Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) [Paperback]

David A. Kelly (Author), Tim Jessell (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: A Stepping Stone Book(TM)

Before 1918, the Boston Red Sox were unstoppable. They won World Series after World Series, thanks in part to their charismatic pitcher-slugger Babe Ruth. But some people on the Red Sox felt the Babe was more trouble than he was worth, and he was traded away to one of the worst teams in baseball, the New York Yankees. From then on, the Yankees became a golden team. And the Red Sox? For over 80 years, they just couldn’t win another World Series. Then, in 2004, along came a scruffy, scrappy Red Sox team. Could they break Babe Ruth’s curse and win it all?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–6—While this book is in part a biography, it mainly covers the history of the "Curse of the Bambino." This superstition dates back to the year that the Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees, and many Boston fans believe it is the reason for the team's poor showing in the World Series. The book provides a modern context by describing the heartbreaking loss of the Sox to the Yankees in 2003. It goes on to give a brief but balanced account of the life of Babe Ruth, including some of the unsavory aspects of his behavior and personality. Kelly ends on a happy note, with the Red Sox winning the 2004 World Series. The theme of luck, both good and bad, runs throughout the tale. Play-by-play descriptions of important games will keep baseball fanatics reading to the end.—Kathleen Meulen, Sakai Intermediate School, Bainbridge Island, WA END --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Kelly offers a fairly extensive look at the famous curse that seemingly dogged the Boston Red Sox after they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees. The first part of the book follows the early life and career of Ruth and then moves on to accounts of the Red Sox’s World Series appearances, culminating in 2004, when the curse seemed to break. The book’s strongest portion focuses on Ruth’s career in Boston, with a quick summary of his success as a pitcher and his conflicts with the team’s owner. Other chapters drag a bit, however, and now that the curse is broken, baseball fans beyond Boston may not find this as interesting as they once would have. Still, many sports readers will find this enjoyable. Pair this with Dan Shaughnessy’s The Legend of the Curse of the Bambino (2005), which presents similar material in picture-book format. Grades 3-5. --Todd Morning

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (February 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 037585603X
• ISBN-13: 978-0375856037
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.3 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #212,667 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( R ) > Ruth, Babe
  • #39 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Biographies > Sports & Recreation
  • #73 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Sports & Activities > Sports > Baseball

More About the Author

David A. Kelly is an established book, magazine, and newspaper writer who has written for a wide variety of outlets, including:

- Author, Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse, Random House, Spring, 2009, Ballpark Mystery Series, Random House, Spring, 2011
- Contributor, The New York Times "Practical Guide to Practically Everything"
- Travel writer, New York Times, Boston Globe, New York Post, Chicago Sun-Times, Miami Herald, multiple AAA publications and many more newspapers and magazines
- Technology writer, New York Times, Microsoft, Oracle, Symantec, and many other corporate magazines
- Business Travel Expert, About.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story and message for readers of any age, July 9, 2009

By 

Anonymous (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) (Paperback)

Boys and girls who like baseball--or comeback stories--will enjoy this tale of Babe Ruth and the Boston Red Sox. The story of Babe Ruth and his history with both the Red Sox and the New York Yankees -- and the ups and downs of both teams from 1915 to 2004 -- is told in a fresh and engaging way. The successes of Ruth and the teams are pegged to qualities that anyone can benefit from--taking responsibility for one's actions, working hard and being persistent can reap huge rewards, believing in one's abilities, staying positive. A very enjoyable and informative read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great book for the die-hard baseball fan or the casual reader., April 21, 2009

By 

D. Fowler "Dragonfly77" (Vermont) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) (Paperback)

Going, going, gone! Aaron Boone's "walk-off" homer won the game for the Yankees. It was 2003 and they were going to the World Series again. Anyone who knows baseball knows the disappointment of that game for the Red Sox. It has been rumored that ever since they traded Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920 they'd been jinxed. They say that the "Red Sox were doomed to fail because of Babe Ruth and the baseball curse." No kidding!

George Herman Ruth wasn't the luckiest kid in the world. He was so much trouble he got sent away to St. Mary's, a school mostly for orphans and "incorrigible" kids like "Babe." The only thing good about it was that Brother Matthias taught him to play baseball and eventually he signed on with the Sox. He still acted like a kid and claimed he could "burp louder than a tractor." Even if he was kind of childish acting, he was considered to be one of the best pitchers in the world and was getting to be pretty hot in the hitting department. He still was a rule breaker (so what!?) and he was asking a lot of money. Solution? Sell him to the Yankees. It was the start of the "Curse of the Bambino."

And perhaps you know the rest of the story. This is a great story of Babe Ruth, wild and crazy, full of fun and smooth. David Kelly has a real page turning hit here. There are lots of stats for the avid young fan to digest, but even if the reader isn't a die-hard baseball fan the story has a great flow and is fun to read. Did Lee Gavin really break that curse? You'll just have to decide for yourself.