Baseball

Baseball offers a haven from the complex struggles of the world beyond the ballpark. Within its well-ordered domain, players can hone their physical and mental talents. Writers from Mark Twain to Walt Whitman have realized how the stories of our national pastime reflect the character of our society. Good baseball stories are, above all, good stories. They’re immediate and engaging, packed with lively goings-on and colorful characters. Vicariously, readers experience the joy of participating in selfless teamwork and attaining perspective through struggle and hard work. Within the pages of these good stories, readers uncover truths from the past–a glimpse of Jackie Robinson’s courage or the boundless optimism of Ernie Banks.

Each season finds more brave young women taking their place on baseball’s traditionally male field of dreams. Additionally, it’s pleasing to find players from Latin America and Asia in the pages of these books, reflecting the multinational face of America’s pastime. Each season also brings the joy of new voices, and baseball fans have lots of intriguing choices these days. If your knowledge of sports books is limited to old favorites like Matt Christopher and Chris Crutcher, my scouting report suggests it’s time to add some impressive newcomers to your lineups. With this list of recent favorites (and a few timeless classics), you and your young readers will be ready to pack your bags for the playoffs. So, let’s “Play ball!”

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

BOWEN, Fred. Playoff Dreams. Peachtree. 1997. pap. $4.95. ISBN 1-56145-155-X.

Gr 2-5 –In this short chapter book, Brendan is the best player on his team, but unless his teammates improve their game, the Cubs won’t make the Little League playoffs. When Uncle Jack takes Brendan to a game at Wrigley Field, he shares the story of “Mr. Cub,” Ernie Banks, who spent his entire 19-year career with the Cubs yet never reached the World Series. Inspired by the story of Banks, Brendan resolves to keep trying.

BURKE, Jim. Take Me Out to the Ballgame. lyrics by Jack Norworth. illus. by author. Little, Brown. 2006. Tr $16.99. ISBN 0-316-75819-1.

Gr 1-4 –Using the text of the classic “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” Burke has created a rollicking glimpse of baseball’s early days. In 1908, devoted Giants’ fan Katie and her beau are enjoying a hotly contested game at New York’s famed Polo Grounds, with Giants’ ace Christy Mathewson facing their arch-rival Chicago Cubs. Burke’s lively paintings and fascinating trivia combine to form a sparkling introduction to an exhilarating period in baseball history.

CURTIS, Gavin. The Bat Boy & His Violin. illus. by E. B. Lewis. S & S. 1998. Tr $16.95. ISBN 0-689-80099-1; pap. $6.99. ISBN 0-689-83012-2.

Gr 1-4 –Reginald has a gift for playing the violin, but his father thinks he should prefer baseball to music and asks him to be batboy for the Negro League team he manages. It’s 1948, and the best players have been following Jackie Robinson’s path to the major leagues. Reginald makes a terrible bat boy, but his music lifts the team’s spirits. Lewis’s watercolor paintings realistically detail the action, even as they luminously underscore the loving father/son relationship at the heart of the story.

EGAN, Tim. Roasted Peanuts. illus. by author. Houghton. 2006. RTE $16. ISBN 0-618-33718-0.

K-Gr 3 –Sam, a horse, and Jackson, a short, round cat, love nothing more than spending time together at the ballpark. Their friendship is tested when Sam is chosen to play for the local team, the Grazers; Jackson feels left out until his talented arm wins him a role as a record-breaking peanut vendor. Egan’s endearing sober-faced animals and warmhearted take on friendship bring this laconic charmer to life.

GUTMAN, Dan. Satch & Me. HarperCollins. 2006. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-06-059491-8; PLB $16.89. ISBN 0-06-059492-6.

Gr 3-6 –In this seventh book in the “Baseball Card Adventures” series, Joe and his coach travel to 1942 with the aim of clocking one of Satchel Paige’s fastballs on a radar gun. They arrive in time to witness the Negro League World Series, and, in addition to Paige, they meet Josh Gibson, CoolPapa Bell, and Buck O’Neil. Gutman keeps things lively, does a good job of sketching Paige’s outsize personality, and clearly conveys the injustice behind baseball’s color line.

