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Throwing Like a Girl
"I love being on this bus with all these girls who play sports, even if Sally Fontineau, who wants to ruin my life, is half a bus in front of me. It’s not like every girl is my best friend. It’s just a thing I feel a part of. It makes everything different."
No one asks Ella how she feels about moving halfway across the country in the middle of her sophomore year. But she ends up in Texas anyway, without plans for the weekend or friends to guide her through the alien campus of her new private school. So she decides to try out for the softball team—and she makes it! Now if only she knew how to throw, hit, and field the ball. "This is the part you can’t read in a book. You just have to do it." Ella has a lot to learn—on and off the field.
Softball changes Ella’s life, for better and for worse. She discovers a confidence she never knew she had and makes new friends—and enemies. When Ella falls for her snotty teammate’s gorgeous brother, suddenly she isn’t just fielding balls, she’s also dodging evil glares from girls in class and on the team.
If Ella’s going to survive this year, she’ll have to set some ground rules and learn to stand up for herself—in the game and in her life.
No one asks Ella how she feels about moving halfway across the country in the middle of her sophomore year. But she ends up in Texas anyway, without plans for the weekend or friends to guide her through the alien campus of her new private school. So she decides to try out for the softball team—and she makes it! Now if only she knew how to throw, hit, and field the ball. "This is the part you can’t read in a book. You just have to do it." Ella has a lot to learn—on and off the field.
Softball changes Ella’s life, for better and for worse. She discovers a confidence she never knew she had and makes new friends—and enemies. When Ella falls for her snotty teammate’s gorgeous brother, suddenly she isn’t just fielding balls, she’s also dodging evil glares from girls in class and on the team.
If Ella’s going to survive this year, she’ll have to set some ground rules and learn to stand up for herself—in the game and in her life.
271 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2007
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269 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
August 7, 2021
Another well written book of a young woman dealing with the trauma of the journey into adulthood.
Ella has been uprooted from her home in Chicago to move to Dallas due to a new job for her father. Being in high school, with all her friends from forever back in Illinois, she feels all out of sorts.
Her salvation will be softball, which she had never played or virtually thrown a ball until moving to Texas. Through sport Ella finds a sort of place to belong, dealing with issues affecting her, and two other families she comes into contact with.
An enjoyable cast of characters, believable scenarios, I found this a most enjoyable journey.
Recommended.
Ella has been uprooted from her home in Chicago to move to Dallas due to a new job for her father. Being in high school, with all her friends from forever back in Illinois, she feels all out of sorts.
Her salvation will be softball, which she had never played or virtually thrown a ball until moving to Texas. Through sport Ella finds a sort of place to belong, dealing with issues affecting her, and two other families she comes into contact with.
An enjoyable cast of characters, believable scenarios, I found this a most enjoyable journey.
Recommended.
January 28, 2018
This book about girls' softball has zero canon lesbians. :(
August 25, 2012
when i first read this book i throw it would be like sooooo not my type. i got to chapeter 10 then i gave up on it. then after 3 days i decided to read it again thinking it would be a boring book but i was determined to read it and finish it. to my suprise it worked i loved it. i loved all the characters, ella (my name), nate, rocky, theresa, sally, coach and they others. including the parents i loved them all!!
throwing like a girl is like a determined book i mean u can actually see it in the title throwing like a girl.i have read this book about 4 tymes and yet it just never get old. i know i have said "determine" like a billion times but trust me when you read it u will understand!!!!
love this book 4 ever!!! <3<3<3<3
throwing like a girl is like a determined book i mean u can actually see it in the title throwing like a girl.i have read this book about 4 tymes and yet it just never get old. i know i have said "determine" like a billion times but trust me when you read it u will understand!!!!
love this book 4 ever!!! <3<3<3<3
February 28, 2020
I really liked this book because I really enjoy softball, it is one of my favorite sports. There was a lot of twists in the book. I really like how they go into detail in the book.
June 28, 2020
Ella’s a sophomore and it’s good to be through with Freshman year. It’s good to know your way around school, feel comfortable with your classes, and have 3 best friends to share everything with.
It’s all very good, until the day she learns that she’s moving—from Chicago to Texas.
No friends, nowhere to go on Friday night, your best friends halfway across the country having fun without you. It really stinks to be the new girl in school. And it’s spring, so everything’s already in motion. No one is looking for a new friend, all of the activities are already started, everyone else knows their way around.
