We’re so excited to tell you about Year of the Meatball by Angela Calabrese! This book is way more than a fun baseball story.
Two Cultures—One Game—One Wish
Joey Marconi’s life in the Bronx covered all the bases—the best pizzeria on the planet, a winning baseball team, and Yankee Stadium just a pitcher’s throw away. But when his family moves to the country, Joey slides into a major slump. To make matters worse, his Nonna’s legendary meatballs are starting to taste lousy.
Then he meets Bobbi Ming—a baseball lover whose face and heart bear the scars of a tragic accident.
Joey’s not sure what to think of their budding friendship, but he relies on her to help navigate his new life—including school bullies, Nonna acting crazier than his curveball, and a trio of loveable llamas.
There’s a lot to figure out.
Joey and Bobbi make a strong team, but when Bobbi buckles under the weight of being teased, Joey must decide where his true loyalties lie—with his new friend, or the biggest baseball game of his life.
Meet The Author
This contemporary sports story is actually more about friendship and family than baseball, but baseball ties it all together. The author, Angela Calabrese is a debut author, which means this is her first book published. Want to know more about her and her story? Watch this video and find out:
Meet the Author – Angela Calabrese
Activity Sheet
If you are looking for a sports book filled with lots of heart, this is your story. Joey learns to shift his outlook and see his situation with new eyes. Besides baseball, there’s also lots of tasty Italian food. We’ve created this fun activity sheet PDF Nonna’s Meatballs. It’s the author’s recipe from her grandmother!
Courses
We love publishing new great stories for kids and families to love. But we also love creating the online, video-based courses that teach much more than just the story.
In Year of the Meatball by Angela Calabrese Joey learns several important things. One is the importance of shifting your outlook when things are hard. In conjunction with the companion Explore Course, this book can be a very useful tool to help guide your kids in shaping their own worldviews in traditional ways.
The companion Analysis Course is an academic deep dive into the book, with a focus on language arts skills like close reading and writing.
Year of the Meatball by Angela Calabrese is a funny contemporary story that will make you laugh, cheer, and probably make your mouth water too.