The Hurricanes of Weakerville by Chris Rylander

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Hurricanes of Weakerville by Chris Rylander Elizabeth Bush Rylander, Chris The Hurricanes of Weakerville. Walden Pond/HarperCollins, 2022 [432p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780062327505 $16.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 4-7 Alex Weakerman's ancestors founded Weakerville, Iowa, but now all that's left of their legacy is Mustard Park and the semi-pro Hurricanes, a team in which the community has pretty much lost interest. Under Grandpa Ira's tutelage, Alex has grown into a middle school baseball fanatic, worthless on the field but an ace at record keeping and statistical analysis. When Ira dies, the team passes into the ownership of Ira's brother-in-law, brash and wealthy Tex Cohaagen, who had been quietly keeping the Hurricanes afloat for years. More of a shock is Ira's direction that Alex be installed as team manager, with the caveat that he has one season to make play-offs or Tex can dissolve the team and sell the property for development. If you think this is boilerplate middle grade wish-fulfillment sports fiction, you got it in one: friends support Alex, adult players reluctantly cooperate, lessons are learned, and the satisfying ending (after the last-minute big play by the underdog) is assured. The formula is skillfully executed, though, and Rylander freshens things up with a nicely individuated cast and bursts of hilarity whenever Tex takes the stage, all tall tales and jovial menace. This serves double duty: easy to enjoy under the summer sun, and easy to write about when book reports are due in fall. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois