"Much Ado About Baseball is the best children's book I've read in
the past 10 years!" -Brad Thor, New York Times bestselling author of
the Scot Harvath series
"A moving tale of baseball, magic, and former rivals who come together
to solve a problem." -Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
In this companion novel to Midsummer's Mayhem, math and baseball
combine with savory snacks to cause confusion and calamity in the town
of Comity by Newbery-Honor winner Rajani LaRocca.
Twelve-year-old Trish can solve tough math problems and throw a mean
fastball. But because of her mom's new job, she's now facing a summer
trying to make friends all over again in a new town. That isn't an easy
thing to do, and her mom is too busy to notice how miserable she is.
But at her first baseball practice, Trish realizes one of her teammates
is Ben, the sixth-grade math prodigy she beat in the spring Math Puzzler
Championships. Everyone around them seems to think that with their math
talent and love of baseball, it's only logical that Trish and Ben become
friends, but Ben makes it clear he still hasn't gotten over that loss
and can't stand her. To make matters worse, their team can't win a
single game. But then they meet Rob, an older kid who smacks home runs
without breaking a sweat. Rob tells them about his family's store, which
sells unusual snacks that will make them better ballplayers. Trish is
dubious, but she's willing to try almost anything to help the team.
When a mysterious booklet of math puzzles claiming to reveal the
"ultimate answer" arrives in her mailbox, Trish and Ben start to get
closer and solve the puzzles together. Ben starts getting hits, and
their team becomes unstoppable. Trish is happy to keep riding the wave
of good luck . . . until they get to a puzzle they can't solve, with
tragic consequences. Can they find the answer to this ultimate puzzle,
or will they strike out when it counts the most?
