THE GIRLS OF SKYLARK LANE

Softball, sisterhood, social commentary, and a natural disaster come together in this contemporary middle-grade novel.

Twin sisters Jac and Aggie move with their dad and papa (and pet rat, Jack) from San Francisco to Los Angeles. As they adapt to their new home and adjust to seventh grade, they befriend a rambunctious group of girls who run a gender-inclusive softball team; one member is trans and was excluded from other teams. The team practices regularly, and over time, its members grow emotionally and go through puberty even as they face assorted challenges and support one another both on and off the field. The well-developed, spirited, and diverse cast of characters is reminiscent of those in the film A League of Their Own. The narrative, told in the siblings’ alternating third-person perspectives, contrasts easygoing Jac with anxious Aggie, allowing both of their distinct voices to shine and reflecting the unique struggles and complexities of growing up with (and potentially apart from) a twin. When a wildfire forces a neighborhood evacuation and destroys property, the players organize a fundraiser to support those affected. Benway weaves themes of teamwork, solidarity, gender equity, and empowerment throughout (“nobody breaks up our team,” says Jac) in a way that’s never overtly didactic. The twins present white.

A heartwarming, richly told coming-of-age story that radiates humor and care.