Friday Nights

Rating:
Summary: Ballplayers score with younger readers
Review: "Sharp dialogue, good pace and story-tellingpower... noted Kathy Miller, English teacher. Maureen Holohan'sBroadway Ballplayers series has recieved praise from teachers and colmnists alike. Her books, including Friday Nights by Molly and Everybody's Favorite by Penny, are geared toward middle school girls and boys who show interests in sports of any kind. In Holohan's first Broadway Ballplayers book, Friday Nights by Molly, she shows the struggle of trying to be the best on the basketball court through the eyes of a mediocre player who wants to play as well as her best friend. The Ballplayers have to try to overcome teams with more experience and more height. Her series portrays the problems middle school students might have with sports, such as not giving up against teams with a better record, learning teamwork instead of arguing or desiring to be as good a player as someone else. Middle school students would be drawn in by this series. END

Rating:
Summary: Friday Nights Scores Big
Review: Author Maureen Holohan, a three-time All-Big Ten selection at Northwestern University and winner of the 1994 Randolph Hearst Journalism Award, offers a new and different image for young girls to strive for in her series, The Broadway Ballplayers. In the first book of the series, Friday Nights, Holohan offers a positive, uplifting story about young women, something rarely seen in young adult literature today. From the struggles and triumphs of the Broadway Ballplayers, readers gain a sense of strong, young female athletes, who express pride and confidence in themselves. Told in the words of Molly O'Malley, Friday Nights describes the journey of the Broadway Ballplayers through a summer of learning and playing. Molly and her friends constantly strive to prove that they are as athletically-talented as the boys that live on Broadway Ave., their neighborhood. After much hoping, the friends' dreams of a summer basketball league for girls becomes a reality. During the summer tournament, the Broadway Ballplayers learn more than just basketball fundamentals. Overcoming their lack of size and lack of players, the team learns the importance of confidence and perseverence. The Ballplayers also feel the sting of prejudice after a hardly welcoming crowd reception at a rich suburban school. From this experience, however, the team learns that they must overcome their own biases to really settle the differences between suburban children and themselves. Holohan keeps with this pattern of problems followed by lessons learned throughout Friday Nights. Although the struggles remain simple and small-scale, young adolescent girls can definitely relate to them. Maureen Holohan effectively and unassumingly teaches important lessons for young girls in The Broadway Ballplayers. While the issues in Friday Nights teach important lessons, they may fairly be categorized as too innocent or shallow for some of this society's seasoned youth to identify with. The book does briefly touch on important issues, such as divorce, religion and death, but Holohan does not dwell on these matters for long. However, these omissions keep the reader focused on the recurring morals of the book: self-confidence and self-pride. Therefore, adolescent girls could greatly benefit from understanding Holohan's message of self-esteem in her series, The Broadway Ballplayers.

Rating:
Summary: Holohan scores off the court
Review: Friday nights is the first book in "The Broadway Ballplayers" series by All-Big Ten athlete-turned author Maureen Holohan. The series is generated towards an audience of fifth to sixth grade girls interested in athletics. Friday Nights is told from the point of view of Molly O'Malley, a junior high aged girl living on Broadway Avenue. Throught the first few chapters, Molly introduces the characters and each of their unique personalities. Main focus is brought upon Penny, Wil, Angel and Rodie, who become the subjects for the next books in Holohan's series. The story is based around a summer basketball league for junior high aged girls throughout the city. The "Broadway Ballplayers," as they come to call themselves, have high hopes for winning the league championship. However, the Ballplayers face obstacles along the way, such as the infamous East Side Hawks, a monstrously huge opposing team player by the name of Sheila, and even themselves. For the first in the series and first book by an author, the "Broadway Ballplayers" series really shows promise but with extensive room to grow as an author. The books definitely appeal to a younger audience and encourage young girls who play sports. However, if the readers are totally clueless about sports, they might want to pick up a "Sports Terms" dictionary at their local bookstore because of the constant use of sports lingo that would confuse the average or even slightly educated sports dunce. Overall, this book series is a great recommendation to sporty junior high level girls looking for books that coincide with their interest in athletics. Holohan shows great promise in her work, and we'll definitely hear from her in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Ballplayers Score
Review: Friday nights is the first book in "The Broadway Ballplayers" series by All-Big Ten athlete-turned author Maureen Holohan. The series is generated towards an audience of fifth to sixth grade girls interested in athletics. Friday Nights is told from the point of view of Molly O'Malley, a junior high aged girl living on Broadway Avenue. Throught the first few chapters, Molly introduces the characters and each of their unique personalities. Main focus is brought upon Penny, Wil, Angel and Rodie, who become the subjects for the next books in Holohan's series. The story is based around a summer basketball league for junior high aged girls throughout the city. The "Broadway Ballplayers," as they come to call themselves, have high hopes for winning the league championship. However, the Ballplayers face obstacles along the way, such as the infamous East Side Hawks, a monstrously huge opposing team player by the name of Sheila, and even themselves. For the first in the series and first book by an author, the "Broadway Ballplayers" series really shows promise but with extensive room to grow as an author. The books definitely appeal to a younger audience and encourage young girls who play sports. However, if the readers are totally clueless about sports, they might want to pick up a "Sports Terms" dictionary at their local bookstore because of the constant use of sports lingo that would confuse the average or even slightly educated sports dunce. Overall, this book series is a great recommendation to sporty junior high level girls looking for books that coincide with their interest in athletics. Holohan shows great promise in her work, and we'll definitely hear from her in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Holohan scores off the court
Review: Friday nights is the first book in "The Broadway Ballplayers" series by All-Big Ten athlete-turned author Maureen Holohan. The series is generated towards an audience of fifth to sixth grade girls interested in athletics. Friday Nights is told from the point of view of Molly O'Malley, a junior high aged girl living on Broadway Avenue. Throught the first few chapters, Molly introduces the characters and each of their unique personalities. Main focus is brought upon Penny, Wil, Angel and Rodie, who become the subjects for the next books in Holohan's series. The story is based around a summer basketball league for junior high aged girls throughout the city. The "Broadway Ballplayers," as they come to call themselves, have high hopes for winning the league championship. However, the Ballplayers face obstacles along the way, such as the infamous East Side Hawks, a monstrously huge opposing team player by the name of Sheila, and even themselves. For the first in the series and first book by an author, the "Broadway Ballplayers" series really shows promise but with extensive room to grow as an author. The books definitely appeal to a younger audience and encourage young girls who play sports. However, if the readers are totally clueless about sports, they might want to pick up a "Sports Terms" dictionary at their local bookstore because of the constant use of sports lingo that would confuse the average or even slightly educated sports dunce. Overall, this book series is a great recommendation to sporty junior high level girls looking for books that coincide with their interest in athletics. Holohan shows great promise in her work, and we'll definitely hear from her in the future.

Rating:
Summary: Holohan Scores, Again
Review: Friday Nights, the first book in the six book series, "The Braodway Ballplayers," written by former ballplayer herself, Maureen Holohan. Having a background is basketball adds extra spirit to this particular book. The story lines are based upon a group of local girls who love to play any and every sport. This series is geared to those at a sixth grade reading level. This particular book was written from the perspective of Molly O'Malley, one of the five girls in the group. Friday Nights is about these five girls, Molly, Wil, Penny and Angel who complete in a summer basketball league for all girls in the city. As in any book, the main characters must have some sort of arch nemesis. For the ballplayers, it is the Hawks. Losing to them once, the ballplayers are setermined not to let it happen again. Their practices are extra tough. They force themselves to become the team they never thought they possible. And having the help of Mr. O'Malley, Molly's dad, and Mr. Harris, Penny's dad, they realize that the championship can be theirs. However, obstacles must be overcome on their way to triumph overcome the Hawks. They must come to terms with other looses and learn how to handle wins. All this glory does not come easily for the girls. Practicing with some local boys to build endurance, self-esteem and tema spirit, the girls manage to pull together and make it to the championship game. Throughtout the book the girls learn the lessons of hard work, dedication and winning aren't always the best that can happen.

Rating:
Summary: Holohan Scores, Again
Review: Friday Nights, the first book in the six book series, "The Braodway Ballplayers," written by former ballplayer herself, Maureen Holohan. Having a background is basketball adds extra spirit to this particular book. The story lines are based upon a group of local girls who love to play any and every sport. This series is geared to those at a sixth grade reading level. This particular book was written from the perspective of Molly O'Malley, one of the five girls in the group. Friday Nights is about these five girls, Molly, Wil, Penny and Angel who complete in a summer basketball league for all girls in the city. As in any book, the main characters must have some sort of arch nemesis. For the ballplayers, it is the Hawks. Losing to them once, the ballplayers are setermined not to let it happen again. Their practices are extra tough. They force themselves to become the team they never thought they possible. And having the help of Mr. O'Malley, Molly's dad, and Mr. Harris, Penny's dad, they realize that the championship can be theirs. However, obstacles must be overcome on their way to triumph overcome the Hawks. They must come to terms with other looses and learn how to handle wins. All this glory does not come easily for the girls. Practicing with some local boys to build endurance, self-esteem and tema spirit, the girls manage to pull together and make it to the championship game. Throughtout the book the girls learn the lessons of hard work, dedication and winning aren't always the best that can happen.

Rating:
Summary: Friday Nights is a fun and exciting book!
Review: I was very happy to find out that there was a book for girls that shows that all girls aren'tt babysitters or playing with dolls. It doesn't show that girls always have their way and have a great time doing it. This book series shows the struggles that girls have to face. Being an athlete is tough for a girl, but that is exciting in life. Thank you Maureen Holohan.

Rating:
Summary: ¿Broadway Ballplayers¿ Series Hits Homerun
Review: It seems that everywhere we turn newscasts are full of violence. School shootings, gang violence, and drugs are full of a teen's everyday life nowadays. It is in a way a relief to know authors such as Maureen Holohan promote peaceful resolutions to problems. Holohan, the author of a sports book series "The Broadway Ballplayers" has plenty of experience, as in sports. She is a three-time All-Big Ten basketball player. Her series centers around the lives of athletic city girls. One of the books in the series, Friday Nights, centers around teamwork, friendship, and trust; in basketball and in life. Friday Nights, the first book in the series, is told by Molly O'Malley. Molly and her friends; Penny, Wil, Angel, and Rosie, are invited to join a city basketball league and to compete with other area teams. They create their team "the Broadway Ballplayers" and quickly begin to practice for their games. Throughout their wins and losses, the team learns to work together and to put trust in one another. Holohan's point is that teamwork pays off. She showed that when the team fell apart, their game struggled. Molly, Wil, Penny, Angel, and Rosie all had the weaknesses of any other child. Molly, for instance, had a fight with a Hawk player, only to realize how it didn't solve anything. By creating strong female leads, Holohan created a book that promotes "girl power." Young girls interested in sports will find this book fun and entertaining. On the other hand, a person not interested in sports may not find this book as enticing. Of course, it is a book for a young girl, so it's possible a boy may not be interested. This book is an excellent choice for the sixth grade reading level. The female characters are strong, they believe in teamwork despite their differences in color, size, and personality. It is recommended the most to girls interested in sports , though, most everyone will enjoy the story of Friday Nights.

Rating:
Summary: Ballplayers Score
Review: Maureen Holohan's first book, Friday Nights, reaches out to young girls across the country. Although this series of books is written at a sixth grade level, they are also entertaining to the parents and teachers who read them. Each book in the Broadway Ballplayers series is told by one of the characters who live on Broadway Avenue. (Molly, Penny, Angel, Rosie and Wil for example.) Friday Nights is told by Molly O'Malley, a twelve year old girl. She is a normalpretten with a hot temper, many friends and a passion for beating the neighborhood boys at any and all sports. These ballplayers play any sport within thier reach. In this first book, the story line is based around a summer basketball league for junior high aged girls thoughout the city. Molly always pushes herself to the limits to keep up with her best friend Penny Harris. Penny, who is the best at it all, has fears just as the others do. They are the smallest and youngest team in the league, but that does not keep them from having high hopes of winning the championship. Holohan's series of Broadwy Ballplayers, is exciting to young girls and boys. In reading one of these books, a child would discover the good and bad of growing up. The characters go through situations that are very similar to what the reader may be going through. In this world of violent athletes (who this next generation mimic as they look to them) Molly and her friends prove to be valuable role models for young ones who love sports and look up to those athletes. Holohan's theme throughout he rbook is to build a desire never to give in to your fears. In her books the characters learn to work as a team and to encourage one another and never belittle each other. Holohan, a All-Big Ten selection at Northwestern University three times, also was the winner of the 1994 Randolph Hearst Journalism Award for feature writing. Now this young author, promotes girls participation in sports. Holohan's Broadway Ballplayers are entertaining, well written and exciting. Her characters do most of us only dreamed of as a child. For example in Friday Nights, Molly pulls an poutrageous stunt. During one of the first league games, while shewas angry, Molly ran the ball down the court and barreled into a opposing team member. She jumped, lifted her knees to her chest and simply knocked her over. Holohan's books provide good role models for young athletes, as well as entertain them.