Star pitcher quits baseball

Quinnen grieves for her deceased sister.

Jennifer Minicus | Nov 30 2016 | comment

The Distance to Homeby Jenn Bishop
written for ages 9-12 | recommended with reservations
published in 2016 | Knopf Books for Young Readers | 240 pages

Life hasn't been the same for eleven-year-old Quinnen since the death of her older sister, Haley, a year ago. Haley had always been Quinnen's number one fan when she pitched for her little league team. Since Haley's tragic death, Quinnen no longer has had the heart to play the sport she loves so much.

Quinnen's parents decide that the best medicine for their grieving daughter is to host one of the local minor league players for the summer. Quinnen resists the friendship of the team at first, but baseball still has a hold on her. With the support of one favorite player, Quinnen finds the courage to face the reason her sister's death has been so hard to accept and to help her parents confront their loss as well.

Using chapters alternating between past and present, Jenn Bishop gradually reveals to readers the complex relationship that Quinnen shared with Haley. Quinnen is a typical younger sister who idolizes her older sibling but experiences bouts of jealousy as Haley begins to date. This is, in part, due to Haley’s evasive and at times suggestive answers to questions about her boyfriend.

Quinnen displays a good measure of common sense in spite of her young age. She is the only member of the family who seems willing to talk about her sister and her tragic death. She is also the only person who seems to understand that she is still a child. Quinnen's mother "pushes" her daughter towards maturity. She tries to convince Quinnen to wear tight jeans and signs her up for a book club that will read books focusing on puberty. Quinnen rightfully balks. While the premise of this story is promising, certain details disqualify it for its intended audience.

A former teacher, Jennifer Minicus is currently a full-time wife and mother

I’ve often heard that Adolf Hitler was a Christian who used Christian language and believed in God. In a fascinating interview in today’s lead story, Richard Weikart, the author of a new book on Hitler’s religion, rebuts this claim.

Weikart believes that Hitler despised Christianity. On the other hand, he rejects the widespread belief that he dabbled in occult practices. Hitler, he argues, was a pantheist who believed that Nature was God and that a Darwinian struggle for existence was divinely ordained. It’s a fascinating read.