Baseball Card Crazy [Hardcover]

Trish Kennedy (Author), Timothy Schodorf (Author)

Book Description

Frustrated by his father's forgetfulness about what happened to his old baseball card collection, Oliver O'Malley, a serious collector, searches his father's boyhood home from top to bottom and finds a new understanding of his family roots.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The first--and immensely entertaining--collaboration by this mother and son writing team introduces Oliver O'Malley, a congenial fifth-grader who is an avid collector of baseball cards. Oliver listens in awe as his father describes some of the valuable cards he owned as a boy in the late '50s and early '60s. But much to Oliver's dismay, his father can't remember what happened to his prized collection. During a summer visit to his paternal grandparents' farm, Oliver is determined to find it. The boy is devastated when a search of the attic, basement and an abandoned clubhouse uncovers not a single card, but his quest has the expected happy ending. Though the novel's action has only a single focus, Kennedy and Schodorf (an eighth-grader) have turned out a snappy, believable first-person narrative that youngsters will latch on to eagerly--even if they don't know who Whitey Ford or Ted Williams are. Although the book's typeface is small, its brevity, subject matter and vocabulary make it suitable for proficient readers a bit younger than the target audience. Ages 9-11.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-- While visiting his grandparents in Ohio, Oliver O'Malley is determined to find his father's old baseball cards. After days of searching in the attic and basement through box after box, he finds a classmate's note in his father's old Flintstones book bag that leads him onto another trail. This short chapter book moves quickly to a satisfying and unexpected conclusion. The authors describe true-to-life thoughts and conversations that young collectors have probably had with their fathers and other older relatives who enjoyed baseball card collecting in the '50s and '60s. Although there are references to current rock stars that may date this book before its time, readers will enjoy this theme on a popular hobby. --Blair Christolon, Prince William Library, Manassas,
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 80 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (March 31, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684195364
• ISBN-13: 978-0684195360
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,049,875 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We're crazy about Baseball Card Crazy!, July 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Baseball Card Crazy (Hardcover)

What a great book! Isn't that just every babyboomer's story?"Oh the cards I used to have!" This novel really takes offon that theme! A fun story for families to share and enjoy. Nicely written and realistic.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars BASEBALL CARD CRAZY, June 22, 2000

By 

Judith L. McVaugh (BEVERLY HILLS, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baseball Card Crazy (Hardcover)

Oliver is interested in baseball cards, card shows and especially the cards his father has evidently forgotten. Now Oliver has a chance to change all of his problems by visiting his grandparents. The grandparents have never moved nor given anything away. Oliver has qualities you can admire and not so admire. He does have determination and persistance, but he can also nag and complain. The farmhouse and area where his grandparents live must be special: an attic to haunt, a cellar to plunder into and a great outdoor clubhouse to find. The book is an easy read for children and also for parents to read to their children. It would probably neat for dads and sons to read this together, but girls into baseball or softball would like this type of read. The mother and son relationship of the co-authors shows that the book can bring enjoyment to all.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for young readers, December 18, 2005

By 

Raj "raj_thatsme" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Baseball Card Crazy (Hardcover)

I came across this book in the library and thought I would take it just for the fun of it. It may not be one of the best books that I have come across, but it was definitely entertaining to read this story.

The story is about a boy named Oliver O'Malley. He is obsessed about baseball and therefore his favorite hobby is to collect baseball cards. In the beginning of the book, he tells us about his family, which consists of his younger sister Samantha (whom Oliver thinks is very strange because she plays with "cabbage-faced" dolls and has a weird sense of humor), his mother, and his father (who had a big collection baseball card collection when he was young, but somehow lost it over the years). Oliver wishes that his father could remember what happened to those baseball cards, because they would be really rare and worthy today. One day, it occurs to Oliver that the cards could still be in his grandparents (father's parents) house, because they never moved to a new home. Therefore, during the summer holidays, when the chance comes, Oliver and Samantha go to their grandparents' house for three weeks, where Oliver's main goal is to find his father's baseball card collection. Will he succeed in finding it?

Author Trish Kennedy and her son Timothy Schodorf teamed up and came up with this great story which tells us about a boy who never loses hope on something that he wishes for. The book has humor, adventure, and a good moral. Even though I know nothing about baseball, I found myself learning about the game and some of the famous players while reading this book.

I think this is a wonderful book that would be enjoyed by anyone who read it.