This was a very fun story about imagination and standing up for yourself. The illustrations were stunning and the different between the usual artwork and our main character's growing imagination was stunning. The ending felt very abrupt though and I felt like the conflict could have been more fleshed out.

A great look at how imagination and play are just as important to learning about life and growing up as competitive team sports. All kids need a place to learn and explore through imaginative play and Larping was a fun way to show that even within the confines of a girl playing a boys's sport like baseball. I think this is a fun story that has so much heart that I think a lot of different types of kids will find themselves in!

Elena Rueda's mother, Marissa, is deeply involved in her baseball career, causing a lack of fun and pressure. When Elena discovers LARPing with her brother Benji and friends, known as the Band Of Renegade Kinfolk (BORKs), she finds a new way to enjoy herself. The story explores parental overinvolvement, addresses unique activities like LARPing, and brings a fresh perspective to kids' experiences. While the portrayal of Toni's grandmother seems odd (she looks like Cruella de Ville!), the narrative offers a positive take on balancing sports, fun, and imagination.

Readers who enjoy Jamieson’s Roller Girl or the Hoops series by Elena Della Donne are sure to love this sporty graphic novel with a girl at bat. Elena has been tops at baseball for several years and with her mom’s encouragement, has plans to “break the glass ceiling” and play on the boys’ high school baseball team in the near future. But maybe the pressure and the single minded focus on only one thing is getting to be too much this summer. In graphic panels full of motion and plenty of big onomatopoeia splats across the page, Pablo Cartaya (author) and Miguel Diaz Rivas join together to create a book likely for grades 2-5 that is full of imagination, fun and little lessons in healthy balance, speaking truth, and listening to one another. Highly recommended and for middle grade and elementary libraries needing more books with girls playing sports, this should go to the top of the shopping cart. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. A few haracters are identified as Venezuelan and Cuban-American and in illustrations seem to represent a broad range of ages and skin tones.

Elena excels at baseball. Her mom pushes her to be the best- and she is- but it isn't fun anymore. When the chance comes to take a break, Elena jumps at it. When she joins her brother and his friends though, Elena finds that her imagination and ability to play without competition may be lacking.

This is a heartwarming story with cute characters. Cartaya is one of my favorite authors and I am thrilled that his work has made its way into graphic novel format!

Elena Rueda's mother Marissa is VERY invested in her daughter's baseball career, since she faced obstacles in her own. There's not time for fun, since Elena doesn't get to hang out after games with her teammates, and instead must train and attend camps to help her performance. Not only that, but if she blows a play on the field, her mother loses it publically. Elena's father and grandfather just want her to have fun, but have little say in the matter. Her brother Benji is more interested in casual Live Action Role Playing, and spends much of his time in a dinosaur costume. When Elena trips, falls, and injures her knee, she is secretly glad that she doesn't have to play baseball. Bored, she asks her brother about playing with him and his friends, who called themselves the Band Of Renegade Kinfolk, or BORKs. It takes a while for her to understand that there is no "winning" at LARPing; it is just a way to exercise her imagination and have fun, two things she has no practice at. Elena meets Toni, who is a bit mysterious, and who turns out to be the granddaughter of a wealthy local women who is living with her grandmother after the recent death of both of her parents. Eventually, Elena convinces the other LARPers to play "Borkball", and her competitive spirit comes to the fore. Her mother, a realtor, manages not only to sell the abandoned lot where the kids have been playing, but registers the group as a Little League team. This increasing pressure causes Elena to finally come clean to her mother and to try to find a way that she can enjoy sports and friends in a more childlike way.
Strengths: I'm always glad to see sports stories, and the idea of parental over involvement is certainly a reality for many children. The mother's issues with girls playing baseball rather than softball certainly would have been a huge consideration thirty years ago. I've not seen too many book addressing LARPing, so Benji and his friends enjoying themselves in a vacant field certainly is an appealing choice. I'm always glad to see Kids Doing Things, and this was certainly fun and fresh.
Weaknesses: The grandmother looks a little like Cruella deVille, and wears a black, Victorian style long dress. Considering most grandparents are now around my age, I can't imagine that a well to do business woman would dress this way. Just an odd choice. Also, killing off BOTH of Toni's parents?
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who like Speed Racer style illustrations
and want a story that carries the emotional weight of Morrison's Coming Up Short and Bishop's The Distance to Home but in the graphic novel format of Spangler's Fox Point's Own Gemma Hopper.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this title

This story was very relatable. I enjoyed the concept and the LARP was so well explained. I think many people can relate to both the MC as well as the other characters at some point in there life

This is a solid, enjoyable story that doesn't necessarily provide anything uniquely inspiring compared to some other graphic novels about baseball (see "Fox Point's Own Gemma Hopper") but serves as a heartwarming tale featuring a mostly Hispanic cast of characters.

This was an awesome read! I enjoyed all the themes the book had, and I know that my fifth graders will be able to connect with the story and the characters. It is a must have in any fifth grade library!

6th graders LOVED this book. They loved all the themes and Benji's humorous side. They appreciated the messages of being open with your parents about what you want to do and what you don't want to do. And they also liked how it teaches you to be yourself. "Benji made it funny," they all agreed. "I love Benji," said one. Thank you for the opportunity to read and rate this book.

I'm glad I got to read a advanced digital copy of Pablo Cartaya's graphic novel, CURVEBALL before I purchase copies for my fifth grade classroom, because once I do, I will never get my hands on a copy. My students are going to love this story! Baseball is everything to Elena. She's a great player, the only girl on her team, and would rather be playing baseball than doing anything else...until it stops being fun for her. How can she break the news to her mom, who loves baseball just as much as Elena? An injured knee is just the excuse she needs for. a baseball break. But with baseball being her life, there aren't any friends she can hang out with or places she can go. When she's forced to hang out with her younger brother and his LARPing (live action role playing) friends, Elena discovers a whole new side of herself. Will she also be able to rediscover her love of baseball again? Thank you so much to NetGalley for this advanced digital copy!

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Publishing Group for the ARC. This graphic novel is a must for my school Library. Pablo Cartaya story focuses on friendship, standing up for yourself and finding your passion.

Curveball is a great middle grade graphic novel, that many students will enjoy. A quick read, colourful, with a great story line. Elena's story focuses on friendships, standing up for yourself, and imagination. A great addition for school libraries.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Disney Publishing Group for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This will appeal to my students for so many reasons! LARPing is a big thing lately and I don’t have any books about it. I have a lot of athletes in my classroom, especially females. My students love graphic novels. The relationships and storyline are on point. This book ticks all the boxes.

A fantastic, vibrant graphic novel, perfect for fans of Cartaya’s previous books. This is a fun story of friendship and figuring out what you want. Recommended!