HUBBARD, Crystal. Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl’s Baseball Dream. illus. by Randy DuBurke. Lee & Low. 2005. RTE $16.95. ISBN 1-58430-243-7.

K-Gr 3 –Hubbard bases her tale on the childhood of Toni Stone (1921-1996), who grew up to be one of the first women to play professional baseball when she joined the Negro Leagues. DuBurke’s appealing illustrations depict a winsome, pigtailed heroine who is determined to realize her dreams despite the odds. This heartwarming picture book captures Stone’s unquenchable spirit and will inspire dreamers young and old.

HURWITZ, Johanna. Baseball Fever. Avon. 1981. pap. $4.95. ISBN 0-380-73255-6.

Gr 3-5 –Young fans will relate to Mets’ fan Ezra Feldman, who wishes that his scholarly father could come to enjoy baseball just a little. Ezra likes baseball more than anything, but his father thinks it will rot his brain and wishes that his boy would play chess instead. How father and son learn to value one another’s opinion makes for a charming,, lighthearted read.

MCDONOUGH, Yona Zeldis. Hammerin’ Hank: The Life of Hank Greenberg. illus. by Malcah Zeldis. Walker. 2006. Tr $16.95. ISBN 0-8027-8997-8; RTE $17.85. ISBN 0-8027-8998-6.

Gr 1-4 –Greenberg put together an impressive string of firsts in his groundbreaking path to the Hall of Fame. Before Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color line, Greenberg set records as the greatest Jewish player of his day. Zeldis’s colorful naive-style paintings complement McDonough’s text and bring to life a baseball legend whose determination and courage continue to inspire us.

MOCHIZUKI, Ken. Baseball Saved Us. illus. by Dom Lee. Lee & Low. 1993. Tr $15.95. ISBN 1-880000-01-6.

Gr 2-4 –Text and pictures capture the raw emotions experienced by a young Japanese-American internee in World War II. When his older brother balks at obeying his elders, their Dad wisely realizes that young and old need a common goal and sets them to work building a ballpark within the barbed wire confines of their bleak desert camp. Baseball provides a sense of accomplishment and helps summon the inner strength needed to defeat racism.

MOSS, Marissa. Mighty Jackie: The Strike-Out Queen. illus. by C. F. Payne. S & S. 2004. RTE $16.95. ISBN 0-689-86329-2.

K-Gr 3 –On April 2, 1931, 17-year-old Jackie Mitchell, a “mighty good” pitcher, got a chance to prove her talent by pitching to baseball legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game. She faced down a sneering “Sultan of Swat” and the Yankee’s “Iron Horse,” quieted the jeering crowd, and proved that a talented girl could hold her own in a man’s game. Payne’s somewhat exaggerated figures strike just the right note as Jackie bests two of baseball’s legendary heroes.

PATNEAUDE, David. Haunting at Home Plate. Albert Whitman. 2000. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-8075-3181-2; pap. $6.95. ISBN 0-8075-3182-0.

Gr 3-7 –Fifty years ago, a boy died while watching his brother play baseball at the ballpark where Nelson and his little league team play and where someone has been scrawling mysterious messages in the dirt. With the coaching of his cousin Mike (short for Michelle), it looks like Nelson’s team has a chance to reach the playoffs–if they can resolve some on-the-field rivalries and sort out the tragic history of their ballpark.

TAVARES, Matt. Mudball. illus. by author. Candlewick. 2005. RTE $15.99. ISBN 0-7636-2387-3.

Gr 1-4 –This lighthearted picture book humorously recounts the legend of baseball’s shortest home run. In a game in Minneapolis in 1903, Andy Oyler stepped up to bat representing his team’s last hope and tapped a dribbler that became lost in a sudden downpour as Oyler circled the bases with the winning run. The pencil-and-watercolor drawings create a nostalgic mood. Tavares notes that fans cherish this tale because it represents the hope that in baseball anything is possible.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

BROOKS, Bruce. Throwing Smoke. HarperCollins. 2000. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-06-028972-4; PLB $15.89. ISBN 0-06-028320-3; pap. $5.95. ISBN 0-06-440774-8.

