The characters in A Whole New Ballgame are complex and well-developed. Bildner has captured the wide range of personalities and emotions on display in any middle school.

Note: I received an ARC from the publisher. ( )

Loved this book -- from the unconventional teaching style to the caring friendship between Rip and Red, to the nonstop basketball action, to the casual and realistic diversity. Funny, interesting, non-stop, heartwarming. Awesome. ( )

A diverse fifth-grade class and their new teacher redefine success, learn to empower themselves, and take risks through adventures in inquiry-based learning, sportsmanship, friendship, and identity

From the first morning with their odd new teacher fifth grade is full of shocking surprises for best friends Rip and Red. This is a fresh, fun book about school, sports, and friendship.

This was an entertaining book, sure to appeal to readers who enjoy sports. Told from the perspective of a fifth-grade student, Rip, it concerns his experiences both on the basketball court and in a Language Arts classroom with new coach-and-teacher Mr. Acevedo.

Rip's best friend, Red, is on the autism spectrum, which is the reason why I first picked up this book. (Being autistic myself, I purposely seek out books that address my own experience.)

Some of the potentially most enjoyable touches for my youthful customers, are the gross-out possibilities of a classroom assignment. Rip teams with a classmate, Avery Goodman, who relies for mobility on a wheelchair, and they give a "Nasty Nine" presentation on all the disgusting things that Avery has to roll her tires through.

At one point, Rip's mother suggests to Rip that he "brings out the best" in Red, and suggests to him that, that is why Mr. Acevedo paired him to work with Avery.

I appreciate that Rip, himself, holds a more reciprocal view of his relationships. He and Red "get" each other, and bring out each other's best, and when Rip works with Avery, it seems clear in the story that both bring unique talents and abilities to their class presentation.