Bat 6 [Paperback]

Virginia Euwer Wolff (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

Set in a small Oregon town just after World War II, this is the powerful tale of a community shattered by its reaction to two young newcomers, Aki and Shazam. Told from 21 different points of view, "Bat 6" explores the subject of Japanese-American racial prejudice after the war.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wolff's (Make Lemonade) ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful novel explores prejudice via a baseball game between the sixth grade girls of Bear Creek Ridge and Barlow Road Grade Schools on May 28, 1949. "Now that it's over, we are telling. We voted to, it's fairer than not," begins Tootie, the catcher for Bear Creek Ridge, in what appears to be the start of a series of flashback testimonials. But not all of the 21 girls' accounts adhere to this format, and readers never discover whom the girls are addressing. Some of the characters speak only a few times, and since readers never get to know them, their voices run together in a miscellany. The actual conflict?when Shazam, whose father died at Pearl Harbor, in a run to first base, assaults Aki, the Japanese first baseman?occurs more than halfway through the book. The most distinct voices belong to Shazam (who speaks in a stream-of-consciousness style, "Sneaky Japs never warned nobody they snuck behind our backs dropped bombs right in my fathers ship the Arizona he was down in it without no warning") and to Aki, whose perspective is markedly different from the other girls'. Shazam exposes much of her troubled background through her narratives, and Aki reveals some fascinating cultural details as well as provides insight into life in an internment camp. However, because readers are only acquainted with the two through a few lengthy accounts interspersed among the other 19 girls, the change in both of them (especially in Shazam) at story's end seems sudden and hollow. While readers cannot help but admire the stalwart Aki, they will likely walk away from this book trying to make sense of who these characters were and what they were trying to say. Ages 10-13.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7ASince the turn of the century, two rival Oregon farm communities have put their differences behind them and come together once a year to watch their sixth-grade girls' teams play softball. In the spring of 1949, the "50-year girls" excitedly anticipate their moment of glory. Bat 6 is their story, reconstructed just after it happened. The narrative is comprised of firsthand reporting from girls on both sides. This year, each team has a ringer. For the Bear Creek Ridge Mountaineers, it's Japanese-American first-baseman Aki, whose family has just moved back to the community after spending most of the war years in an internment camp. The Barlow Pioneers' marvel is their center fielder who calls herself Shazam, a troubled youngster who does everything, except her schoolwork, with an unsettling, single-minded intensity. Her father was killed at Pearl Harbor and she has maintained a deep-seeded hatred of the Japanese ever since. In the book's pivotal scene, Shazam violently attacks Aki during the big game, and play (and time itself, for that matter) is suspended. The period details and use of the vernacular are right on the money and always reflect the adolescent female point of view. At some point comes the liberating realization that it isn't necessary to keep the multiple voices straight and that the well-crafted account has taken on a life of its own. Wolff delves into the irreversible consequences of war and the necessity to cultivate peace and speaks volumes about courage, responsibility, and reconciliationAall in a book about softball.ALuann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic (May 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590897993
• ISBN-13: 978-0590897990
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,120,716 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very realistic book, July 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Bat 6 (Paperback)

The way this book was written was very good, and you see a pattern of bad grammar (it is being narrated by 21 6th grade girls). You see some exceptions, though, like Shazam (Shirley's) extremely bad grammar, and like Aki's extremely good grammar. The reason I say it is very realistic is that the view of the girls shows their feelings about how excited they are about Bat 6, and they are very honest in their narration. You probably know the basic plot from reading the descriptions, but the book is really mostly about the girls from Bear Creek Ridge Grade School and Barlow Road Grade School, and what they are doing in their lives to get ready for Bat 6, the annual softball game for 6th grade girls. The main narration takes place in 1949, after World War II has ended. Shazam (whose real name is Shirley) comes to Barlow Road Grade School, and the other girls think she is unusual, and she doesn't hide her hate for "Japs", people of Japanese descent. Her father was killed in Pearl Harbor, and she is living with her grandmother. Aki Mikami has gotten back from the camps for Japanese people (even Japanese people born in America) that the government sent them to. She is very good at softball, and on the day of Bat 6, the day all of the girls have been waiting for all their lives, Shazam's hate for "Japs" certainly comes out and Aki is seriously injured on her head; she must stay in a bed with a device on her head all summer and she can't eat solid food. The book is sad, but it is also informative, and it doesn't just use the characters as a device to convey an idea or seomthing. The characters are fully imaged and described. It shows what can happen when a person's problems are ignored. (Shazam never hid her hate, and everyone chose to ignore it, or not really do anything.) I strongly suggest you read this book. I read it because it was on a school reading list, but I am glad I did.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a discussion book, April 25, 2001

