“Salty Pretzels” by Larry Holmes

Salty Pretzels

Larry Holmes
Independently Published (2026)
ISBN: 979-8193354352
Reviewed by Leslie Anne Smith for Reader Views (09/2026)

Salty Pretzels: Don’t Forget by Larry Holmes is a middle-grade sports narrative that follows Jake, a freestyle skier turned coach and the kids he is trying to turn into a team. The story is set during the 90’s freestyle skiing boom. Holmes’ narrative follows eight freestyle skiers, focusing on the inter-personal relationships of the team and Jake, with the added action of the different competitions, injuries, and rivalries across New England and Utah over the course of a winter. Jake, who is a former Olympic hopeful, must find new meaning through the ways he inspires and cares for his team of eight skiers, each with their own personalities and struggles.

For readers who enjoyed the Track series, the conflict and focus on competition in this book will strike their interest again. Holmes does well with writing fun, likeable characters for readers to cheer on as the competitions heat up. While Jake is the star of the show and likely to be a fan favorite, I liked how we as the readers get to learn about each person that made up the Salty Pretzels and got to see them develop as athletes and build their relationships with one another.

I particularly enjoyed seeing Sharyn build up her confidence with Jake’s guidance, improving her skiing and abilities throughout the course of the story. Joel is interesting as well, as he learns to balance wisdom with his enthusiasm, becoming a more focused athlete as he does so. Jake’s mentorship of the Salty Pretzels stands out as inspiring for young athletes and readers, showing them what it means to overcome adversity and help others do the same.

The language in this novel is accessible to struggling readers but may not be as interesting to those who are established and confident readers. Middle grade novels must cover a lot of ground age and ability-wise, so this novel would work best with younger, less confident readers who want plot-focused stories to keep their attention. The addition of a glossary at the back of the book will help any readers stuck with specific skiing-based terminology and 90’s technology they may not be familiar with. Through the plucky cast of characters that make up the team and Jake’s steadfast leadership, Larry Holmes’ Salty Pretzels has the potential to inspire a lot of readers to continue in the face of adversity and aim for improvement while having fun.