I was impressed with the level of storytelling from a first-time author. Metal Spikes tells the story of Billy and his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. Along the way, the adults around him will show him what's important in the effort to realize that dream. The book shows a boy learning the power of paying attention to those adults and we hear the inner voice of an intelligent and driven individual as he makes progress toward that dream. I can't wait to read the other 6 books in the series and to see what happens to his friends as they work on their own dreams.