By 

Ivy (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bat 6 (Paperback)

Bat 6 is a wonderful book. No doubt about that. It's also a challenging book in a number of ways, and it may not be appropriate for every 9-12 year old. (I notice, for example, that the adults who reviewed it loved it, but many of those in the 'appropriate' age group did not.) Frankly, this book may be more suitable and interesting for YAs, not because of the subject matter or the reading level, but because of the book's structure, themes, and style. However, Bat 6 would be an ideal book for reading groups, parent-child reads, and other book discussion groups, and could certainly be used in that context with pre-teens.

Bat 6 will also be great for any reader, pre-teen or YA, who enjoys a more serious or challenging book. It will probably also turn off a kid who doesn't like reading, or who reads only action-based, straightforward books. The story is told from many different viewpoints, and it is not a straight narrative; also, the majority of the story takes place outside of the game, in simple, everyday actions. This won't appeal to everyone. The writing style varies from narrator to narrator, with varying levels of grammar and writing skill. Again, this can be difficult for some. Finally, this is not a plot with a standard arc; in most books about a single game, the story builds to the big showdown, and the tension and climax come from the winning or losing of the Big Game. Someone expecting a normal sports book is going to be disappointed with Bat 6.

However, the book's depth makes it perfect for reading groups. It provides material to start discussions about morals and values, violence and society, and child-rearing, just as examples. Some interesting topics for discussion would include:

* Many people in the book had indications of Shazam's problems and kept them secret; did they make good or bad decisions, and why? Have you ever been in a similar situation? What did you do?

* Aki's attitude of shikata ga nai (there is nothing to be done about it) is very different from most of the other characters' reactions. Little Peggy thinks Aki should be mad, whether or not she can change anything. Do you agree with Little Peggy? Why or why not?

* How did Shazam (and others like her) learn to hate the Japanese? Was her mother solely responsible? Was Lorelei's father correct when he said that such things are inevitable in a warlike society? Did the Japanese internment camps have anything to do with the problem?

Those are just three examples; there are literally dozens more. This isn't going to be a pleasure read for everyone - though some will definitely love it! - but it is an important and moving book, and I encourage parents, teachers, and group leaders to use it. I also encourage everyone to read the author's bio *before* reading the book; Ms. Wolff's comments about what inspired her to write Bat 6 are critical to understanding the book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Batter Up, January 11, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Bat 6 (Paperback)

Bat 6, by Virginia Euwer Wolf, is a fun but heart-breaking tale of life a few years after WWII from children's perspectives. Bat 6 is a softball game played by the 6th grade girls of two neighboring small-town American elementary schools, Barlow Road Grade School and Bear Creek Ridge Grade School. There is a new girl on each team, Shazam on the Barlow Road team, and Aki on the Bear Creek Ridge team. Both have been greatly affected by the war. Sadly, the scars of the war will not heal so easily when the girls meet for the first time at Bat 6. It is going to be one great game!
To read this book is to have a look into what life was like after WWII, which is an interesting time period for a child today. In these two towns, being rich is owning a refrigerator. Now it is owning an estate, or a huge business. Life was very different back then. Something surprising to me was the amount of rights women had back then. That was more than 60 years ago, but the women did have many rights. The women in the book were on the town council, actively participated in church activities and the whole Bat 6 game was a bunch of girls playing softball. That is one similarity to daily life back then. They also had hate crimes. The hate crimes in this time period were committed against Japanese-Americans, because of the war between the USA and Japan. The Japanese were put into camps for their safety against hate crimes. One of the main characters, Aki, is Japanese-American and had been put into a camp. Another reason to read this book is to see the world through the eyes of little girls. One goes on a journey with them while each individual girl puts the pieces together about the war. The girls may be small, but they have a huge concept to comprehend. The two new girls, Aki and Shazam, have the most to learn. Sadly Shazam's father had been killed at Pearl Harbor and she holds it against the Japanese, in other words, she holds it against Aki. The girls each tell the many tales of 6th grade from their own perspective. It is a good way to see different points of view. This book provides a whole new look into the world.
One less appealing aspect of the book is its format. There are entries from each girl and when deep into the book, the switch between entrees is not very noticeable. It is confusing when two different points of view are read, and one thinks they are from the same person, but they are not. Another confusing aspect of the format is that the chapters switch from the girls on one team to the girls on the other team. Despite the format flaw, the plot is inspiring and Bat 6 is well written. It is highly recommended!