Cope Field by T. L. Simpson

Baseball meets punk rock in this explosive contemporary romance that explores themes of generational trauma, drug addiction, and class differences, as two teenagers grappling with their own chaotic home lives come together in hopes of finding something beautiful amid so much pain.A teen baseball star who “has it all”—looks, wealth, and a pro-MLB father—grapples with an impossible choice: reveal his abuse at the hands of his father and risk being separated from his younger brother in the foster care system, or remain silent and risk his brother experiencing that same abuse.

A 2026 Printz Honor Book

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.