“This story is unique because, unlike other books about girls joining boys' sports teams, the girl in this book did have a "girls" version of her sport to join (softball) but instead she found the team wasn't serious enough, so she tried out for the boys' baseball team and made it. Another unique aspect of this book is its setting, Buffalo, NY (my hometown). Mick Cochrane's novel reminds me a bit of Jerry Spinelli's "There's a Girl in My Hammerlock" although it replaces Spinelli's humor with a more serious tone, plus "Butterflies" was just published this year as opposed to nearly two decades ago, making the young characters more believable to today's readers. In addition, "Hammerlock" is geared more for a 4th-7th grade audience, whereas "Butterflies" might appeal to a 7th-9th audience. I enjoyed how author Cochrane weaved in elements of Buffalo that, most likely, only locals would know. One example is a mention of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. Another example is a dig on the "urban renewal" of downtown being dependent on "casino gambling and a fishing tackle superstore." The author's insider knowledge of Buffalo's pending Bass Pro "deal" gave this book that much more appeal, at least from a native's perspective. Main character Molly is very realistic, believable and has a personality full of depth and a range of emotions, demonstrated through her thoughts and interactions at school and with her mother and best friend friend Celia. My favorite aspect of Molly’s personality is her subtlety; she doesn’t wave to her mother when she comes to the baseball game, she slyly swipes her baseball hat – after the game Molly doesn’t gush thanks to her mother for actually making it out to watch, she says thanks for “you know,” and her mom gets it perfectly. It’s Molly’s calm, meditated demeanor that exemplifies the pace of this book, which is just right. I recommend this book to any 7th-10th grade baseball or softball fan who’s looking for a slightly more challenging read. “Butterflies” is also a great example of a realistic fiction novel for genre studies.”
MsWrobel wrote this review Saturday, October 24 2009.
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