Gr 4-6 –Whiz and his teammates have cheerfully endured a losing season when Whiz happens upon the ability to create skilled players using the printing press in the shop where he works after school. When these players show up in uniform ready to take the field, the Breadhurst Newts start winning, but the protagonist soon realizes that it’s more fun to play (and sometimes, lose) with real friends.

BUTLER, Dori Hillestad. Sliding into Home. Peachtree. 2003. Tr $14.95. ISBN 1-56145-222-X; pap. $5.95. ISBN 1-56145-341-2.

Gr 4-8 –When Joelle decides to go out for baseball rather than softball at her middle school, she finds herself at the center of controversy. She’s always had good instincts, but she’s unprepared for the anger her decision arouses and the furor which erupts in her community. Joelle determines that the solution is to create a girls’ baseball league, and with the help of a small group of supporters, she sets out to do just that.

CORBETT, Sue. Free Baseball. Dutton. 2006. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-525-47120-0.

Gr 4-7 –Felix Piloto shares a love of baseball with his father, a great Cuban ballplayer. Felix, however, has never met his dad, and his mother refuses to explain why the man remains in Cuba. When he gets a chance to be batboy for a minor league team, he finds answers to his questions and a warm welcome from the ballplayers, the team’s owner, a blind announcer, and their wonderful mascot, a dog named Homer.

HAVEN, Paul. Two Hot Dogs with Everything. illus. by Tim Jessell. Random. 2006. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-375-83348-X; PLB $17.99. ISBN 0-375-93348-4.

Gr 4-8 –It’s been 107 years since the Sluggers won a championship; nevertheless, Danny Gurkin is a loyal and superstitious fan. During baseball season, his superstitions dictate everything, from what he’ll wear to how he’ll watch each game to what he’ll eat (two hot dogs, though toppings vary with circumstance). This year, it seems that Danny’s behavior may be responsible for a change in the Sluggers’ fortunes, and they and their fans are in for their most glorious season yet!

LUPICA, Mike. Heat. Philomel. 2006. Tr $16.99. ISBN 0-399-24301-1.

Gr 5-8 –When they fled Cuba for a new life in the United States, Michael Arroyo and his dad dreamed that Michael’s pitching talent would lead to a major-league career. After Papi suffers a fatal heart attack, Michael and his older brother are left alone; fearing separation, they keep their father’s death a closely guarded secret. Readers will cheer for Michael as he struggles with his loss, stumbles into his first boy-girl relationship, and leads his Bronx little-league team to their final game at Yankee Stadium. Audio version available from Listening Library.

LYNCH, Chris. Gold Dust. HarperCollins. 2000. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-06-028174-X; PLB $16.89. ISBN 0-06-028175-8; pap. $7.99. ISBN 0-06-447201-9.

Gr 5-8 –In this vividly realized novel, the 1975 season opens on a hopeful note for Boston Red Sox fans as it brings the arrival of two promising rookies, Fred Lynn and Jim Rice, dubbed the “Gold Dust Twins.” When seventh-grader Richard meets Napoleon, newly arrived from Dominica, he sees a chance for the two of them to emulate his Red Sox heroes. Unfortunately, school integration stirs up violent racial clashes throughout Boston and drives the friends apart.

MACKEL, Kathy. MadCat. HarperCollins. 2005. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-06-054869-X; PLB $16.89. ISBN 0-06-054870-3.

Gr 5-8 –MadCat and her friends play competitive fast-pitch softball, but there’s nothing soft about the way they play. When the rules are changed to allow their team a better shot at making the Nationals, some of her friends are left out, and the team finds itself playing at a level of intensity that the protagonist finds both thrilling and stressful. MadCat and her teammates are feisty, funny, and well realized in this highly readable novel.

