Two teams, six innings, one game. A lively cast of characters-baseball-loving boys between the ages of eleven to thirteen-are playing the biggest game of their lives. With acrobatic catches, clutch hits, dramatic whiffs, and costly errors, this game is full of action. But, as the book unfolds, pitch by pitch, a deeper story emerges, with far more at stake: Sam and Mike, best friends, are trying to come to terms with Sam's newly diagnosed cancer. And, this baseball diamond becomes the ultimate testing ground of Sam and Mike's remarkable friendship as they strive to find a way to both come out winners. This is for the championship. This is for life.
"Perceptive and funny, sketches introduce us to the players while the nail-biting action keeps the pages turning."
The Miami Herald, on Six Innings as one of the Best Kids' Books of the Year
"Dishing up a rare example of a character-driven tale that is also suspenseful and exciting, the author of the Jigsaw Jones series chronicles a magnificent championship game between two Little League teams that is as much about the players as the plays."
Booklist, starred review
"Preller raises his game with this perceptive group portrait of boys who play Little League baseball. . . If Judy Blume could write a book about Little League, about its players' deepest fears and secret dreams, it might come out something like this."
