Marisol Rainey is a conscientious daughter, a creative friend, an animal lover, and a worrier. And for the next two weeks, her gym class is going to be playing kickball, and Marisol is worried about that. She’s not the best athlete, as her classmate Evie likes to point out. Evie loves kickball and is really looking forward to playing. Marisol worries about making a fool out of herself in front of Evie.

Marisol’s father works on an oil rig, so he has to ride in a helicopter from their home in Louisiana out to the rig. She gets to talk to him on the computer several times a week, along with her mother and older brother Oz. When they talk on the computer, they can only see his head and shoulders, so they call him “Dadhead.” And when Marisol tells her father that she is worried about playing kickball, he suggests that she ask Oz for help. He is a really good soccer player, so he might be able to help her out. She decides to think about that.

Marisol’s friend Felix says that he can talk to animals. Marisol and her best friend Jada are not sure if they believe him, so they ask him to show them how he does it. He uses Marisol’s stuffed animal Pot Roast to show them, and Marisol is planning on going home and trying it out on her cat Beans.

But first, she has to figure out how to deal with her kickball worries. So when Jada comes over to visit that weekend, they ask Oz to help them with kickball. And he agrees. Aside from practicing with them for a little while, he also teaches them the ultimate rule. Never take your eyes off the ball. After working with Oz, Marisol and Jada feel better about playing kickball at school.

But Marisol has one more thing she wants to try. She follows Felix’s instructions and tries to talk to Beans. She tells the cat to meow once for yes, and then Marisol asks if she will be exceptional at kickball the next day.

Surely Surely Marisol Rainey is an incredibly charming story of being a kid. I’ve heard Marisol called a “thoughtful worrier,” and I think that is a fantastic description of her. She is smart and strong, but she does let her anxiety run away sometimes. Author Erin Entrada Kelly is a Newbery Medal winner, and her skill at crafting a children’s book that is thoughtful and sweet but also incredibly readable is apparent. Filled with lots of short chapters, this adorable book sets young readers up for success in reading it on their own, or it would work well as a book to read to children, grandchildren, or students.

I was so moved by Marisol. She has such a big heart, and reading her story just filled me with joy. The author also includes clever illustrations to go along with the stories, like the worries that Marisol calls her “Brain Train” or the cartoon of her mother being a detective who struggles to find the right criminal.

There is just so much to love about this book, but one of my favorite things is how Marisol deals with her worries. She is clearly anxious about playing kickball, but she talks to her friends about it and to her family, she asks for help from her brother, and she practices. I wish I had been so level-headed about my struggles when I was her age. Surely Surely Marisol Rainey is a sweet book for young readers and for thoughtful worriers of all ages.

An advanced reader’s edition of Surely Surely Marisol Rainey was provided by Greenwillow Books, with many thanks.