RITTER, John H. The Boy Who Saved Baseball. Philomel. 2003. Tr $17.99. ISBN 0-399-23622-8; pap. $5.99. ISBN 0-14-240286-9.

Gr 5-8 –Tom Gallagher loves Dillontown–the tight-knit community, the beautiful hills, and idyllic Lucky Strike Park. Now the small town is threatened with development, and its fate rests on the outcome of a baseball game. With the aid of a mysterious teammate, Cruz de la Cruz, who rides into town on horseback, and coached by disgraced former big league ballplayer, Dante Del Gato, Tom and his teammates must play the game of their lives. Audio version available from Recorded Books.

ROBERTS, Kristi. My 13th Season. Holt. 2005. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-8050-7495-3.

Gr 6-9 –Despite her awesome hitting and fielding abilities, Fran has had to overcome the objections of her coach and teammates to win a spot as the only girl on her Junior League team. Baseball means everything to her and helps her get through the death of her mother, even as her dad wallows in his own grief. Readers will find themselves rooting for Fran as she faces her toughest season yet with foes on and off the field and a crippling batting slump she deems “the flinch.”

TESTA, Maria. Some Kind of Pride. Delacorte. 2001. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-385-32782-X; pap. $4.99. ISBN 0-440-41669-8.

Gr 4-6 –Ruth has always dreamed of playing baseball, her first love, not softball. When she overhears her father remark that her talent is wasted on a girl, her whole world is turned upside down. His statement leaves her questioning her own values and wondering whether she has the determination to pursue her dreams.

WOLFF, Virginia Euwer. Bat 6. Scholastic. 1998. Tr $16.95. ISBN 0-590-89799-3; pap. $4.99. ISBN 0-590-89800-0.

Gr 5-7 –For the past 50 years, the girls of Barlow and Bear Creek Ridge have met in a softball game, the culminating event of the season. In 1949, each team sports promising newcomers. Japanese-American Aki, the talented first baseman for Bear Creek, has recently returned from an internment camp, and Shazam, who plays for Barlow, still hasn’t recovered from her father’s death at Pearl Harbor. This is the poignant story of their tragic meeting and the effect it has on their community, told in the voices of their teammates. Audio version available from Listening Library.

HIGH SCHOOL

BENNETT, James W. Plunking Reggie Jackson. S & S. 2001. RTE $16. ISBN 0-689-83137-4.

Gr 9 Up –Coley seems to have it made. He’s popular, and his pitching abilities have drawn the interest of college and big-league scouts. His father, though, faults him for lacking the competitive drive of his older brother, who died three years earlier. Coley, meanwhile, is distracted by his relationship with a beautiful but troubled younger girl, and it seems that none of his choices will be easy ones after all.

CHABON, Michael. Summerland. Miramax. 2002. Tr $22.95. ISBN 0-7868-0877-2; pap. $8.95. ISBN 0-7868-1615-5.

Gr 8 Up –In this heartwarming fantasy, Ethan Feld, the worst player in the Clam Island Little League, goes on a quest through magical Summerland to save his father and foil the evil trickster Coyote and his plan to bring about world-destroying chaos. Ultimately, Ethan faces Coyote in an epic baseball game. Chabon’s elaborately constructed tale, showcasing an impressive amount of cultural lore and baseball whimsy, unfolds at an unhurried pace with a perspective both nuanced and nostalgic.

DEUKER, Carl. High Heat. Houghton. 2003. Tr $16. ISBN 0-618-31117-3.

Gr 7 Up –When Shane Hunter’s father is indicted on money-laundering charges, Shane sees his life of privilege dissolve. The teen is a talented relief pitcher and baseball seems the key to his comeback until he injures a rival with a pitch thrown high and inside. Now, as both struggle to put their lives back together, they must form an uneasy alliance in this involving coming-of-age novel.

GRATZ, Alan. Samurai Shortstop. Dial. 2006. Tr $17.99. ISBN 0-8037-3075-6.

