? "Schmidt gracefully weaves together the humor of school, siblings, and a dachshund with a delicate digestive system with deeper themes of family connection, disappointment, anger, and grief. The result is wonderfully impressive and layered."--Kirkus, STARRED review ? "Schmidt, author of the celebrated Wednesday Wars, strikes gold again with this emotionally complex character who learns to navigate change and disappointment, and, more important, how to receive help."--School Library Journal, STARRED review ? "[Carter Jones'] engaging narrative leads readers through a broad range of emotions in this beautifully written, often amusing, and ultimately moving novel."--Booklist, STARRED review ? "Schmidt (Orbiting Jupiter) fuses pathos and humor in this adroitly layered novel....Opening each chapter with a definition of a cricket term, Schmidt weaves the sport's jargon into the narrative, further enriching the verbal badinage and reinforcing the affecting bond between a hurting boy and a compassionate man."--Publishers Weekly, STARRED review ? "Deft use of comedic scenes and Schmidt's trademark use of narrator-provided snark give the story the levity it needs to counteract the surprising number of tears readers are likely to shed."--Horn Book, STARRED review "[A] story with weight and heart, and Schmidt fans will be glad to see him back on the pitch."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books? --