As the school year continues, Elle has a lot of activities planned, she's playing basketball, enjoying her new dog, Zobe, and trying to keep up with homework. At the suggestion of one of her teammates, she starts volunteering at a special needs program, and she would like to spend time with her friends and family. She finds that she is struggling with basketball-- she's not doing the good job she normally does, and she doesn't have an explanation for her slump. She is falling behind in her school work, since it's often past 10 p.m. when she even gets a chance to start it. It's even hard to squeeze in visits with her sister Beth and walks with Zobe, whom she would like to train as a therapy dog. With her older brother getting ready to go to college, she struggles with finding a balance, and also someone to whom she can confide her struggles. Luckily, her best friend Avery is understanding, and eventually comes to the rescue and helps Elle get her schedule figured out.

Strengths: This had an excellent mix of realistic middle school struggles and basketball. It also has a lot of good interactions between Elle and her family, from already missing her brother, to wanting to help Beth, to having to explain her bad grades to her parents. The fact that she's in a basketball slump is a great plot line, and struggling to keep up with her friends is something I don't see much in middle grade. Add in the volunteer work-- I really like this series, and the fact that Elle also has a little crush on Amanda doesn't hurt at all!
Weaknesses: The cover is a bit young. My girls who want to read about basketball don't want books about younger kids, and the style of drawing makes this look a bit elementary. I'll hand sell it, of course, but a "tougher" cover would have sold itself.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and can't wait for Out of Bounds in October.