Luckily, gym’s OK. Ella likes gym. It seems like all of the other girls are out of gym for one reason or another so Ella runs up and down the basketball court with the not-very-sporty boys. Pretty soon the teacher’s watching her.
“Where’d you learn to shoot hoops?” she asks.
“Umm, nowhere,” Ella replies, embarrassed because it’s probably the longest conversation she’s had with anyone at this school so far. “I didn’t play sports at my old school.”
“You’re a good athlete,” says the teacher. “Try out for softball.”
Well, OK, maybe I will. So she does—and she makes the team, but she doesn’t know how to throw, or catch, or hit. Luckily, she can learn. Ella thinks softball is awesome. Except for one girl, Sally, who’s exceptionally mean and likes to pick on Ella right from the start.
Unfortunately, Sally is the sister of Nate, the extremely handsome and very nice senior in Ella’s Behavioral Science course. Nate: the guy Ella’s been paired up with for a project-- The Marriage Project. Ella and Nate are going to spend the semester as a married couple, shopping together, renting an apartment, budgeting, and the more they work on this project the cuter Nate seems.
If only Sally would stay out of it.
(REVIEW: Good story. Lots of great sports action. One very tame kiss at the end. Sally’s mother is mean to her (off camera; Ella overhears talk of it). Sally is mean to others, but being verbally bossy and insulting is the extent of it. Ella's parents mean well, but they are out of touch with what's going on. Ella is rude to them at times, but they get along. She’s insulting about them as she narrates what’s going on, but she needs them on other occasions, and they’re there for her.
It’s all very good, until the day she learns that she’s moving—from Chicago to Texas.
No friends, nowhere to go on Friday night, your best friends halfway across the country having fun without you. It really stinks to be the new girl in school. And it’s spring, so everything’s already in motion. No one is looking for a new friend, all of the activities are already started, everyone else knows their way around.
Luckily, gym’s OK. Ella likes gym. It seems like all of the other girls are out of gym for one reason or another so Ella runs up and down the basketball court with the not-very-sporty boys. Pretty soon the teacher’s watching her.
“Where’d you learn to shoot hoops?” she asks.
“Umm, nowhere,” Ella replies, embarrassed because it’s probably the longest conversation she’s had with anyone at this school so far. “I didn’t play sports at my old school.”
“You’re a good athlete,” says the teacher. “Try out for softball.”
Well, OK, maybe I will. So she does—and she makes the team, but she doesn’t know how to throw, or catch, or hit. Luckily, she can learn. Ella thinks softball is awesome. Except for one girl, Sally, who’s exceptionally mean and likes to pick on Ella right from the start.
Unfortunately, Sally is the sister of Nate, the extremely handsome and very nice senior in Ella’s Behavioral Science course. Nate: the guy Ella’s been paired up with for a project-- The Marriage Project. Ella and Nate are going to spend the semester as a married couple, shopping together, renting an apartment, budgeting, and the more they work on this project the cuter Nate seems.
If only Sally would stay out of it.
(REVIEW: Good story. Lots of great sports action. One very tame kiss at the end. Sally’s mother is mean to her (off camera; Ella overhears talk of it). Sally is mean to others, but being verbally bossy and insulting is the extent of it. Ella's parents mean well, but they are out of touch with what's going on. Ella is rude to them at times, but they get along. She’s insulting about them as she narrates what’s going on, but she needs them on other occasions, and they’re there for her.
November 28, 2021
Enjoyable book about the coming of age of a teen from Chicago transplanted to Texas and SPC preparatory schools. Clear insights into the emotions of teens and fitting in from queen bees to wanna bees to bullying. Ella finds her way through the tumultuous path of a new school and a new life in Texas after a move from Chicago. Charming story with insights into the pressures of fitting in and fielding the balls life brings a teenager as she finds her place and confidence in beginning to become a young adult.
Having spent some time around an SPC school and sporting events this book hits ball square in the middle and is landed smack in the glove. The insights and metaphor of “throwing like a girl” a careful look at some of the emotions, social challenges, and varied circumstances of teen girl in Texas preparatory schools. This sweet story of Ella, shows how participation in team sports can help to bolster confidence for a variety of teen challenges across several personalities when and if guided by supportive adults.
