female softball ones.
Swap in her brother Drake instead of her and there is exceedingly little that would need to be removed for the story to continue to function.
Additionally, the choice to get her hooked on the baseball mystery to such a degree she’s distracted at nearly every game by what’s going on felt like a convenient excuse to not have to write a lot of baseball action or terminology. Shenice was ignoring it so we as the reader were expected to do the same thus leaving it wide open for Stone to gloss over it.
The characters outside of Shenice are all underdeveloped, undermining any potential emotional resonance they could have had on me in relation to her.
Britt Marie appears maybe three times in the book before the 75% mark. When she does she’s barely a step above a sassy Black caricature. Every line out of her mouth is a saucy quip. Funny Black girls like this absolutely exist. My problem is that she receives no depth to offset the stereotype. Scoob, her best boy friend/crush, is mentioned in passing one time early on. He doesn’t make an on screen appearance until 46% of the way in. He disappears until 75%.
When Britt Marie gets momentarily upset, Scoob knows more than her about something I don’t care because neither has been properly built up for this supposed betrayal to have an impact one way or another.
A blink and you miss it allusion to Shenice’s possible queerness is underwhelming as not enough character exploration has been done for it to matter. It actually comes off as a last minute attempt to score diversity points rather than a genuine effort to casually depict the fluidity of sexuality I know it is intended to be.
I already talked about Drake not needing to exist, but her parents for all their awfulness are largely absent. She only talks to Jack twice, both times centering around the mystery. She knows nothing about him otherwise. Her team is a group of faceless NPCs roaming in the background.
Also that $10,000 prize money thing in the synopsis? Yeah, that’s never mentioned in text. I have no idea where it came from.
I know it’s middle grade, but that’s only an explanation not an excuse. I have read enough strongly researched, well paced, properly developed middle grade mysteries to know it can be done. Unfortunately, this is not it. I’m still going to read Clean Getaway which has been on my to read list for ages longer than Fast Pitch - I read Fast Pitch on a whim - though I have to admit I do not have high expectations.
Nic Stone has been a rising Black author compared to the likes of Jason Reynolds or Angie Thomas, both of whom are authors who have definitively solidified their positions as preeminent writers of Black youth fiction. While I'm pretty meh on Angie Thomas overall I did really enjoy The Hate U Give and the only Jason Reynolds book I've read was a pretty solid venture. Thus, I've always had Nic Stone on my list of must reads. When Fast Pitch became available at my library with a ton of holds waiting in the wings I couldn't say no.
I was shocked by how thoroughly unenjoyable I ultimately found this book.
One of the most aggravating aspects was the parents. The book tries to act like they're such caring, supportive people who Shenice can go to for anything without doing proper leg work and even at times directly disproving that assertion.
Up until 6 years ago Shenice’s now deceased grandfather lived with the family. His room was off limits because he was sick and her parents didn't want her or her younger brother Drake bothering him. When he died her father gave her a key to his special trunk. Whenever Shenice asked about it he'd tell her she'd get it when she was ready. She eventually stopped asking and actually assumed the key was a metaphor.
At the beginning of the book the trunk is finally brought out by her father. Once it's opened there is absolutely nothing in it that she couldn't have had access to in the meantime. He, like her great grandfather and father, all played baseball so most of it is baseball memorabilia. I understand wanting to make sure she'll appreciate it or not break anything since she was so young.
She's shocked to find out this trunk really exists because he was so cryptic. Instead of informing her why she can't access it in sufficient detail, her father told her in the unclearest possible way for no reason other than an unsatisfying 'it wasn't the right time'.
For similar reasons Shenice is not informed about the existence of an entire member of her family. When she finds out, you guessed it, she's only told because it relates to baseball; her father wants the great uncle Shenice thought was dead - he was actually in a nursing home - to tell her old baseball stories.
In this case her parents' justification is that they were worried she couldn't handle it due to her great uncle's declining mental state. The specific issue is never named, however, it sounds a lot like he has dementia. I'm not going to pretend to know the procedure for when a family member has dementia in terms of dos or don’ts. Regardless, I'm pretty sure that as long as she had adult supervision it would have been fine for the two to interact before she was twelve. Possibly even helpful for family to be around.
They essentially deprive her of a relationship with her uncle on the basis that she was too young yet the moment she needs a pick me up via baseball they're willing to forsake their rules about it. Technically you can argue she's just finally old enough, but it's revealed later on that her great uncle has a terminal illness worsening everyday. So like waiting until some arbitrary age becomes increasingly less viable the longer you think about it. Plus they make a point to say they want to take her brother who is 14 months younger than her to meet him. So if it was about age either Shenice should have been allowed to meet him 14 months ago or Drake really shouldn’t be allowed now.
