By: Angela Calabrese
Format: Available in Paperback, ePub, and MOBI
Genre: Contemporary
Year of the Meatball
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 Angela Calabrese,
the author of Year of the Meatball
Elizabeth Raum –
What a terrific book! Sports fans are sure to enjoy it, but The Year of the Meatball is not just about baseball, it is also about true friendship, family, and coming to terms with life changes. Angela Calabrese vividly portrays the life of a New York Italian-American family as they leave the Bronx for life in the country. Joey must adjust not only to rural life, but to the loss of his friends and his winning ball team. He begins to feel less alone when he learns that Bobbi, who lives next door, love baseball, too. But it turns out that Bobbi is a girl with problems of her own. Readers follow along with Joey as he comes to terms with what it really means to be a friend wherever one lives. Highly recommended.
Susan Reimer –
This is a fantastic story of the values of family and friendship with genuine Italian flavour. When Joey’s family moves it seems that he loses everything – his team, his game and his friends – but there are surprises waiting for him in his new life in the country. I read this book in one sitting. It is un-put-downable!
Betty Vanderwielen –
Middle Grade youngsters who love baseball will love this book. But I’m definitely not a baseball fan, and I still loved this book. Joey is an Italian boy moved from the Bronx, from his friends, from his winning baseball team. So he is determined not to like anything about his new neighborhood, determined not to make new friends, determined not to even try out for his new school’s baseball team. And determined to make sure everyone in his family fully understands how miserable he is. To make things even worse, his beloved grandmother is experiencing dementia. Even her fabulous meatballs don’t taste good anymore.
But then he meets Bobbi, the neighbor girl who likes baseball too. She even plays on their school’s mixed boy/girl team. But Bobbi has a facial deformity and, while Joey finds himself liking Bobbi more and more, it’s a lot easier to like her when they’re alone or around their family members; not so easy to acknowledge their friendship when schoolmates taunt her or when his old friends come to visit.
In the Year of the Meatball, Joey learns a lot about true friendship, about accepting change, about broadening his outlook, and going to bat for someone when they are down and almost out.
dasanders.is –
Year of the Meatball is a great story for baseball lovers, but it is much more than that. Angela Calabrese has authored a story about family, friendship, loss and realizing that change–even if it’s hard–is not necessarily bad. Main character Joey has a deep love for playing baseball and the New York Yankees, but his family’s move leaves Joey feeling like his baseball playing days are over without his old team.
I must admit I struggled to like Joey Marconi in the beginning of this book. He was much more of a whiner than his sister (who he referred to as a whiney little sister more than once). He was determined to punish his family with his bad attitude because of the family’s move from the Bronx to the country. Then I began to see glimmers of compassion. Joey’s compassion and caring continues to expand as the story goes on as he begins to see beyond himself to others and their situations.
I became a Joey fan and was rooting him on as he began moving forward, messing up, and trying to make things right again. Joey is truly a good kid trying to work through lots of changes– moving to a new place, leaving old friends, making new friends, dealing with bullies, and facing the mental decline of his beloved very Italian grandmother.
Boys and girls are shown as strong characters and strong athletes. Lots of ethnic and cultural flavor throughout the story. A good MG read!
Richard Augusto –
The Year of the Meatballs is a heartwarming, engaging story about friendship across cultures and beyond life’s challenges. Joey, an awesome young pitcher who resists his family’s move from his beloved Bronx meets Bobbi, the pretty and spirited shortstop with a face that is scarred. Together, they face the biggest game of their lives, a game where Joey explores the true nature of friendship.