No Cream Puffs

This was written by my 10 year old daughter. No Cream Puffs by Karen Day is a great book that I enjoyed reading. Madison loves baseball and is a great player. Two big problems, one she's a girl and two, it is 1980. Madison becomes the first girl in southern Michigan to play baseball. This book shows the struggles she went through as a girl playing on a boy's team. Madison taught me that just because you are a girl, that doesn't mean you can't do the same things as boys. If you want to do something, don't let anyone hold you back. Go for it! I found out that this story came from the authors own experience. She was the first girl to play little league baseball where she grew up in Indiana. Also, like Madison, she struck out a player, during a championship game. Although the player Karen Day struck out ended up playing baseball in college and was even drafted by a Major League Baseball Team. Karen Day is one of my favorite authors. She also wrote Tall Tales, which was nominated for a Bluebonnet Award. Tall Tales is my favorite book, with No Cream Puffs, following close behind. I think Karen Day really remembers and understands all the feelings that girls go through as they are growing up. I can't wait for her next book to be published.

I loved this book a little more than Tall Tales which I also liked. Do you suspect that Karen Day pitched on a boys little league team? Daddy Day

What a joy to read a book that is so interesting and fun. It can be enjoyed by people of all ages, including baseball players.

What exactly is so compelling about No Cram Puffs? I have many answers. Primarily, it the immensely likable main character, Madison. We relish in rooting for Madison as she tries to sort out a mess of conflicting loyalties - baseball vs. popularity; fitting in vs. being true to your own ideas and desires; hardworking, present Mom vs. absent, idealized Dad; friendship vs. romance; and those are just a few. It is also that, a mere seven lines into the first chapter, Day reminds us so uncannily about the confusion of adolescence. She has certainly confirmed, for fans of her earlier offering, Tall Tales, that her unerring ability to convincingly write adolescent narration was no fluke. The story is also compelling in its supporting characters, from her loving but imperfect family, to her relationships with her fellow baseball team members, to the poignantly absent best friend, to a couple of surprising characters who skirt the periphery of her life (I won't spoil their impact by revealing here!) In the end, though, buy the book for the reason I can state in five simple words - it's a walloping good read!

I sat down to read this book and had to finish it in one night because it was so much fun. An engaging, upbeat plot with subtle humor and meanings underneath. As a child psychologist, I appreciate the multidimensional relationship that Madison has with her mom, and her understated, but intense longing for a dad. Madison's relationships are very realistic and psychologically accurate, and they capture your attention in a thought-provoking way. Speaking of attention, this is what Madison is trying to teach herself to do. And this is what I love most about her. She's trying to pay attention to what's really important and not fall for superficiality, whether it is revealed in fame, self-seeking attention, or pseudo-romance. It's very compelling to watch Madison as she tries to make sense of what love is about in all it's ambiguous forms (best friend, a crush, and as a loving daughter). Over the course of the novel, it is also a privilege to observe as Madison changes and grows up. The over-arching theme of being true to yourself and finding out what that really entails is portrayed in a compassionate and enticing way. It is also interesting to witness the dilemmas inherent in what it was like for a girl to become involved in the world of boys' sports in the 70's. You will laugh and cheer for Madison as she tentatively, and then, proudly steps into a new phase of her life.