This book could be helpful read for teens, parents, or adults coaching, teaching, or even clergy caring for teens.
Having spent some time around an SPC school and sporting events this book hits ball square in the middle and is landed smack in the glove. The insights and metaphor of “throwing like a girl” a careful look at some of the emotions, social challenges, and varied circumstances of teen girl in Texas preparatory schools. This sweet story of Ella, shows how participation in team sports can help to bolster confidence for a variety of teen challenges across several personalities when and if guided by supportive adults.
This book could be helpful read for teens, parents, or adults coaching, teaching, or even clergy caring for teens.
June 18, 2025
Semi spoiler review, don't read if you don't want spoilers lol
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Not a lot of descriptions, which is why I gave four stars. But the softball aspect was nice, and I liked the love interest(Nate Fontineau, 19-year-old, asks 15-year-old girl to go to prom, etc, etc, cute guy, tall, light brown hair, super sweet, sorry I'm going crazy)! Rocky was a good character because she represented struggle and perseverance in the book. Nate was good, that vulnerable guy who wants to make everyone happy 🥲. In the end, it's a cliché book ending with "lalala I got my first kiss yippee", but I like these books from time to time. A fun read for people wanting a mental break from more complex books!
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Not a lot of descriptions, which is why I gave four stars. But the softball aspect was nice, and I liked the love interest(Nate Fontineau, 19-year-old, asks 15-year-old girl to go to prom, etc, etc, cute guy, tall, light brown hair, super sweet, sorry I'm going crazy)! Rocky was a good character because she represented struggle and perseverance in the book. Nate was good, that vulnerable guy who wants to make everyone happy 🥲. In the end, it's a cliché book ending with "lalala I got my first kiss yippee", but I like these books from time to time. A fun read for people wanting a mental break from more complex books!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2018
I loved this book. It is full of ups and downs and reminds girls that anything is possible. This book is about a girl named Ella Kessler. Ella lives in Chicago. She moves to Texas for her dad's job promotion and starts at a new school. There, Ella Kessler, the girl who had never played on a sports team in her life went out for her school's softball team. When she starts softball her life completely changed. She makes new friends and becomes a part of a real team. I would recommend this book to any girl at all.
October 14, 2017
Great idea marred by a flawed execution. I enjoyed the book but parts of it felt forced, like the author was trying too hard to be relevant.
October 28, 2017
This book was awesome especially for people who play softball.
April 26, 2018
Very enjoyable. A nice balance of fun and substance.
June 18, 2020
I love this book.I am curently on chapter four.And I think its good so far.
January 24, 2012
I chose this book at the public library. I found the title and the cover interesting. It looked interesting so I chose the book “Throwing like a Girl”. This story is about Ella who moved to Texas in the middle of her sophomore year, she had hard time adjusting and making friends. When she joined the softball team she made many friends, enemies and changed not only her life but also another girl’s life. In the story Ella had said a couple of times that she was proud to throw like a girl, this would be my favorite quote. When my church friend saw this book he said that it was prejudice. I never thought about it like that when I borrowed this book. To me “Throwing like a Girl” meant that girls have talents too. That they should be proud of how they do things instead of comparing with guys. Many say that boys throw better but the quote “Throwing like a Girl” shows me that the girls are proud that they throw like a girl. It also shows me girl’s power. Girls have many power and strength and can throw very well if they do their best. This quote can be related not only in throwing but many other things that we compare because of gender. Even though this story was told by Ella I was able to understand how the other characters felt. The author used descriptions that allowed feel like I was actually looking at what Ella was going through in person. I would recommend this book to teenage girls who are interested in softball or any other sports. This is a great story that shows what teenagers actually face in life.
November 6, 2007
All Ella wants is to be invisible in her new Texas high school. She's just moved from Chicago and she hates feeling like everyone's eyes are on her. At the same time, she wants to make friends, but without knowing the pecking order of her new school, she's reluctant to approach anyone. Then Ella's gym teacher discovers that she's a natural athlete and encourages her to try out for the softball team. Although Ella's never played before, she finds that she loves it. And suddenly things are going great. She's partnered with the highly desirable Nate for a class project, she's found some new friends... But life isn't all roses. She has to deal with Nate's bitchy younger sister (also on the softball team) who's got it in for her. And Ella meets Rocky, a softball superstar who can't be on the team because of family issues. Ella knows there's got to be a way to get Rocky on the team, but none of her plans seem to go as she wants. Still, she perseveres and finds out what it really means to throw like a girl.
