Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh
Tu Books/Lee & Low, 2017
“…provides a rich basis for a discussion of prejudice and the importance of standing up for one’s beliefs.” School Library Journal
“This feminist book doesn’t shy away from the political (“They knew how democracy worked, how some people were allowed to be a part of it and others were not”) and will pair well with other middle-grade historical novels about the struggle for civil rights.” The Horn Book
“A refreshingly different WWII story for middle-grade readers, with an empowering protagonist at its heart.” Booklist
“There’s a lot packed into this novel: racism, sexism, politics…All of these things matter in the bigger world of ideas and action and social justice, of course, but here they matter first and foremost because Maria cares about her family and community….At the same time, none of them change the fact that she is still a girl who wants to play ball, and author Uma Krishnaswami weaves them artfully through the story of Maria and her team.” Megan Schliesman/Reading While White
A Junior Library Guild selection
Winner, APALA Children’s Literature Award
CCBC Choices 2018
United Methodist Women 2019 Reading Program pick
Bank Street Best Books 2018
FOCAL (Friends of Children and Literature/LA Public Library) award 2018
Eureka! California in Children’s Literature list
South Asia Book Award highly recommended title
Shortlisted for the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People
Reading Middle Grade’s 20 Best Middle Grade Books with Biracial Protagonists
