Thrown a Curve
Page 12
The person I may have learned the most from is my father. He made me aware that anyone can make a mistake, at any point in life, and that it’s never too late to make things right again, especially with family.
As for me, I taught myself a simple lesson—the game of life is hard, but that’s also what makes it great.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would to thank everyone at Bancroft Press, especially Bruce Bortz, for making the dream of getting published a reality; Ronda Lindsay, for sticking with me through many drafts; Carolyn Der, for her editing; Harrison Demchick, for writing the screenplay adaptation of the book; and Tammy Grimes, for creating a wonderful cover.
I want to thank my parents, Phyllis and Chuck Griffiths, for always being there through the good and the bad days.
Thank you to my husband, Jamie, for providing me the love every writer deserves.
I want to thank my three brothers, Michael, Bryan, and Dan Griffiths, for their support and for giving me no choice but to enjoy watching baseball.
I wish to thank my fellow teaching sisters, Amy Gilsenan and Rita Griffiths, for keeping the love of literature alive in their classrooms.
Thank you to Sheila, Jim, and Anne Marie Moesch for your many kind words over the years.
Thank you to all the students of South Orange Middle School, both past and present, for inspiring many of the characters in this book and for letting me share a part of your teen years.
Thank you, too, to all the teachers, librarians, and faculty members at South Orange Middle School for making teaching a pleasure, especially Kathleen Hester, Daniel Savarese, Rebecca Donahue, Susan Wilson, Jane Rauen, and Kathleen Andersen.
And thank you to all the teachers at Vineland High School, especially Jeanne Doremus, Peter Starzan, and Kathleen Kopreski, for teaching me a few things.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sara Griffiths, a native of New Jersey, is an eighth grade teacher of language arts in South Orange, NJ. As a teacher at the South Orange Middle School, she’s been active in developing a language arts curriculum and producing the school’s musical.
A graduate of Rutgers College, where she majored in psychology, she obtained her teaching certificate in language arts from the College of Saint Elizabeth.
Sara is also a certified NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped) therapeutic horse-back riding instructor and has seen the physical and mental benefits of involving children in sports.
She is a member of the New Jersey Education Association, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the National Council of Teachers of English.
Thrown a Curve is her first published novel. She’s working on a sequel.
Sara currently lives in Whitehouse Station, NJ with her husband Jamie and son Ben.
PRAISE FOR SARA GRIFFITHS’
THROWN A CURVE
“Thrown a Curve is a wonderfully engaging story that explores the truest of teen-age angst. The relationships in the protagonist’s life—both positive and negative—guide her through the landmines of the early teens. It’s a place most teenagers will readily recognize.”—Susan Wilson, Language Arts Supervisor And Consultant
“Thrown a Curve is a charmingly clever Young Adult novel about sports and relationships, about assumptions and perceptions, and about growing up in a sometimes confusing world. Thumbs-up for a refreshing novel where life itself may be a curve ball.” —Kathleen Kohaut, Media Specialist, Vineland High School North
“Wow! I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. I think Thrown a Curve is for everyone. Any teacher, counselor, or parent of young adolescents could use it as a learning tool for examining self-esteem, taking responsibility, and strengthening damaged relationships. I’m going to enthusiastically hand it over to my pre-teen daughter. I can’t wait for the sequel.”—Bonnie O’Rourke, Guidance Counselor
“Thrown a Curve is the kind of book I’m happy to sell to a teen: it has a wonderful pace, sophisticated character development, and a likeable protagonist. Griffiths’ fluent and edgy dialogue gives the book’s uplifting message a modern tone that I have no doubt will appeal to teens as much as it does to me.”—Laura Huemer, owner of Goldfinch Books, an independent book store
“Thrown a Curve is an excellent story and a great read. As a high school student, I could really relate to Taylor’s struggle to find the inner strength she needed to believe in herself while coping with the constant and ever-changing demands of school, family, friends, and, well...life. This book is a home run—one I am definitely recommending to all my friends!”—Katie Robinson, Age 15
“ ‘It’s just so embarrassing. The wrong kid got the right gift.’ Overhearing her father’s words sends Taylor Dresden’s life into a free-fall. Sara Griffiths has drawn on her teacher’s insight and written a sensitive first novel that will resonate with teenagers everywhere. Readers will identify with Taylor as she struggles to reclaim her talent, her father, and her very self. They will understand Taylor and cheer her victories.” —Kathleen Anderson, Library/Media Specialist
“Thrown a Curve creates a pop-out world that shows the reader how the life of a teenager really is. I can’t wait for the sequel.”—Samantha Guillen, 8th grade student
“Thrown a Curve is the kind of book I can’t wait to add to my students’ independent reading list. Readers, young and old, can benefit from Taylor’s journey of self-discovery and self-empathy. Taylor employs the silent act of self-imposed indifference that so many young adults use as a security blanket to get through the difficult days of adolescence. Perhaps the best message in this book is that if you can believe in the thing you’re most passionate about, then everything else will fall into place—a theme we can relate to at any age.”—Amy Gilsenan, English Teacher, Grades 9 and 12, Keansburg High School, Keansburg, NJ
“In Thrown a Curve, Sara Griffiths has created believable characters who are sure to be well-received by a young adult audience. It’s a novel in which she deals with many areas of conflict that young adults face, providing them with strategies for resolution, not just coping. An enjoyable read, Thrown a Curve is a great selection for young adult reading and discussion groups.”—Diane Fanucci, Library Media Specialist And Student Literature Circle Advisor, Vineland High School South
“An uplifting, highly readable, and inspirational story with believable characters and authentic middle school dialogue. Taylor’s relationship with her family, her peers, and her guidance counselor draws the reader right in. I was hooked from the first page!
Thrown a Curve is every adolescent’s story of struggling with self-esteem and self-confidence, and of overcoming obstacles.” —Fran Cristalli, Middle School Guidance Counselor
“A compelling young adult novel that allows readers of all levels to connect with the protagonist. Author Sara Griffiths truly understands the trials and tribulations of young adult life.”—Daniel Savarese, Language Arts Teacher
“Thrown a Curve is a great story that captures the angst of teen life, dating, family, and just being a girl trying to find yourself and where you fit in. Author Sara Griffiths does an outstanding job of capturing all these elements, and building a main character you truly care about. Taylor is a character every girl/woman can identify with, whether living that period of life now or as a woman looking back on that time. Taylor’s innocence, paired with the complexity of her emotions, truly mirrors what the teenage years are all about.” —Leah Delserro, Teacher
“As she demonstrates in her accomplished debut novel Thrown a Curve, author Sara Griffiths definitely has a handle on the ups and downs of the middle school youngster. Every young teen will be able to identify with at least one, if not all, of her characters. The book flows smoothly. The spacing of the lines of text is comfortable for students to read, especially for those who look at a book’s total number of pages and how close the lines of text are before they pick a book or start to read it. The novel will be a welcome addition to the young adult literature available to middle school students.” —
Bonnie DiBlasio, Middle School Teacher for 27 Years
“I very much enjoyed Thrown a Curve, which I read in one sitting. It is a serious and funny look at what teenagers deal with every day—things parents find far too easy to forget. The novel throws you right back into the up-and-down roller coaster of teenage life—the emotions, cliques, friendships, first kisses, and first loves. A lot of young girls will identify with Taylor as she tries to figure out herself and her relationships. Being good at a sport, which is a big part of Taylor’s life in this novel, helped me feel good about myself in real life. Finding what you’re good at is not always easy, but once you do it, you can have the confidence to face even your most self-critical days.” —Jennifer Dore-Terhaar, World Rowing Champion and Two-Time Olympian (1996 and 2000)