Last week, I read A High Five for Glenn Burke by Phil Bildner. This sports fiction novel is about Silas Wade, a sixth-grade boy who does a school presentation on the Major League Baseball player, Glenn Burke, as a small step towards acknowledging a truth about himself. When Silas reveals his secret to his best friend, Zoey, she doesn't react how he expected and things become weird between them. Soon, he finds himself telling his baseball coach, Webb. After a team meeting based on Silas's conversation with Coach Webb, Silas continues hiding his secret from his teammates and lies to them about dating Zoey. When Zoey finds out about his lie from one of his teammates, he has to face the consequences.
I thought that this novel was wonderful. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it, but I truly enjoyed it. Although Silas makes mistakes, it's understandable because he is deeply afraid of being judged for who he is. I loved his friendship with Zoey, so I was shocked when he told his teammates that he was dating her. I knew it was such a bad idea, and it does cause a serious rift between them after she learns about his lie from his teammate, Ben-Ben, who is in a robotics club with Zoey. I couldn't blame Zoey for being angry with Silas and not wanting to be friends anymore. I did want them to make up, though, and I was happy with the end of the novel. I definitely thought the highlight of the book was Silas's relationship with Coach Webb. Webb is accepting of Silas when he comes out to him and their discussion about the hardships and discrimination that Glenn Burke faced because he was gay was enlightening. The ending of A High Five for Glenn Burke isn't tied in a neat bow and it's clear that Silas is still at the beginning of his journey. Overall, I would recommend it to baseball fans and anyone who is exploring their identity.
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