Bat 6 [Paperback]

Virginia Euwer Wolff (Author), Virginia Euwer Wolff (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Told in 21 voices, this narrative uses a sixth-grade girls' baseball game in 1949 Oregon as a vehicle for examining prejudice and the internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII. Ages 10-14.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Wolff's novel about the sentiments of racism, patriotism and guilt that bubble over in two small Oregon towns after World War II here becomes a compelling, if sometimes hard to follow, audiobook. In 1949, the sixth-grade girls of Barlow Road Grade School and Bear Creek Ridge Grade School are ready to stand off in the 50th annual Bat 6 softball game. Teams from both schools practice all year in preparation, and when the historic game arrives, it is sullied by a violent clash between Shazam (Shirley), a Barlow player whose father died at Pearl Harbor, and Aki, a Japanese-American on the Bear Creek team whose family spent several years in an internment camp. Shazam's attack on Aki, an act that breaks Aki's jaw, forces the communities not only to end the game but to reexamine their feelings about the war. The story unfolds as a series of first-person narrations by all 21 players from both teams, a convention that requires a bit of diligence to keep track of the characters. But the youthful-sounding performers have strong, assured voices that will help keep listeners interested. Those who stick with it are rewarded by a dramatic, thought-provoking tale. Ages 10-up. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590898000
• ISBN-13: 978-0590898003
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Teens > School & Sports > Fiction
  • #46 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Sports & Activities > Sports > Baseball
  • #50 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Social Issues > Prejudice & Racism

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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!