The girls of Skylark Lane

Twelve-year-old twin sisters Aggie and Jac have mixed feelings about moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles with their fathers. Aggie worries about change and fitting in, while Jac is excited for a fresh start; they both take comfort in the fact that they have each other. On their first day at their new school, Aggie befriends exuberant classmate Tink, who lives just around the corner from the sisters. The twins soon join Tink's ragtag softball team, comprising piano player Marnie, lemonade stand mogul Adriana, and Dylan, whose mother is a reality television star. Even as every practice seems to end in chaos and drama, Aggie and Jac bond with their new friends and contend with first crushes, first periods, growing up, and growing apart. In this heartwarming slice-of-life novel, a middle grade debut, Benway (The Wicked Ones) showcases the importance of friendship, family, and forgiveness in helping tweens navigate the awkwardness and uncertainty of early adolescence. Quickly resolved conflict is handled sensitively, further contributing to the feel-good atmosphere. Characters are depicted on the cover with varying skin tones. Ages 8--12. Agent: Lisa Grubka, United Talent. (Oct.)

Softball, sisterhood, social commentary, and a natural disaster come together in this contemporary middle-grade novel. Twin sisters Jac and Aggie move with their dad and papa (and pet rat, Jack) from San Francisco to Los Angeles. As they adapt to their new home and adjust to seventh grade, they befriend a rambunctious group of girls who run a gender-inclusive softball team; one member is trans and was excluded from other teams. The team practices regularly, and over time, its members grow emotionally and go through puberty even as they face assorted challenges and support one another both on and off the field. The well-developed, spirited, and diverse cast of characters is reminiscent of those in the filmA League of Their Own. The narrative, told in the siblings' alternating third-person perspectives, contrasts easygoing Jac with anxious Aggie, allowing both of their distinct voices to shine and reflecting the unique struggles and complexities of growing up with (and potentially apart from) a twin. When a wildfire forces a neighborhood evacuation and destroys property, the players organize a fundraiser to support those affected. Benway weaves themes of teamwork, solidarity, gender equity, and empowerment throughout ("nobody breaks up our team," says Jac) in a way that's never overtly didactic. The twins present white. A heartwarming, richly told coming-of-age story that radiates humor and care.(Fiction. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.