By Mike Lupica
A twelve-year-old with a rocket arm dreams of pitching in the Little League World Series, while he and his brother hide a secret that could get them taken apart.
Michael Arroyo throws heat, the kind of fastball that makes rival coaches demand proof he's really only twelve. He and his older brother Carlos live in the South Bronx in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, and Michael wants nothing more than to pitch his team toward the Little League World Series. But the brothers are carrying a secret: their father died a few months ago, and if anyone finds out they're on their own, Michael could be pulled into foster care and separated from Carlos until his brother turns eighteen. With his birth certificate stuck back in Cuba and a suspicious official on his trail, Michael has to prove who he is and keep his family together, all while chasing the season of his life.
If your child lives and breathes a sport, this reads the way the game feels: fast, tense, everything on every pitch. The baseball is thrilling, but underneath it is a quiet, brave story about two brothers holding a family together with duct tape and loyalty. A reluctant reader stays for the mound and comes away having felt something real. It's a standalone, so there's no long series to commit to, just one strong, satisfying book.