Why I love Ten Thousand Tries

My friend Amy’s latest book, Ten Thousand Tries, launches today! It’s a lovely middle grade contemporary about Golden Maroni. He’s striving to emulate his soccer idol, Lionel Messi, and lead his middle school team to the championship. At the same time, he needs to come to terms with the fact that ALS is stealing his father’s ability to walk, eat, and worst, coach soccer.

Amy and I met years ago via our blogs, and I’m so glad I found her. Amy has four kids; I have four kids. Amy loves running; I love running. Amy loves and coaches soccer; I love and have coached soccer. Amy dabbles in art; I dabble in art. Amy loves to write… you get it.

We check in every Monday to encourage our writing habits as well as commiserate and consult about parenting, middle age, faith, and staying positive. I’m so thankful for this friendship. We’ve never met in person, but one day I hope to do a book promotion tour with her. Until then, let me tell you about her latest book. She’s given me some thoughtful insight into the characters and story of Ten Thousand Tries.

My review of Ten Thousand Tries

Warm and witty, Ten Thousand Tries tackles difficult subjects- ALS, loss, middle school- with just the right blend of humor, silliness, and sentiment. It’s a great book for helping middle grade readers of all ages think about how to handle disappointment and that annoying kid on your soccer team who always kicks your ball away.

Golden, the main character, is funny and realistic. He has a great voice, makes some big mistakes, and learns from them. I could relate to him on many levels, but especially because when I was Golden’s age, my mother was in a wheelchair too. The struggles Golden’s family tackles as it manages an ALS diagnosis are presented accurately and thoughtfully. If you like books about friendship, family, soccer/sports, and the challenges of growing up, you will love TEN THOUSAND TRIES.

Interview with the author, Amy Makechnie

Me: In your acknowledgements, you say Golden is inspired by your son, Nelson, who was obsessed with Messi in middle school. (And rightly so!) How much of you is in Golden’s mom?

Amy: Ha! You are totally on to me. Coach/Mom aka “the Hulk” was definitely a character inspired by my experiences coaching the 7th and 8th grade middle school team where all four of my children have now played on. It was very easy to get into Coach’s head on the field and in the car and on those long bus rides (yippee!). It was harder as the wife of a man living with ALS. I could only imagine – and write from what I had witnessed as a friend.

Me: Your depictions of living with ALS felt very real. When I was young, my mother had a different progressive neurological disease, but I experienced a lot of the same emotions that Golden does. How did you create such an accurate depiction of living with chronic debilitating disease? What are you hoping readers will take away from this book?

Amy: My good friend Eric was diagnosed with ALS when our children were in middle school together. I once asked Eric’s wife, Heide, if there were any silver linings to such a terrible disease. She immediately said, “Oh, yes!” I knew what she meant because Eric and Heide didn’t shy away from the world after the diagnosis. They opened up their home and let their friends and family into a very intimate and painful situation – like teaching us how to feed Eric through his stomach after he couldn’t drink through a straw. The end result was a closeness that could not have been experienced any other way. I hope readers walk away feeling that life is precious and in the end, it is their relationships and faith that gets them through this life. I don’t know a better way.

Me: A lot of the names in this book are different and silly – Golden, Lucy Littlehouse, Jaimes (how do you pronounce that, by the way?). Where did you get ideas for these names?

Amy: I’m always on the lookout for a great name. I heard the name “Golden” somewhere and scribbled it down knowing I would HAVE to use it somewhere – what better place than a fictional middle school where you’ll be attacked for such a thing? Jaimes is pronounced “James” like the name typically given to boys; one of my soccer girls was named “Jaimes” and I liked it. “Littlehouse” was also just something I heard once and loved the alliteration! The character Slick? Well, it just suited him! If you’ve got any good ones, send them my way.

Me: I was glad that Golden’s dad’s death wasn’t a big scene in the book. Golden just talks about “Dad’s last day”. Why did you choose to keep Dad’s death small?

Amy: I struggled with this one, but usually it just lands better to say a lot with a little. The reader didn’t need to see it or read it – they knew it was coming. What I wanted to focus on was the time Golden had with his dad, esp the happy, funny, poignant moments. 

Me: Ten Thousand Tries deals with a heavy subject – ALS and loss- yet the book has a lot of humor and doesn’t feel depressing. How did you find that balance?

Amy: I’m glad to hear that! I absolutely did NOT want to write a depressing story. Here’s what I know about kids: they deal with a lot but they’re also my favorite humans to be around. They’re funny, hopeful, resilient, and always make me laugh. Middle school is hard on so many levels, but I guess I’m like Golden – an optimist. Everything tends to work out okay.

Don’t you love Amy’s outlook? If so, I think you will also love this book. Give Ten Thousand Tries a try. 😉

What you need to know about Ten Thousand Tries

“A heart-tugging and uplifting story about never giving up—on the soccer field, on loved ones, and on life.”

– Kirkus Reviews – starred review, June 2021

“A touching tale about family, love, and grief….Whether or not they are a fan of soccer, this title is sure to make readers laugh and cry. An excellent read-alike for Gary D. Schmidt’s Pay Attention, Carter Jones, 2019.”

Booklist – starred review, June 1, 2021

“A warm-hearted sports story about a kid learning to accept the painful limitations and also unexpected glories of passionate determination.”

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, July 2021

Named a “Best Book of the Month” on Amazon, July 2021

Find more info on Ten Thousand Tries and purchase a copy here

Learn more about Amy here: Newsletter l Website l Instagram l Twitter

(P.S. Amy’s Insta feed is really fun).

Giveaway!

I will give a copy of Ten Thousand Tries to one person who comments here or on my social media profiles. Let me know if you plan to read this awesome book!

Have you read Amy’s other book, The Unforgettable Guinevere St. Claire? Can you recommend other great middle grade fiction?

Thanks for letting me gush about this book!