Out of the Park

Rinko has set out to create the most far-out baseball tale this world has seen. In some ways, she has succeeded; the book has niche reader-appeal.

At the heart of book one in “The Calamity Competition” is a sibling relationship and a family secret. There is a buried family secret, wild superpowers, and the love of baseball. At times it seems there are too many ideas for this story to reach galactic heights. It is, however, a fun adventure for kids. Rinko is intentionally writing for her specific audience, so the narrow reach isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The character arcs are broader, and the author hints at them being part of a diverse cast, though specifics are left ambiguous. The superpowers of the characters are also quite unique, as they all have their own “seismic” abilities. Each ability represents a form of disaster or “calamity” from the natural world. These powers, along with the setting, offer an opportunity for young readers to imagine an alternate reality. There are hints at the contemporary relationship between chaos and climate events, but that relationship is not pushed. There is also seemingly created slang that is used by the characters from the foreign planet.

The length of the book may put off the middle grade audience; nearly 500 pages. The language also presents issues throughout. The slang to certain characters may not be necessary. But this only needs fine-tuning to catapult it into outer space. Trimmed down, the narrative could find astronomical success in a library or bookstore setting.