Year of the Meatball

By Angela Calabrese

Book Overview

This laugh-out-loud contemporary middle grade combines two cultures, three llamas, a new co-ed baseball team, and a healthy dose of Italian meatballs. Finding the true meaning of friendship could be Joey's biggest homerun yet.

Joey Marconi's life in the Bronx covered all the bases--the best pizzeria on the planet, a winning baseball team, and Yankee Stadium just a pitcher's throw away. But when his family moves to the country, Joey slides into a major slump. To make matters worse, his Nonna's legendary meatballs are starting to taste lousy.

Then he meets Bobbi Ming--a baseball lover whose face and heart bear the scars of a tragic accident. Joey's not sure what to think of their budding friendship, but he relies on her to help navigate his new life--including school bullies, Nonna acting crazier than his curveball, and a trio of loveable llamas. There's a lot to figure out.

Joey and Bobbi make a strong team, but when Bobbi buckles under the weight of being teased, Joey must decide where his true loyalties lie--with his new friend, or the biggest baseball game of his life.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1953743412
• ISBN13: 9781953743411
• Release Date: February 2025
• Publisher: Chicken Scratch Books
• Length: 216 Pages
• Weight: 0.53 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.0" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 9 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 9