Gr 9 Up –In a hypnotic opening scene, Toyo and his father assist as the teen’s uncle, a samurai, performs ritual suicide, or seppuku. It is 1890, and Toyo is uniquely poised to witness the violent clash of old and new ways in Meiji Japan. Amazingly, it is through the American import, besuboru, or baseball, that Toyo reconciles the conflict between old and new and finds that the samurai tradition lives on. Audio version available from Listening Library.

JOHNSON, Scott. Safe at Second. Philomel. 1999. Tr $17.99. ISBN 0-399-23365-2; pap. $6.99. ISBN 0-698-11877-4.

Gr 8 Up –Paulie Lockwood lives and breathes baseball; at the drop of a hat, he can reel off a string of facts and statistics. In high school, he’s content to play second fiddle to Todd Bannister, star pitcher. When a horrific accident puts Todd’s baseball future in doubt, Paulie suffers along with his friend, and their friendship is on the line along with Todd’s comeback hopes.

KAHN, Roger. The Boys of Summer. Perennial. 1998. pap. $15. ISBN 0-06-091416-5.

Gr 9 Up –In this bittersweet memoir, Kahn recounts the exciting seasons, 1952 and 1953, he spent as a young sportswriter covering the Brooklyn Dodgers. As he approached middle age, he sought out and interviewed players from those teams, including Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, and Roy Campanella. The lessons he draws from their life stories are quietly heroic, poignant, and timeless.

POWELL, Randy. Dean Duffy. Farrar. 2003. pap. $5.95. ISBN 0-374-41698-2.

Gr 9 Up –At 18, Dean Duffy is going nowhere. In high school, he’d been a star, but an injury ended his pitching career, and he finished in a batting slump that put an end to all the scholarship offers. When his old coach arranges a possible scholarship at a small college, Dean must honestly reassess his chances and his own priorities. A compelling character study.

THAYER, Ernest Lawrence. Casey at the Bat. illus. by Joe Morse. Kids Can. 2006. Tr $16.95. ISBN 1-55337-827-X.

Gr 9 Up –Morse updates Thayer’s classic to a modern, urban setting with a multiracial cast. Confined behind thick fences and playing before volatile crowds, these players seem guarded and watchful. Morse depicts Casey as vulnerable, alone, and bereft in the final scene. Raising issues of celebrity culture and sports’s darker side, Morse once again proves the appeal and relevance of this timeless classic.

TOCHER, Timothy. Chief Sunrise, John McGraw, and Me. Cricket. 2004. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-8126-2711-3.

Gr 6-10 –In 1919, Hank Cobb is fleeing his abusive father when he hooks up with Chief Sunrise, who introduces himself as “the greatest Indian to ever step on a baseball diamond.” As they pursue a chance to try out for a spot on John McGraw’s New York Giants, they meet barnstorming baseball teams, hop freight trains, and, when confronted with baseball’s color line, witness the formation of the Negro Leagues. A deft blend of fiction and history.

TUNIS, John R. The Kid from Tomkinsville. Harcourt. 1990 Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-15-242568-3; pap. $5.95. ISBN 0-15-205641-6.

Gr 9 Up –This timeless novel follows rookie pitcher Roy Tucker as he reports to the Dodgers’ spring training camp and plays an exciting first season. Tunis introduces a large cast of characters: sharp-eyed coaches, cigar-chomping reporters, grizzled veterans, and wide-eyed rookies. All find themselves caught in the unpredictable excitement of the game itself that the author so brilliantly realizes.

WEAVER, Will. Striking Out. HarperCollins. 1995. pap. $6.99. ISBN 0-06-447113-6.

Gr 9 Up –Marked indelibly by a shocking tragedy, Billy Baggs and his parents lead lives of toil and isolation on their Northern Minnesota farm. It’s 1970, and the teen works alongside his hard-edged father lifting 100-pound bags of feed and fixing broken-down farm machines. Then the coach of the town’s team learns of his baseball talent and sees a chance to help him realize his potential both on and off the field. A compelling, beautifully written novel.