Despite their ‘best efforts’ Drake doesn’t end up meeting Jack because it's clear baseball is all that matters in this family and he doesn't play. They mention taking Drake to meet him, but weeks i.e. chapters pass with no mention of Drake at all let alone a special outing to visit Jack too. When he gets checked into the hospital later on after his condition worsens, Drake never even gets taken to visit. At this point Jack effectively never recovers mentally which means Drake sadly wouldn't have been meeting the real Jack anyway but the point still stands seeing as they had plenty of time to have a relationship of some kind beforehand. After all, Shenice did it.
And if you thought it couldn’t get any worse, hold onto your seat belt: the parents already knew that the great uncle was sick and could take a bad turn at any point. But they specifically chose not to tell Shenice because they thought she’d write him off if they told her he was dying.
Like what? How does that make any sense? I don't know about you but if I knew a person was not long for this world I'd care more not less.
They tried to excuse it by saying that they were young once too so they know how a kid's brain works. Except this directly flies in the face of the daughter they actually have. She is nothing but kind, compassionate and giving. In fact I'd argue she's too considerate as it makes her character boring. There is nothing about Shenice to indicate she wouldn't have cared about a dying man. In fact if I were Shenice I would have been unbelievably insulted at such an insult to my character.
They robbed a sick man of his family all to ensure Shenice would take baseball tips to heart.
I would have been fine if the intention was to highlight how harmful it is to place such pressure on Shenice, but it’s clear that the book does not see anything wrong with their decisions. Shenice says she and her father are close - how close can the two really be when he truly believes she’s so selfish as to not care about what could be his favorite uncle’s final days? Even if you take that off the table, the alternative is that he is willing to emotionally manipulate his twelve year old daughter in order to live vicariously through her burgeoning baseball career. Pick your poison, both are deadly.
The mystery at the heart of the story is poor. Jack knows exactly what happened already. He just couldn’t do anything at the time on account of him being a Black young man living in the twentieth century. So in effect Shenice has to do basically nothing to prove her great grandfather John John’s innocence. All the pieces sit firmly in her lap until the moment she decides to pursue it. Most of the book is just her running circles in her own mind. The most obvious things she could do to take an active part in the story - reading a journal her great grandfather wrote, talking to her father about what happened, going to see her great uncle a second time - happen at a snails’ pace.
It was obvious from the beginning Nic Stone did not have many events prepped to drive the story. Instead she manufactured reasons for Shenice to twiddle her thumbs until she was ready for her to arrive at the next plot point.
Take the aforementioned journal for instance. She finds said journal in the trunk 17% into the book. She waffles on reading this journal until 65% into the book. The reason she doesn’t read it? It feels wrong somehow. Like what kind of paper thin explanation is that? She’s so determined to right the injustice done to her family, but she won’t do the most obvious simple thing to possibly get intel because that’d be ‘rude’? Her great grandfather undoubtedly treated poorly yet she’s worried about invading a dead man’s privacy . Such a flimsy justification for dragging the story out.
When she does finally read the journal there is nothing important gleaned from it making all the nervous hand wringing done before even more of a waste of time. Why was it made so narratively significant if it wasn’t going to matter in the end anyways?
The same thing happens with her dad. She could merely ask her father why her great grandfather was kicked out of the Negro League/lost his chance at the white Big Leagues. There is no indication he won’t answer her or has any hang ups about it. She vetoes this option for nondescript, nebulous reasons. Again, when she finally does so he reveals nothing making it silly that so much emphasis was put on the fact that she ‘couldn’t’ ask.
This last was super easy to fix thereby annoying me further. Literally just make it well known what John Johns’ crime was in the community. There. Now Shenice can’t talk to her father because he’s not willing to discuss it due to the shame it brought to the family name.
Shenice being captain of her softball team means nothing. She doesn't give pep talks, she doesn’t have any tips for her teammates, she doesn't come up with plays. She honestly doesn't feel like she cares about baseball all that much let alone the captainship. She’s never studying baseball, doing extra practices on her own time, watching games for fun or for tricks. I didn’t know who her favorite players were or her favorite teams. A few male baseball players were mentioned yet no prominent female softball ones.
Swap in her brother Drake instead of her and there is exceedingly little that would need to be removed for the story to continue to function.
