The Basement Baseball Club [Hardcover]

Jeffrey Kelly (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

The Roader team members spend the summer trying to beat their local rivals in sandlot baseball.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7 The basement is in Shooter Carroll's house, and the baseball is played with broom handles and tennis balls on cramped sandlots. Shooter and his pals constitute the McCarthy Street Roaders, and just now they're not having much luck against their arch-rivals, the Hemlock Street Poisons. Then, a new family moves into the neighborhood and one of the Roaders recognizes the new kid as a first-rate ballplayer he had seen at a baseball camp. But John says that he no longer plays, and the frown on his face cuts off further questioning. His younger sister joins the team, however, and soon reveals to Shooter her brother's secret. Most of the action takes place on the ballfield, with the games described at some length. Still, there is more going on here than just the game being played. By the end of the book, both Shooter and John have learned something about dealing with fear, a pony league has been organized, the Roaders have banded together to help trouble-prone Games, the pitcher, begin to behave more responsibly, and the Poisons have been vanquished at last. Fast-paced and readable, this should prove a pleasant diversion for sports fans. The Roaders are basically decent kids, and likable. The same can be said for this book. Although not as well-written as Alfred Slote's sports titles, this is an acceptable choice for sports fiction collections. Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, Mass.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 175 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin (Juv) (April 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395407745
• ISBN-13: 978-0395407745
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,631,604 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Fungofandanglefat! What a book!, November 11, 2011

By 

Andy H - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Basement Baseball Club (Paperback)

I'm often asked why I became a writer. My answer? Because of books like Jeffrey Kelly's The Basement Baseball Club, a book I've devoured perhaps a couple dozen times over the years. From the book's very first word--"Fungofandanglefat!"--to the last page, the story captures childhood at its simple yet emotionally complicated best. The best baseball games, any true player knows, happen in cramped yards and other makeshift fields. They're played according to modified rules that suit the enviroment. This book captures a time (are we still in it?) when kids biked from neighborhood to neighborhood, checked in with parents only occasionally, spent their money on mini-golf, and grew up without being monitored by adults each step of the way. Author Kelly plays with language and brings to life the action and thrills of life's most bitter and healthiest rivalries. I became a writer to tell stories like this one.

5.0 out of 5 stars "The Basement Baseball Club, December 13, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Basement Baseball Club (Paperback)

My book was about a group of kids from a rural neiborhood. They loved to play baseball and even started their own club. The club consisted of all the players that were on the team. They were all best friends.
The team faced a problem however. Their arch rivals were a team from right across town. The two teams were pretty much evenly matched. However, the other team had a pitcher that was extraordinary. They called him "Bull," for the fact that his fastball came charging in like a bull. He was unbeatable. Ever since he moved into the town, the other tea, was undefeated. It's been real tough.
Then this new kid moved into town. He's calm, strong, and afraid of something. He doesn't play baseball because of an accident that happened a long time ago, keeping it a secret from the players of the town. He's sort of like a ghost.
The kids were able to get a baseball game together in the town park on the day of a festival. All the memebers of the community would be there to watch them play. They would have to be extra well to be able to beat the other team. (...)
I would recommend this book to another person who likes to read humurous baseball stories. It is a fun-filled adventure, and full of excitment. The story was a great book and easy to read.

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is EXACTLY how I remember Summer! It's SO GOOD!, September 11, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Basement Baseball Club (Hardcover)

I had this book for a long time and I never read it. And I sat down to read it a couple of days ago and it's so good! The characters are great, from the Roader's leader Shooter, the mysterious Cinderella Kid to Games... the character that reminds me of myself. When I bought this book it was easy to find. Even though it's out of print you've got to find this book! It's really, REALLY good!