Harlee Handles: Tryouts

By Kelly Dean

Harlee Blake has always been the girl who never misses.

Fast on the field. Fearless in the dirt. Always moving before her feelings can catch up.

But when travel ball tryouts begin, softball stops feeling easy. Every missed catch feels huge. Every swing feels watched. Every girl seems stronger, faster, and more confident.

For the first time, Harlee starts to wonder:

What if I'm not the player everyone thinks I am?

With help from her sister Harper, her best friend Emery, Coach Davis, and a very unforgettable fake Thomas Rhett lyric, Harlee learns that confidence is not about never feeling nervous. It is not about being perfect, fearless, or always knowing what to do.

Confidence is learning how to come back.

After mistakes.
After pressure.
After your brain gets loud.
After everyone sees you fall.

Harlee Handles: Tryouts is a heartfelt, funny, and emotionally honest middle-grade sports story about softball, friendship, big feelings, self-trust, resilience, and the brave work of trying again.

Perfect for young readers who are learning that being good does not mean being perfect - and being brave does not mean never being scared.

Because Harlee Blake is not the girl who never misses.

She is the girl who comes back.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H5YVYL5T
• ISBN13: 9798182209533
• Release Date: June 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 266 Pages
• Weight: 0.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"