She didn’t just play the game—she changed it.
With the crack of a bat, Marcenia Lyle rounds the bases with ease and slides into home. Catching the Moon, a blues-infused musical, tells the spirited story of a young Black girl who grew up to become “Toni Stone,” the first woman to play for an all-male professional baseball team.
As a kid in the 1930s, Marcenia could outrun, outplay, and outshine anyone on the field—but she had to fight for every inning she got. When opportunity knocks in the form of a summer baseball camp run by the legendary Gabby Street, she faces a new challenge: proving she belongs in the game, no matter what the rules say.
Bursting with rhythm, drive, and heart, Catching the Moon celebrates the power of determination, the thrill of the game, and the courage it takes to change it forever.
MEET THE AUTHORS
Crystal Hubbard grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, surrounded by stories thanks to her mother, a teacher, and the local librarian who introduced her to literary greats. She knew she wanted to write by age ten, penning imaginative plays and serialized adventures for classmates. After years of keeping her work private, she was encouraged by a fellow writer to submit her stories, leading to the 2005 debut of both her first adult novel and her first picture book, Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl’s Baseball Dream.
A lifelong baseball fan, Hubbard credits her grandmother for teaching her practical skills, resilience, and a love for the game. Today, she is the author of multiple books for young readers, drawing inspiration from her four children, her pets, and her belief that the best way to become a writer is simply to write.
