In this story, Maria is fighting for the place she wants in the world against her family's strict cultural traditions that restrict her because she is a girl and against society that looks down on her for being of color and poor. Maria is literally stepping up to the plate as she decides to play for her school's new softball team and metaphorically steps up to the plate by speaking up for herself in a world that casts her aside. This book would be perfect in a social studies or ELAR classroom because it addresses many important concepts such as WWII, feminism, discrimination, class struggles, and immigration in a fun, fictional story that has elements of figurative language such as similes, metaphors, rhetorical questioning, and strong imagery. The story also teaches strong moral lessons about standing up for yourself and pushing through life's obstacles. ( )

this story tells the social injustices of an immigrant women who only wants to play softball but is not allowed due to her race, gender and ethnicity. takes place in spring 1945 and WW2 is going on. this books sheds light on history that was set in communities whose families made multicultural choices before the word multicultural was even invented. makes me think of mixing pot instead of melting pot. it is an unfair would but Maria makes the best of it.

It was 1945 and, with World War II going on, all nine-year-old Maria wanted to do was play baseball. Her aunt built planes and women were starting to play professional ball so, when her teacher started an all-girls team at her school, Maria was thrilled. Unfortunately her Mexican mother and Indian father had old-fashioned ideas about what girls could do, so she knew it would be hard to convince them to let her play.

As she learns about teamwork and baseball, Maria also starts to learn about prejudice and racism when her little brother is beat up for being different and a German classmate lashes out at her. When she finds out her father can’t become a U.S. citizen or own the land he’d worked for years, through the confidence earned from playing the game she loved, Maria learns to speak up and make a difference in her world.

This book is an important introduction to the inequalities and discrimination faced by specific immigrant groups, many of which still go on today. Readers are also given insight into the world of adha-adha “half and half,” (Mexican-Hindu families) which also serves to educate. It should be in every elementary and middle school library, and would make for excellent discussions as part of a book club.

Highly recommended for ages 10-14.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Book review link: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2017/10/08/step-up-to-the-plate-maria-s... ( )