This book provides a solid, compelling plot that does not shy away from harsh realities. Gloria's life is drastically changing. She's seen her family's way of life completely destroyed and her childhood has come to a premature end. We take a child already on the verge of realizing the complexities of life that come with adolescence and add in the cruelties of the Dust Bowl, of the death of a baby and a family thrown into abject poverty. She has the simple understanding of "fair" and "right" and is inclined to fight injustice every time she perceives it. She's learning why adults sometimes put up with indignity for the sake of a larger good. At the same time, she has a child's hopeful outlook and belief in the power of a baseball game. Not only does this book give the young reader a snapshot of the reality of life for people displaced by the Dust Bowl, it also encourages consideration of relative morality and the things worth fighting for.

As someone who was decidedly not a fan of The Grapes of Wrath, I’m now wondering if maybe it just needed a little baseball?!

I’m kidding (kind of), but I really enjoyed Three Strike Summer despite not being a particular enthusiast of Dust Bowl era fiction.

This is a lovely children’s novel about the Dust Bowl and migrant workers in the 1930s with just enough baseball to lighten the subject and make the material enjoyable and relatable for kids. As an adult reader, I enjoyed it as well, and loved the way the author wove baseball into the story.

It’s tough to read about this stuff and not become righteously angry about the treatment of migrant workers, and that’s no different here despite the baseball sideline. And the baseball component of the book is absolutely a side plot rather than the focus, but it’s masterfully woven into the greater narrative.

For young readers: There are some sophisticated and unsettling themes here that may require some adult explanation, but the author tempers the material to suit the intended audience. In other words, it’s thought-provoking for kids without being excessively upsetting, and the tone of the story is hopeful to the end.

12yo Gloria and her family are having a tough time. It's the 1930s and they live in Oklahoma. Their farm failed again and they are mourning the death of their baby brother. When the bank forecloses on the farm, they load everything they own into their truck and head to California. Gloria is a really good pitcher, and when the family gets work at a peach orchard, Gloria hopes to join the boys in their game.

An engaging story - times were hard, not just because the farm failed, but the families looking for work were mistreated and cheated out of money and resources due to them. Some fun baseball action and a bit of danger in the orchard. Historical fiction can be a hard sell, but sports lovers will like this too. Will probably purchase.

The year is 1936. Gloria Mae Willard, her parents, and older sister are evicted from their Oklahoma farm. The baby brother they recently lost is buried under a tree on that property. The Dust Bowl has wreaked havoc making farming the land a useless endeavor. Gloria’s passion though is baseball and the boys in her former town never let her play.

The family moves to California and stays in a settlement of workers picking a peach crop. The work is not easy, but Gloria discovers a small group of boys sneaking out to play baseball against a group from a nearby apricot farm. Rules forbid them from leaving the premises but who cares when baseball is the goal. Gloria has a plan to put herself on that team despite the objections of almost every boy.

The first person narration is superb as you feel every emotion and struggle Gloria goes through. Her determination is unflappable even though it gets her into trouble most of the time. The setting is perfect to bring out what these migrant workers went through with low pay (20 cents an hour) along with terrible living conditions.

Things get so bad at the camp, Gloria’s Pa begins to organize a strike. This doesn’t stop his spunky daughter from continuing her plan to show those boys what kind of pitching arm she can bring to the sandlot. The results are page turning on all fronts. A memorable and important story. A home run on my scorecard.

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THREE STRIKE SUMMER by Skyler Schrempp

1. Team spirit is important not only on the baseball field but also for the migrant workers wanting better conditions and pay. Both are revealed in plot twisting ways.
2. The relationship Gloria has with her older sister goes through a wonderful transformation as these two begin to see each other differently.
3. Tension is the key driver of this plot and the outcome is endearing for readers.
4. Overcoming gender stereotypes, climate concerns, and income inequalities are sadly ones we are still dealing with today. Reading this account set almost 90 years ago will insight more discussion about what needs to happen in our present world.
5. The arc for the secondary characters are each unique and expertly drawn out. You’ll see Pa, Ma, and several of the boys in a different light by the ending pages. Nicely done!

It’s the 1930s and dust storms have stunted wheat fields and so Gloria’s family is forced to head west. They end up at a peach orchard in California. Gloria meets a few boys and challenges them to let her pitch for their baseball team. After pitching two strikeouts, they have to run and hide when the police come. The group hears the growers association man talk about wages getting cut and threaten the workers against striking, or they will be thrown off the orchard. The team wants one game with the nearby apricot orchard players in case of the strike. Can they make the game happen? Will Gloria get to show the boys how well she pitches? Will there be a workers’ strike? This will make a great companion novel to Esperanza Rising and Out of the Dust.

A brave, plucky ballplayer fights for herself and others in this searing Depression-Era novel. Here are just three things I loved about this powerful and important story:

Gloria Mae Willard
Fierce, outspoken, brave, and overflowing with grief and righteous indignation, this girl stole my heart. Gloria doesn’t always make the best choices—the bank man’s cracked windshield proves that—making her an entertaining, perfectly human protagonist young readers will root for.

The supporting cast is well-crafted, too. I particularly enjoyed Gloria’s relationship with her older sister, Jessamyn.

Setting
Evocative, sensory details, lyrical writing and Gloria’s powerful voice render the 1930s Dust Bowl and Depression era in startling clarity. When Gloria’s family loses their Oklahoma farm to the aforementioned bank man, they land at a California peach farm with other migrant workers. Everyone—Pa, Ma, Gloria, and Jess—spends long hours in the orchard picking peaches or working in the canning operation. The pay is low and shrinking, and the conditions are brutal and dehumanizing—exhausting, dangerous work; outrageous costs to rent a shack and pay for company-store necessities; ever-present hunger; and the constant threat of violence for anyone who speaks up and tries to change things.

Themes of Equality and Justice
After the boys back home excluded Gloria from playing baseball, she’s determined to win—or fight—her way onto the secret peach-farm team. With dogged tenacity, quick-witted bravado, and a tricky curveball, Gloria overcomes gender stereotypes and earns her place among the boys. The ballplayers, including the team’s stoic captain, are wonderfully individualized. These scenes ratchet up story tension and contribute to Gloria’s growth.

This novel shines a light on a difficult period of American history, and would be a great supplement for student learning. (An Author’s Note adds context.) But, like the best historical fiction, it also highlights our time. Look at the headlines: catastrophic flooding, wildfires and drought from climate change; corporations blocking unions; historic income inequality; and schemes and lies threatening our democracy. The questions raised in this book—including who stands up to tyranny, and at what cost?—are chillingly relevant.

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I only post about books I finished and enjoyed.