Team Meena

Meena Zee #4

by Karla Manternach, Mina Price (Illustrator)

“For Junie B. graduates” (Kirkus Reviews), the fourth and final novel in the Meena Zee series follows irrepressible Meena as she maintains a long-distance friendship with Sofía and makes new friends.

No one can take Sofía’s place. Now that her best friend lives across the country, everything reminds Meena of her. She even spends the whole week saving up things to tell Sofía in their Saturday video chats.

But when Sofía gets busy with soccer friends, Meena decides to join a team of her own. Only it turns out softball is harder than she expects. So is getting along with Lin, her bossy teammate who doesn’t even like art!

It’s not like Meena wants to be friends or anything. She still has Sofía, doesn’t she? But can they stay close when they’re so far apart, or is it time to expand Team Meena?

Genres: Realistic Fiction

189 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2023

About the author

Karla Manternach grew up in small-town Iowa, a grubby kid in tube socks who once stopped an entire parade by running in front of a fire truck for candy. When she was older, Karla detasseld corn, read Star Trek novels, and studied languages that no one speaks anymore. Today, Karla lives with her family in small-town Wisconsin where she creates books for young readers and works as a freelance writer. She loves infomercials, bad apocalyptic movies, and Raspberry Zingers. You can follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @mskarlam.

Reviews

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Sofia in California, Meena has a best friend shaped hole in her heart and in her life. Finding a new friends feels disloyal and there aren’t too many candidates out there. Sporty, bossy Lin might be a possibility, but it’s been a while since Meena has had to exercise her making friends skills and she’s not very good at it. Readers in grades 2-4 are sure to relate to the ups and downs of both maintaining a long distance friendship and making a new one plus the shock of trying a new sport and finding out that being good at one doesn’t necessarily mean instant greatness at a new one. Author Karla Manternach weaves humor and life lessons into a great conclusion to the realistic fiction Meena Zee series. Recommended for libraries serving the target audience, especially ones that can’t seem to find too many with softball as a key element. Books in this series can stand alone, but why not get them all? No profanity, sexual content, or violence. Representation: Sofia is not a main character in this installment, but is Hispanic; Lin and her little brother have two moms.

Thanks for the print arc, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

[Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meena is still adjusting to life without her best friend Sophia who moved away in the last installment. This time she is dealing with Lin a playground nemisis who convinces Menna to tryout for the softball team. What seems to be a budding friendship with Lin struggles as the two strong willed girls who each try to have their own way. Meena is still working through her grief but in the end knows that new friendships can happen while old one's can still exist. My only issue with this book is that is a little self-aware for a 3rd-4th grader. She comes off more as a 6th grader, but middle graders might enjoy this series as well as newly independent readers.

[Jane Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meena Zee navigates a new challenge with her characteristic spirit and humor. I have loved following her journey -- and I'm so happy she gets to play baseball!