Additionally, the choice to get her hooked on the baseball mystery to such a degree she’s distracted at nearly every game by what’s going on felt like a convenient excuse to not have to write a lot of baseball action or terminology. Shenice was ignoring it so we as the reader were expected to do the same thus leaving it wide open for Stone to gloss over it.
The characters outside of Shenice are all underdeveloped, undermining any potential emotional resonance they could have had on me in relation to her.
Britt Marie appears maybe three times in the book before the 75% mark. When she does she’s barely a step above a sassy Black caricature. Every line out of her mouth is a saucy quip. Funny Black girls like this absolutely exist. My problem is that she receives no depth to offset the stereotype. Scoob, her best boy friend/crush, is mentioned in passing one time early on. He doesn’t make an on screen appearance until 46% of the way in. He disappears until 75%.
When Britt Marie gets momentarily upset, Scoob knows more than her about something I don’t care because neither has been properly built up for this supposed betrayal to have an impact one way or another.
A blink and you miss it allusion to Shenice’s possible queerness is underwhelming as not enough character exploration has been done for it to matter. It actually comes off as a last minute attempt to score diversity points rather than a genuine effort to casually depict the fluidity of sexuality I know it is intended to be.
I already talked about Drake not needing to exist, but her parents for all their awfulness are largely absent. She only talks to Jack twice, both times centering around the mystery. She knows nothing about him otherwise. Her team is a group of faceless NPCs roaming in the background.
Also that $10,000 prize money thing in the synopsis? Yeah, that’s never mentioned in text. I have no idea where it came from.
I know it’s middle grade, but that’s only an explanation not an excuse. I have read enough strongly researched, well paced, properly developed middle grade mysteries to know it can be done. Unfortunately, this is not it. I’m still going to read Clean Getaway which has been on my to read list for ages longer than Fast Pitch - I read Fast Pitch on a whim - though I have to admit I do not have high expectations.
October 22, 2021
This was a quick read about family legacy, recording history, racism and 'batball' all rolled into one.
Shenice is part of the first all-black girls’ softball team, and as captain is trying to lead her team to victory. But she's distracted by a task her great uncle has given her: tell everyone the truth about her great grandfather. So Shenice has to find out what the truth actually is and collect proof, which is hard when you're twelve and the answers aren't on the internet.
This is a great book for introducing kids to the concept that recording history isn't always accurate, and how to investigate what they've been told to ascertain if it's the truth or not, which is a really important concept.
I loved the family legacy and pride that runs through this story, and that it was okay to lose, but it was still realistic.
Shenice is part of the first all-black girls’ softball team, and as captain is trying to lead her team to victory. But she's distracted by a task her great uncle has given her: tell everyone the truth about her great grandfather. So Shenice has to find out what the truth actually is and collect proof, which is hard when you're twelve and the answers aren't on the internet.
This is a great book for introducing kids to the concept that recording history isn't always accurate, and how to investigate what they've been told to ascertain if it's the truth or not, which is a really important concept.
I loved the family legacy and pride that runs through this story, and that it was okay to lose, but it was still realistic.
August 27, 2021
TW: racism
Shenice Lockwood is the captain of the softball team. When her uncle informs her about a crime that a relative allegedly does, Shenice decides it's time for her to act like Nancy Drew. She wants to take matters into her own hands and lead the investigation.. The importance of a legacy is discussed and I liked how Stone talks about racism in the same way that it would occur in real life. It's not in the entire book, but it will make you stop and think. This is my third Nic Stone book and I’m excited for Nic’s future books!
Shenice Lockwood is the captain of the softball team. When her uncle informs her about a crime that a relative allegedly does, Shenice decides it's time for her to act like Nancy Drew. She wants to take matters into her own hands and lead the investigation.. The importance of a legacy is discussed and I liked how Stone talks about racism in the same way that it would occur in real life. It's not in the entire book, but it will make you stop and think. This is my third Nic Stone book and I’m excited for Nic’s future books!
September 15, 2021
An awesome middle grade book by Nic Stone! There are not a lot of softball sports fiction titles out there, so this is definitely a must-have for an upper elementary and middle school collection. I enjoyed the history and mystery woven in. I really would give this a 4.5 only because it had a lot of detail and specifics about softball which I’m not totally into, so that markdown is more for my personal preference. The book itself is well written and executed!
January 3, 2022
Easily a new favorite.
April 11, 2023
This book was AMAZING!! I love that it is a tribute to the Negro Baseball League and that it’s about girls in sports! There aren’t many books on either of those topics and to have them meshed together was a perfect treat.
