FAST PITCH

Author/narrator Nic Stone knocks it out of the park with this fast-paced audiobook. Twelve-year-old Shenice "Lightning" Lockwood, captain of the Fulton Firebirds softball team, juggles dual priorities. She's determined to take her all-Black team to a historic championship win, yet as the season progresses, she's distracted by her efforts to prove that her Great-Grampy JonJon didn't commit the crime that ended his trailblazing baseball career. Scenes of softball action and gripping mystery move the story at a brisk clip, which Stone matches with her high-energy performance. She imbues the voices of Shenice and her friends with authentically tween-aged attitude. In a conversational style, she enlivens the adult voices, including those of Shenice's loving parents and elderly Uncle Jack. A pleasing choice for family listening. R.A.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2021]