Take me out to the ball game

I just love the voice of author Deborah Wiles, and I wasn't disappointed in her book The Aurora County All-Stars.  It helps if you've read Love, Ruby Lavender, since many characters are the same, but this story still stands on its own.  House Jackson and his friends have a problem: the one and only game that the All-Stars play is scheduled for the same time and day as the county's Fourth of July pageant, which all the ball players are expected to participate in.  While trying to figure out what to do, House confronts secrets, betrayal, the powerful Mamas, a soap opera star, interesting facts about baseball and segregation, a dog named Eudora Welty, and the obnoxious Frances "Finesse" Shotz.  You'll love the feel of the slow Mississippi life, the hot summer sun, and the smooth combination of humor and loyalty.