I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this one. A great message about being a good sport. Great pictures. A fun story.

I loved this picture book. Ella is such a relatable character. So many kids get upset when they lose after winning for a long time. She can teach kids the importance of good sportsmanship. Thank you, @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Ella McKeen, Kickball Queen is an adorable read! I loved the strong characters in this book and Ella's arc from realizing she might not be the only kickball queen on the field anymore was sweet, realistic and such a good message without being didactic. Confession: I read this to 2 of my kids and they wanted me to read it to them again!

I received an electronic ARC from Lerner Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Ella is the kickball queen at her school. No one can catch her kicks. Then a new girl arrives and catches her super bomb kick. She throws a temper tantrum in front of everyone. The next day she apologizes and the game begins. The same thing happens - Riya catches her kick. Ella feels the same changes inside but this time she recognizes and controls them to compliment Riya on her catch.
Terrific story that captures the playground activities and emotions. The illustrations match the text and bring the emotions to life for younger readers.

Ella McQueen is the best of the best when it comes to playing kickball during her first grade recess. She never loses and is revered by all. That is, until Riya, a new student, begins playing kickball and catches the ball that Ella kicks. The competition begins when Ella handles her disappointment and loss quite poorly. Yet, at the book's end, the lessons have all been learned very well.
The themes of coping with disappointment and learning how to graciously accept loss is so beautifully handled in this book. Friendships emerge and the message in this book is clear and strong. My younger elementary students will definitely identify and learn from its pages.

So often books about girls and sports just emphasize how important it is that the girl does the sport, and enjoys it, and that there is nothing wrong with being a girl and playing sports.

But, this book moves beyond that. What is the girl is good, such as Ella, and that she is the best, and she knows she is the best. What happens then?

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5128" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Screen-Shot-2019-05-03-at-10.47.14-PM-1.png" alt="" />

<img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5127" src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Screen-Shot-2019-05-03-at-10.47.21-PM-1.png" alt="" />

This book shows the importance of teamwork. The importance of getting along. It isn't just important to do your bit, to be your best, but to do so with your team mates. And this is the story of what happens when there is another kickball queen, and you have to learn that you aren't always the best, but you can strive to work together and have fun.

This tells the story not heavy handed, but shows how it is to be taken down a peg, and how you have to get along with your friends.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.