Ella's a very realistic teen character. She's shy and she makes mistakes. She lies for no reason sometimes, but she's got the integrity to go back and make things right. A fun read for girl sports fans.
Readalikes: For a deeper treatment of a girl dealing with sports and love, suggest Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock.
Ella's a very realistic teen character. She's shy and she makes mistakes. She lies for no reason sometimes, but she's got the integrity to go back and make things right. A fun read for girl sports fans.
Readalikes: For a deeper treatment of a girl dealing with sports and love, suggest Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock.
July 2, 2013
Throwing Like a Girl by Weezie Kerr Mackey follows Ella who starts a new school after moving to Dallas in the middle of the school year. Ella, looking for a place to fit in decides to try out for the softball team. The story follows her learning about the game, her teammates and new friends.
This is a nice, sweet and clean contemporary story. There's a bit of romance but for the most part it's a sports drama. I found myself interested throughout and finished the book quickly.
Appropriateness: This is a clean YA novel that will be acceptable even to the most conservative of readers while still keeping a bit of edge with family drama and remaining secular. There is no drug or alcohol use (although a bit of talk about a friend's parent being an alcoholic) the romance culminates in a fairly chaste kiss and the characters are all nice and helpful girls who care about and help their families. I recommend this book to readers 12-16
This is a nice, sweet and clean contemporary story. There's a bit of romance but for the most part it's a sports drama. I found myself interested throughout and finished the book quickly.
Appropriateness: This is a clean YA novel that will be acceptable even to the most conservative of readers while still keeping a bit of edge with family drama and remaining secular. There is no drug or alcohol use (although a bit of talk about a friend's parent being an alcoholic) the romance culminates in a fairly chaste kiss and the characters are all nice and helpful girls who care about and help their families. I recommend this book to readers 12-16
September 30, 2014
Softball. Boys. Dramatic Girls. How would you like to deal with all this, while being in a new school in a new town in a new state that you knew nothing about? How would you like to deal with people and things that have no connection whatsoever with you? Whether she liked it or not ( and most of the time she didn't... ) this is what Ella had to deal with when she moved from Chicago to Texas. Things aren't how they were or how she imagined them to be. No cowboys with straw hats and spurs, but instead cute boys you are assigned to do projects with and sisters with rude plans for your future all while you have softball to be thinking about in the back of your mind. How does Ella deal with it? Read " Throwing Like a Girl " By Weezie Kerr Mackey and find out! I personally thought it was a great book, I was deeply attracted to it and never wanted to stop. I rate this book 5 stars. ***** . -Signing off, Emma XoXo...
June 5, 2011
Ella's father gets a new job, so she and her parents move from Chicago to Dallas, where Ella enrolls mid-year at Spring Valley Day School. The private school social structure is all set, and she's the insecure outsider. Ella gets paired with Nate for a class project on marriage and family life, and has to deal with Nate's jealous and possessive sister Sally on the softball team. Although Ella has never played softball, the coach sees potential in her abilities and Ella learns a lot about teamwork (through good examples and bad), relationships and how some choices are forced upon us through circumstances beyond our control. Good story, believable team situations and game descriptions. Weezie Kerr Mackey used to teach in a Dallas private school so she's writing from experience, and she now lives in Fairfield, CT.
April 1, 2013
I rate 5 stars to Throwing like a girl, only because my love for softball. If it weren't for that, the book honestly wouldn't be interesting at all. The author only grabs the attention of a certain crowd of people, softball or baseball players/lovers. But other than that the book is very interesting. Ella, the main character sort of came into softball the same way I did. She randomly felt like playing the game in her older years of age. Most kids start a sport at a young age, and it was refresing to read about a girl whom had the same starting experience at softball as I did. As Ella's character develops in the book, she turns into a great softball player that ends up even staring varsity, and even gets a really cute boyfriend while doing it. I love this book, and think you should read it too!
February 27, 2009
I liked this book because I like softball and enjoyed the emphasis on how being on the team helped 15-year-old Ella make friends and become more confident. Ella, moved to Dallas from Chicago late in the school year and made friends by joining the softball team in spite of not having played before. This is a wholesome book that deals with Ella’s adjusting to a new school in a new town. It’s a story about a nice teenager and how she deals with friendship, parents, learning a sport and romance. A great read for young readers that challenges them to put themselves “out there” and to see what happens. I recommend this to pre-teens, teens and anyone who enjoys reading about high school sports.
