Cope Field

by T. L. Simpson

Overview

Crawford “Craw” Cope has anger issues. Or so they say.

When Craw is sentenced to community service for hitting his father in the head with a baseball bat, he accepts his punishment without objection, knowing he’s actually lucky. If he weren’t the son of a famous former baseball player, he’d probably have gotten it a lot worse. So, Craw keeps his mouth shut and takes what life gives him. Like always.

But when he arrives at community service, which frustratingly turns out to be repairing a dilapidated ball field to be named after his father, he meets Hannah Flores, a punk rock enthusiast trapped in the Ozarks with zero filter. As Craw navigates his own explosive home life, he learns more about hers. And as their friendship blossoms into something more, he begins to understand the importance of speaking his truth, even when doing so might destroy the only life he’s ever known.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781635831054
Publisher:	North Star Editions
Publication date:	04/22/2025
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	HL510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

T. L. Simpson is an award-winning journalist and novelist living in Arkansas. He is currently the editor of his hometown paper, The Courier. His fiction draws from his experiences growing up in the Ozarks, covering both sports and crime. Simpson lives in the Arkansas River Valley, between the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains, with his wife and four children. His debut contemporary YA novel, Strong Like You, released in 2024.

Editorial Reviews

A wise, emotionally rich tale of a young man finding his way through family trauma.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Cope Field is a commanding novel in which a troubled student learns difficult truths about his family and chooses a new path forward.” —Foreword Reviews

“Perfect for reluctant high-school readers, especially baseball fans. It can be a tough read at times, with instances of abuse, drugs, and murder, but this work of realistic fiction will resonate with the right readers. Consider this for those who appreciated Holly Goldberg Sloan’s I'll Be There (2011).” —Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 2024-12-12
Years after his mother abandoned their family, a teen baseball star struggles with his feelings toward his abusive father in this contemporary novel set in small-town Arkansas.

After Crawford Cope hits his father with a baseball bat, he’s sentenced to 300 hours of community service—working to revamp a baseball diamond that will be named Cope Field after his famous pops, a hometown hero who played in the major leagues. Craw, who’s white, is paired with Hannah Flores, a brown-skinned, bisexual punk rocker with bright blue, pink-tipped hair. They go to the same school, but he doesn’t know her; Craw’s reputation as the son of a wealthy local legend precedes him. Hannah has no interest in baseball, and Craw is initially annoyed by her constant talking, but as they learn more about each other and their respective difficult home lives, Craw falls for Hannah. His understandable anger toward his mercurial father fills him with shame, even when it’s provoked by his protective feelings toward his funny, precocious younger brother, Sutton, who doesn’t even remember their momma. Though he’s also tempted to play the hero for Hannah, who faces bullying at school and at home, Craw’s developing understanding that his well-intentioned barging in isn’t helping her, plus his willingness to listen to what she really wants from him, are refreshing. This heartbreaking, finely drawn story will keep readers engaged.

A wise, emotionally rich tale of a young man finding his way through family trauma.(Fiction. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews