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About The Book
NAMED A 2023 ALA NOTABLE CHILDREN’S RECORDING!
Four starred reviews!
“Told in a voice that is so real it reeks of filched peaches, this book is a home run.” —Amy Sarig King, Printz Award–winning author of Dig and The Year We Fell from Space
Sandlot meets Esperanza Rising in this “vividly rendered, emotionally vulnerable” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) middle grade historical novel about a strong-willed girl who finds her voice in a tale of moxie, peaches, and determination to thrive despite the odds.
When the skies dried up, Gloria thought it was temporary. When the dust storms rolled in, she thought they would pass. But now the bank man’s come to take the family farm, and Pa’s decided to up and move to California in search of work. They’ll pick fruit, he says, until they can save up enough money to buy land of their own again.
There are only three rules at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard:
No stealing product.
No drunkenness or gambling.
And absolutely no organizing.
Well, Gloria Mae Willard isn’t about to organize any peaches, no ma’am. She’s got more on her mind than that. Like the secret, all-boys baseball team she’s desperate to play for, if only they’d give her a chance. Or the way that wages keep going down. The way their company lodgings are dirty and smelly, and everyone seems intent on leaving her out of everything.
But Gloria has never been the type to wait around for permission. If the boys won’t let her play, she’ll find a way to make them. If the people around her are keeping secrets, then she’ll keep a few of her own. And if the boss men at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard say she can’t organize peaches, then by golly she’ll organize a whole ball game.
Four starred reviews!
“Told in a voice that is so real it reeks of filched peaches, this book is a home run.” —Amy Sarig King, Printz Award–winning author of Dig and The Year We Fell from Space
Sandlot meets Esperanza Rising in this “vividly rendered, emotionally vulnerable” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) middle grade historical novel about a strong-willed girl who finds her voice in a tale of moxie, peaches, and determination to thrive despite the odds.
When the skies dried up, Gloria thought it was temporary. When the dust storms rolled in, she thought they would pass. But now the bank man’s come to take the family farm, and Pa’s decided to up and move to California in search of work. They’ll pick fruit, he says, until they can save up enough money to buy land of their own again.
There are only three rules at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard:
No stealing product.
No drunkenness or gambling.
And absolutely no organizing.
Well, Gloria Mae Willard isn’t about to organize any peaches, no ma’am. She’s got more on her mind than that. Like the secret, all-boys baseball team she’s desperate to play for, if only they’d give her a chance. Or the way that wages keep going down. The way their company lodgings are dirty and smelly, and everyone seems intent on leaving her out of everything.
But Gloria has never been the type to wait around for permission. If the boys won’t let her play, she’ll find a way to make them. If the people around her are keeping secrets, then she’ll keep a few of her own. And if the boss men at the Santa Ana Holdsten Peach Orchard say she can’t organize peaches, then by golly she’ll organize a whole ball game.
About The Author
Photograph by Tyler Core
Skyler Schrempp writes books and makes theatre in her hometown, Chicago. She lives in an old drafty house with her husband, Kyle, her daughter, Elowen, and a black cat named Masha. She got her undergrad at Hampshire College and has an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing you can find her making jam from the berries that grow in her backyard or building a fire in her fireplace (depending on the season). You can visit her at SkylerSchrempp.com.
About The Reader
Photograph by Tyler Core
Skyler Schrempp writes books and makes theatre in her hometown, Chicago. She lives in an old drafty house with her husband, Kyle, her daughter, Elowen, and a black cat named Masha. She got her undergrad at Hampshire College and has an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing you can find her making jam from the berries that grow in her backyard or building a fire in her fireplace (depending on the season). You can visit her at SkylerSchrempp.com.
Why We Love It
“Skyler Schrempp’s atmospheric descriptions of the gloriously golden-drenched vistas of California are a starkly beautiful contrast to the grounded portrayal of daily life at the peach orchard. Her characters are big and brash in a way that feels so true to life, and Gloria Mae has the kind of confident gumption that I wish I would have had at twelve. The prose is fresh and contemporary, but never feels out of place in the historical setting. The charm of the writing and camaraderie between the characters makes this a perfect read for fans of The Sandlot. This is historical fiction for young readers at its most accessible.”
—Alyza L., Associate Editor, on Three Strike Summer
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (August 30, 2022)
- Runtime: 7 hours and 10 minutes
- ISBN13: 9781797148182
- Ages: 8 - 12
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Awards and Honors
- California Young Reader Medal Nominee
- Horn Book Fanfare
- Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best
- Oklahoma Book Award Finalist
- Judy Lopez Memorial Award Honor Book
- Illinois Reads List
- Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year Selection Title
- ALA Notable Children's Recording
- YouPer Award (MI)
- Cardinal Cup Award Honor Book
- Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
- ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List Selectio
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Three Strike Summer Unabridged Audio Download 9781797148182
- Author Photo (jpg): Skyler Schrempp Photograph by Tyler Core(0.1 MB)
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