About the B'nai Bagels [Paperback]

E.L. Konigsburg (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 4, 2008 | Age Level: 8 and up

Mark Setzer has a lot on his mind. He's worried about his upcoming bar mitzvah, and he misses his best friend, who's moved to the rich side of town and started hanging out with the obnoxious kid they used to make fun of. Mark doesn't need the aggravation of his mother signing on to manage his Little League team.

But if "Mother Bagel" complicates Mark's life, she's great for the team. Suddenly, they're winning games and headed toward the championship. The problem is, Mark has some information that could change everything, and he doesn't know what to do with it. He's a friend, a teammate, and the manager's son -- can he be all these and still be true to himself?

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Read and enjoy." -- New York Times Book Review

"Effective and humorous." -- School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Mark Seltzer thought he had enough aggravation studying for his Bar Mitzvah and losing his best friend. It's the last straw when his mother becomes the new manager of his Little League baseball team and drags his older brother, Spencer, along as the coach.

No one knows what to expect with a mother for a manager, but soon Mark and the other players are surprised to see how much they're improving due to coach Spencer's strategy and helpful hints from "Mother Bagel."

It looks like nothing can stop them from becoming champs--until Mark hears some startling news! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (March 4, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416957987
• ISBN-13: 978-1416957980
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #623,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #43 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Multicultural Stories > Other
  • #89 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Religions > Fiction > Jewish

More About the Author

E. L. Konigsburg is the only author to have won the Newbery Medal and be runner-up in the same year. In 1968 From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler won the Newbery Medal and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth was named Newbery Honor Book. Almost thirty years later she won the Newbery Medal once again for The View From Saturday. She has also written and illustrated three picture books: Samuel Todd's Book of Great Colors, Samuel Todd's Book of Great Inventions, and Amy Elizabeth Explores Bloomingdale's. In 2000 she wrote Silent to the Bone, which was named a New York Times Notable Book and an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, among many other honors.

After completing her degree at Carnegie Mellon University, Ms. Konigsburg did graduate work in organic chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh. For several years she taught science at a private girls' school. When the third of her three children started kindergarten, she began to write. She now lives on the beach in North Florida.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorite books -- EVER, December 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: About the B'Nai Bagels (Paperback)

This is a touching and loving portrayal of a Jewish kid who has to put up with an over-achieving older brother, his best friend moving away, and -- horror of horrors -- his mother becoming his baseball team's manager. While he prepares for his Bar Mitzvah, he is faced with several challenges and choices, which -- though minor in the scheme of things -- help him learn about himself and what it means to become an adult. The story is told with gentle and self-deprecating humor. I first read this book when I was 10, I read it most recently when I was 39, and I have given it to my 10 year-old daughter.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great growing up book, December 4, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: About the B'nai Bagels (Hardcover)

If your child is a future fan of Neil Simon's plays, get them About the B'nai Bagels as soon as possible.

This is a story that grows on you a lot. I first read it when I was ten, and thought it quite dumb at the time. But there's a lot of life in there.

It was years later when I saw a presentation of Brighton Beach Memoirs. It dealt with the same issues as B'nai Bagels: a pubescent kid who goes through puberty.

While your average fourth or fifth grader may wish to pursue an adventure in Donkey Kong rather than reading, the book is short enough not to interrupt their busy schedule.

Trust me, when he/she gets to be an old college kid, you'll be glad B'nai bagels was one of the old book reports.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Jewish Boys Hardships, March 1, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: About the B'Nai Bagels (Paperback)

Mark Seltzer is a twelve year old boy who is going through preparing for his Bar Mitzvah and playing on his mom's baseball team. Mark loves playing baseball, but he has a hard time in Hebrew school and his social life because he has to worry about so many things. I liked this book because it show what hardships Mark has to overcome in preparing for his Bar Mitzvah and still have a fun time. I also liked this book because it had a lot of baseball in it and I love baseball.