Angela Ahn’s newest middle grade offering, Team Park, takes readers to the muddy depths of adventure racing.

Evan Park is not great at team sports unlike his dad who likes to relive his greatest hits as a high school rugby player all the time. When Evan hurts his wrist, his wonderful physiotherapist teaches him about Ninja training which then leads him to mud racing and introduces him and the family to a whole new way of being a team.

In this story, Angela Ahn features a family that certainly has its flaws. Mom and Dad are not at all on the same page and the children are having to walk on eggshells around them. Dad’s outdated views are putting a lot of pressure on the whole family so when they find something that they can all do as a family, its an opportunity to heal some wounds and learn how to communicate together.

Readers will see reflections of their own family’s throughout this story. I appreciated how Angela Ahn had written about a family that is far from perfect but a family who eventually learns how to be better together. It felt very real instead of some of the idealized families that you see in middle grade stories. Just when you think things are headed for the worst possible outcome, things turn around in a positive way. 

I loved how, through sister Lydia, Angela Ahn dispels stereotypes about how girls should act and what they are capable of. Although Evan is the main character, Lydia and Georgia are highlighted to show readers how stereotypes can negatively affect mental health.

I also appreciated how Evan was not a stereotypical middle schooler. Readers contain multitudes and so do the characters in this book. Although Even did not thrive in a team sports environment, he did in an individual environment. Even though Evan was not that into team sports, he just hadn’t found the right team.

Hopefully this book will inspire readers to talk to their own families and get them involved in muddy athletics. I know I was inspired to at least look up a muddy run in my area. Next step is actually registering ;)