The Hurricanes of Weakerville *Blog Tour*

 Welcome to the 5th stop on the Blog Tour for The Hurricanes of Weakerville 

by Chris Rylander!

Today's stop is extra special because it's also release day!

So let's wish our featured story, and its creator, a very Happy Book Birthday!

"Middle grade star author Chris Rylander brings his signature sense of humor, a compelling and original baseball story, and tons of heart to the story of The Hurricanes of Weakerville."

About the Book:

    All his life, Alex Weakerman has had one passion: baseball. Specifically, the Hurricanes of Weakerville, Iowa—the scrappy independent-league team owned by his Grandpa Ira.

    Even as team and the town have fallen on tough times, there’s no place Alex would rather be than at the ballpark—a hot dog in one hand, a pencil and scorebook in the other, keeping track of each and every statistic. Alex has never been all that great at playing baseball, but that doesn’t matter. For someone as painfully awkward as Alex, being a fan—and a wiz with baseball stats—is all he needs.

    When Grandpa Ira passes away, though, Alex is crushed. He’s lost his best friend, and he doesn’t see any way that the team will survive. But Ira, it seems, has one last trick up his sleeve: his will names Alex the new manager of the Hurricanes.

    Alex is as excited as he is terrified at the chance to finally put some of his fantasy baseball genius to use. But as he sets to work trying to win over the players, he soon learns that leading them to victory is about more than just stats. Will he be able to save his team, his hometown, and his family legacy?

    From the author of The Fourth Stall, a SCBWI Sid Fleischman Humor Award winner and multiple state-award favorite, The Hurricanes of Weakerville is sure to appeal to middle grade readers looking for a funny book about real kids. 

My Thoughts:

From the first time I sat down with this book to my moments with the final pages, I was drawn in deeply to the honest vulnerability of the characters. Alex is wrapping up 7th grade when we meet him. As awkward as middle school is for all of us, Alex has it even worse. He suffers from self-named Flumpo, which is possibly the best term to describe that self-sabotaging, clamming up, fumbling over words, completely embarrassing condition of ruining almost all social interactions. You can't help but feel bad for Alex because the guy is almost painful to listen to when he tries talking to people outside his comfort zone. And that comfort zone is pretty tight. But with all stories, our main character shifts and grows. For Alex this happens with the help of self-reflection and awareness as well as help from the people around him that both support and push him. And in a story where the painfully awkward could be bullied and when things could turn dark, this story always pivots to the light. The characters are full of goodness.

So even if baseball isn't your thing, and even if you have no idea what terms like "The metrics say we are a 12-78 team" and "...had a 0.70 ERA" and "...hitting .274 with 8 RBI" I'm here to say, there is still a place for you in this story. As a self-proclaimed non-sports person, I would still say with 100% honesty that this story was a great match for me. I loved the humor and the rawness, I loved the relationships, I enjoyed the bit of mystery, and I loved how Alex and Granpa Ira's love reminded me of my own special Mimi. 

This story is refreshing and will do nothing but raise its readers up.

I'd even go so far as to say....it's a home run.

Come on, I had to.

About the Author:

Chris Rylander is the author of the acclaimed and bestselling “Fourth Stall” saga, the “Codename Conspiracy” trilogy, and co-author of book three in the New York Times bestselling “House of Secrets” series. He lives in Chicago, where he eats a lot of raspberry jam and frequently tries to befriend the squirrels on his block.

The Hurricanes of Weakerville Blog Tour Stops:

6/21 Nerdy Book Club @nerdybookclub

6/22 A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust @bethshaum

6/23 Teachers Who Read @teachers_read

6/27 LitCoachLou @litcoachlou

6/28 Bluestocking Thinking @bluesockgirl

6/29 Walden Tumblr @waldenpondpress

7/1        Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers @grgenius

Thanks for stopping by! 

Snag this one at your favorite book store TODAY-for yourself, your classroom, a favorite middle-grade reader, your Little Free Library, a teacher, a coach, a random stranger, anyone!