November 30, 2021
Black girl magic hits a home run in this novel about an all-Black softball team out to prove they belong in this sport. There's also a family sports-related mystery to solve.
January 19, 2022
A bit of sports, mystery, friendship and grief. I played ball growing up so I enjoyed the story and it’s tie to the baseball history of blacks.
December 28, 2021
Love this story. A blend of history, and current events. Great protagonist. Will be recommending to many.
February 17, 2022
I just love, really LOVE, everything Nic Stone does. I’m so glad we finally have a young, fierce, curious female protagonist in this fabulous middle-grade coming-of-age mystery, but my favorite stories of hers still feature the boys. Boy mom? Definitely. But I have already bought this book for a young, beautifully nut-brown niece of mine who is demonstrating some strong softball skills despite only being in 4th grade. I know she’s gonna love Shanice and her story!
January 8, 2022
"If you can't find information about a thing on the internet, is said thing even real?"
Leave it to Nic Stone to publish a middle grade book that is pitched about softball but ends up containing so much historical information that I wasn't sure I was reading the right book. I'm always in awe of Stone's ability to effortlessly weave in historical knowledge that isn't well-known and will surely leave some readers doing a deep dive into these historical events. In this case, the Negro Leagues, which is a historical topic that isn't covered nearly enough in history books.
Twelve year old Shenice Lockwood is the team captain of her softball team, the Firebirds. Her team has had an incredible year and now they are working towards competing at the Fastpitch World Series. Winning means a trophy and $10,000 in prize money. Most of the other teams are rich and white and Shenice wants nothing more than to show that Black girls can also play softball well. Besides softball, Shenice also spends time with her Uncle Jack who is older and has dementia. She hasn't spent much time with her Uncle Jack and isn't quite sure what to expect from him. When Uncle Jack reveals to Shenice that a family crime that has plagued her family for generations may have actually been a set-up, Shenice decides she's going to do what it takes to figure out what really happened. As Shenice digs deeper into the past, she finds that she isn't able to focus on softball in the same ways as she did in the past. Along the way, Shenice discovers the Negro Leagues and just how much racism was still alive just a few generations before.
This book is perfect for middle grade readers. It's short but moves quickly and packs a powerful punch to those readers who enjoy historical mysteries. I loved that Scoob from Clean Getaway was in this book as Shenice's crush. I always knew that Stone could write a solid male character but it was a privilege to read this book from Shenice's perspective. I mean, is there anything Nic Stone can't do? She is such a talented writer who isn't afraid to push boundaries with what is "acceptable" in literature. We are so lucky to live in a world with Nic Stone - and she has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. This is a quick read but one that is well worth the time it takes to read.
TW: racism
Leave it to Nic Stone to publish a middle grade book that is pitched about softball but ends up containing so much historical information that I wasn't sure I was reading the right book. I'm always in awe of Stone's ability to effortlessly weave in historical knowledge that isn't well-known and will surely leave some readers doing a deep dive into these historical events. In this case, the Negro Leagues, which is a historical topic that isn't covered nearly enough in history books.
Twelve year old Shenice Lockwood is the team captain of her softball team, the Firebirds. Her team has had an incredible year and now they are working towards competing at the Fastpitch World Series. Winning means a trophy and $10,000 in prize money. Most of the other teams are rich and white and Shenice wants nothing more than to show that Black girls can also play softball well. Besides softball, Shenice also spends time with her Uncle Jack who is older and has dementia. She hasn't spent much time with her Uncle Jack and isn't quite sure what to expect from him. When Uncle Jack reveals to Shenice that a family crime that has plagued her family for generations may have actually been a set-up, Shenice decides she's going to do what it takes to figure out what really happened. As Shenice digs deeper into the past, she finds that she isn't able to focus on softball in the same ways as she did in the past. Along the way, Shenice discovers the Negro Leagues and just how much racism was still alive just a few generations before.
This book is perfect for middle grade readers. It's short but moves quickly and packs a powerful punch to those readers who enjoy historical mysteries. I loved that Scoob from Clean Getaway was in this book as Shenice's crush. I always knew that Stone could write a solid male character but it was a privilege to read this book from Shenice's perspective. I mean, is there anything Nic Stone can't do? She is such a talented writer who isn't afraid to push boundaries with what is "acceptable" in literature. We are so lucky to live in a world with Nic Stone - and she has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. This is a quick read but one that is well worth the time it takes to read.
TW: racism
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