The Girl Who Threw Butterflies starts about six months after the death of eighth-grader Molly Williams’ father in a one-car accident. Molly and her dad loved baseball. Since Molly was tiny, father and daughter watched and played baseball together. Her dad even taught her how to throw a knuckle ball. Now, Molly and her mom aren’t really functioning like the family they once were, and one night, after the two fight, Molly goes out in the yard to play catch like she always had with her dad. She decides that she doesn’t want to play softball, since it isn’t the same game that she loved watching with her dad. Instead, what she wants to play is baseball, so she tries out for the boys’ baseball team at her school.

Molly has the support of an enthusiastic best friend, Celia, and she gains the friendship of the strange boy in English class who becomes her catcher. She also gains the support of her team and begins to accept her father’s death. When the story ends, you can start to see Molly’s life settling into really living, instead of just getting by.

For a daddy’s girl who has spent hours and hours watching baseball with her dad, I loved this book. It made me want to get my own daughter outside playing catch with my husband more and not always dressing up as a princess.

Rated: None