becka l. baughman

In her world, life revolves around school, her crush-Daniel Jacobs, family farm life and an angel. Add in a whole lot of baseball and visions that she would never imagine to have, in a million years. And thirteen year old Leona experiences a summer, she will never forget. Before the summer of 1956 begins, Leona tries to change herself over and over, to have Daniel (who lives and breathes baseball) notice her. She even tries to look like ' Marilyn.' To Leona's surprise, the summer brings her into Daniel's world of baseball. It also brings back to life, the moments when Leona tried to change herself, time and again. These past incidences, well, they catch up with her. And the summer has her desperately trying to make up for it all. Include life changing events on the farm and an angel. And Leona finds she needs to remind herself regularly to breathe. And breathe and breathe and breathe! This novel gives a sense of the past, in a way that will open the minds and hearts of young readers, while relating it to the present.