Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 10/01/2025 PreS-Gr 3—Beaty is back with another precocious child who has an interest that rhymes with her name. What makes Billie Jean Peet different is that—despite her namesake being one of the greatest female tennis players of all time—she likes to play basketball and is horrible at it. Suffering from middle-child blues, Billie Jean feels she is not good at anything. But that doesn't stop her from trying. By the end of the book she hasn't become a basketball star or found another hidden talent, she is celebrated for her useless skill of squeaking her shoes on the floor. This type of realistic struggle and lack of a picture-perfect resolution feels unique and in a sea of books that have artificially inspirational conclusions. Beaty's wordcraft is impeccable as always, and Roberts's pen-and-ink art remains a master class in illustration. There are cameos from Ada Twist and other iconic characters. Characters have different skin tones, hairstyles, and body types A fun read-aloud with jokes for grown-ups to enjoy, too. For instance, Billie Jean has parody music posters in her bedroom, like Bananadrama and Kismet's Kid—a riff on Destiny's Child. Back matter includes information about Title IX and girls having equal access to sports. VERDICT Billie Jean is a worthy classmate of Iggy Peck, Rosie Revere, and others. - Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.