March 10, 2016
Throwing like a girl was an amazing book! It was about a girl named Ella who moved to Texas from Chicago. When she moved she had no friends and wasn't in to any sports. But her gym teacher noticed she had a special talent. That talent was throwing like a girl. So her gym teacher asked her to try uot for the softball team because she thought Ella would be good at it and it would give her a chance to meat new friends. When she was trying out she made some friends, there names were Mo, Frannie, and Rocky. They all made the team. Ella was so excited but also a bit nervous. Throughout the softball season she gets asked to prom, makes friends, and makes a few enemies. Will she be able to handle it all find out!!!!
November 17, 2010
This was a fantastic book. I really could relate to it because i also play softball. This book is about a girl who moves to Texas and hates it at first, but then learns to love it. She gets assigned a marriage projet partner, Nate F., who's sister happens to be Sally F. Sally is just really rude to Ella(main character). Then Ella meets Rocky, the best softball player Texas highschool has ever seen. They become friends and Ella eventually gets Rocky to play softball.. I totally recomend this to other readers, you will get wrapped up in it and will never want to put it down.
January 2, 2008
This is about Ella and she has to move from Chicago to a little town in Texas. In her first couple of days being in the new state, her gym teacher suggests she should try out for softball. Luckily she makes it, but now she has to know how to throw like a girl. Not just like any regular girl, but a real girl. There is a bit of romance in this book because she falls for her evil teammate's older brother, so she has to dodge the mean glares from her classmates and teammates.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2009
This book was OK. I don't think that I would ever read it again but it wasn't bad. It was funny. And it had lots to do with softball. (Nice little touch there for me.) On another note the "mean girls" drove me crazy. And I kept waiting for Ella to grow a backbone. (As a little side note I don't know how a girl can be on a softball team and not have a backbone!How does that work?) I guess at the end she got a start to a backbone. So this book is just fine...nothing special.
December 19, 2012
I chose this book for you because you said you were interested in reading books with sports in them. This story is about a young girl learning to live in a new place and trying to fit in. She finds softball as the activity that will help change her life.
You said you liked stories about sports so this book will be right up your alley. This story is about a young girl learning to live in a new place and trying to fit in. She finds softball as the activity that will help change her life.
You said you liked stories about sports so this book will be right up your alley. This story is about a young girl learning to live in a new place and trying to fit in. She finds softball as the activity that will help change her life.
March 12, 2014
This book was a good book about softball. It was realistic fiction. It is about a girl named Ella Kessler, who just moved to Texas. She has no friends at her new school. Can softball help her make friends? Can they bond together as a team and win, or will they keep disagreeing? Could there also be an addition to the team? Read the book to find out. I would rate this book three stars out of five. It was interesting but it was a quick read.
November 2, 2007
This was a great book for showing what can happen when someone is willing to try new things and accept the challenges that high school presents. This book was realistic but not overly edgy; it showed how average high school kids deal with their parents, their peers, their responsibilities, and their romances.
June 15, 2008
This book was good! I liked it because it was about one of my favorite sports...SOFTBALL!! I liked to read about Ella's accomplishments and think about the time when I was learning to do the same things. I liked the book a lot because of it's original plot line. The only thing that disappointed me was it's predictable ending. Good BOOK¡
September 23, 2009
Alrighty... The book was better than what I thought itt would be. When I picked it up, I thought that the book would be only about baseball. Well, I was wrong about thtat too. The book is about softball, and how a girl tries to find herself in a new community with different people, a different house, and the most scary thing: a new high school. You'll fall in love with this book just like I did.
November 16, 2010
ella kesslor a small girl from chicago has to move with her now small family to texas because her dad got a job transfer. when ella goes to her behavior science class they have to do a marriage project and she gets parded with nate fontuuie the hot football player. they end up going to prom together
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2013
The book throwing like a girl a super good book for anyone who likes soft ball or any sport. it's also a really easy to relate to also because the 15 year old girl Ella just moved and is struggling in her everyday life because she's the new kid. but she's try's out for the soft ball team and starts to meet new friends and fit in.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews