Coming Up Short

Description: Seventh-grader Bea is the star short stop on her softball team, which is going to the league championship, but her world has just been turned upside down by the news that her father has been suspended from his law practice because he used some of his clients' money to pay bills; worse the news has been spread by another lawyer online, and that lawyer happens to be the father of Bea's almost boyfriend, Xander; now her fielding skills are slipping, and Bea does not know which is more difficult--dealing with either pity or snickering from her schoolmates, learning to throw again, or forgiving her father.

Brief description: Laurie Morrison taught middle school for ten years before writing Every Shiny Thing, her middle-grade debut with co-author Cordelia Jensen. She is also the author of Up for Air, Saint Ivy, and Coming Up Short. She received her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She lives in Philadelphia.

Review Quotes: "Author Laurie Morrison hits a home run with this heart-warming story about a star softball player who must deal with family disappointment and learn how to trust her friends and teammates, her family, and most of all, herself. Coming Up Short has the perfect lineup of friendships, first crushes, and family drama for a page-turning book. I loved everything about it!"
--Debbi Michiko Florence, author of Keep It Together, Keiko Carter and Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai