From School Library Journal
Grade 4–8—These stories range from lighthearted to serious, with some focused more on character and family drama than sports action. Though the selections are brief, each one is characterized by a distinct perspective. In Jerry Spinelli's "The Great Gus Zernial and Me," an orphan is awestruck during his first visit to a big league ballgame. Frank Portman microscopically details the frantic internal monologue of a hapless outfielder in "Mark Pang and the Impossible Square." Ron Koertge's two-person play, "Riding the Pine," is compelling, while Sue Corbett's "Fall Ball" and John H. Ritter's "Baseball Crazy" delightfully blend sports action and insight. The collection includes both well-known writers (such as Joseph Bruchac) and lesser-known names (including Paul Acampora and David Rice); teachers and librarians can use these excellent stories as a lead-in to the authors' longer works. This enjoyable collection should appeal to a wide audience, including reluctant readers, and could also be an excellent read-aloud.—
Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Editor Mercado offers an anthology of baseball-themed entries by such authors as Jerry Spinelli, Joseph Bruchac, and Sue Corbett. Not all of the writers have chosen traditional short story formats. Ron Koertge’s selection is a short play; Maria Testa’s is a series of poems that form a narrative. Many of the authors use baseball as a starting point to explore such issues as family or peer relationships or even to look at the game as a source of childhood terror, as in Frank Portman’s funny description of an unathletic kid who prefers chess to baseball facing a pop fly in short right center. The lack of sports action may prove disappointing to some kids, who will pick up the book expecting more baseball and fewer reflections on the larger world. Fortunately, John Ritter’s submission features game descriptions and frequent doses of adolescent humor. Taken as a whole, the collection adds up to an interesting assortment of stories with perhaps limited appeal to actual baseball fans. Grades 6-9. --Todd Morning
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
