Welcome to my stop for the TBR And Beyond Tours for Fox Point’s Own Gemma Hopper
Book Info:
Fox Point’s Own Gemma Hopper by Brie Spangler
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary
Publishing Date: April 11, 2023
Synopsis:
A heartwarming graphic novel about a baseball-obsessed 7th grader, trying to find her place in the sports world and her family.
In their tiny corner of Fox Point, Rhode Island, Gemma Hopper’s older brother, Teddy, is a baseball god, destined to become a Major League star. Gemma loves playing baseball, but with her mom gone and her dad working endless overtime, it’s up to her to keep the house running. She’s too busy folding laundry, making lunches, getting her younger twin brothers to do their homework, and navigating the perils of middle-school friendships to take baseball seriously.
But every afternoon, Gemma picks up her baseball glove to pitch to Teddy during his batting practice–throwing sliders down and away, fastballs right over the middle (not too fast or he’ll get mad), and hanging curveballs high and tight.
Could baseball be Gemma’s ticket to the big leagues or will it mean the end of her family as she knows it?
My Review:
After Gemma’s mother left, she carries the burden of holding the family together. This doesn’t leave a lot of time to pursue her passion for baseball. Her brother, Teddy, is the baseball star of the family. But, when a video of her pitching goes viral it looks like it might be her big chance too.
This book does a great job of realistically portraying the impacts of a mother abandoning her family. Gemma and Teddy both feel responsibility beyond their years, and feel resentment towards each other. Beyond the home, the issues carry into school as Gemma is assigned a school project about her family history. She’s also faced with typical changes in teenage friendships, when her oldest friend seems more interested in impressing popular kids than Gemma’s feelings.
Despite the problems explored in the story, Fox Point’s Own Gemma Hopper, doesn’t feel like a “heavy” book. The graphic novel format adds a lightness by showing the emotions through pictures. The focus on baseball also makes it high interest for young readers. It was very refreshing to have a sports-centered book with a female protagonist.
Book Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61612862
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fox-Points-Own-Gemma-Hopper/dp/059342848X/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fox-points-own-gemma-hopper-brie-spangler/1141756929
Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/Fox-Points-Own-Gemma-Hopper-Brie-Spangler/9780593428481
IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/fox-point-s-own-gemma-hopper-brie-spangler/18649094
About the author:
About the Author:
Author/illustrator of children’s picture books and YA novels, Brie Spangler loves to draw and write stories and drink massive amounts of caffeine, but not quite Dave Grohl “Fresh Pot!”/require hospitalization levels. Writing down the ideas in her head was scary as a kid, so she turned to making pictures instead. Brie worked as an illustrator for several years before she began to write and immediately became a frothing addict. BEAST is her debut novel.
Author Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/briespangler
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drawbrie/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1155469.Brie_Spangler
Tour Schedule: