Becoming Joe DiMaggio [Hardcover]

Maria Testa (Author), Scott Hunt (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Spare, simple poems tell a boy’s moving story in this short novel about baseball, family, and the American dream.

It’s 1936, and the Yankees have just hired a star center fielder whose name sounds like music. What could be a better time for Papa-Angelo’s grandson to be born? Christened after the legendary ballplayer, young Joseph Paul learns much at his Italian grandfather’s knee - about holding your breath in front of the radio during a 3-2 count with the bases loaded and having the audacity to dream big dreams. After all, the boy’s ne’er-do-well father is out of the picture, and it is Papa-Angelo’s job to teach his grandson what it means to be a hero.

In a poignant novel told in verse, Maria Testa paints a picture of a timeless bond between a grandson and his immigrant grandfather - and of finding his own place in a brave new world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Testa's (Some Kind of Pride) 24 brief vignettes, in verse, introduce young Joseph Paul, born in 1936. His melodic narrative tightly braids together strands integral to his life: family, baseball and the ways in which the exploding world affects him and those close to him. His maternal grandfather Papa-Angelo, who helps raise Joseph Paul while his father is serving time, gives the boy his name (after Joe DiMaggio), his passion for baseball and the handmade chair on which Joseph sits alongside the kind man, listening to broadcasts of DiMaggio's triumphs on the field. When the boy announces, "I want to be Joe DiMaggio when I grow up," wise Papa-Angelo answers, "That's wonderful... but someone else already is." Yet he hardly discourages Joseph's dreams. In the concluding image, the two stand before the gates of the university Joseph will soon enter, at the age of 16, to study medicine. Details of DiMaggio's career ("It seems like the perfect number, now, 56 but at the time we prayed with all our might that the streak would go on forever" refers to his 56-consecutive-game hitting streak in 1941) mitigate the shadow cast by WWII and the prison sentence of Joseph's father ("Bombs fell on Pearl Harbor and my father was released before his sentence was over and all the newspapers showed Joe DiMaggio looking uncomfortable in a uniform not meant for playing baseball"). In an endnote, Testa reveals that her own father's life inspired Joseph's story, which explains the affection and immediacy of her words. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-Growing up in New York City during the 1940s and 1950s, Joseph Paul, an Italian boy, finds solace from a difficult life by listening to baseball games with his beloved grandfather. This powerful story, told in 24 poems, describes their relationship and their love of listening to another Italian, Joe DiMaggio, achieve success. The influence of Papa-Angelo and the ballplayer help the boy escape from the realities of having an abusive and criminal father. He learns to dream and finds that he can "soar" in his own way. The beauty and the charm of the poetry-its concise language, its flow and descriptive power-add to the intensity of the experiences described. Hunt's charcoal-and-pastel spot illustrations are scattered throughout. Some knowledge of the times and culture may enrich the reading experience, but it is not required for children to understand or appreciate this poetic narrative.
Janice C. Hayes, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; 1st edition (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763615374
• ISBN-13: 978-0763615376
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,835,493 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Family, dreams and finding your way -- a home run!, April 5, 2005

By 

K. Hill "ceallaig" (West Haven, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Becoming Joe DiMaggio (Hardcover)

I picked up Becoming Joe DiMaggio out of curiosity when researching some young adult literature for a class I was taking, and just fell in love with it. With an economy of words, Maria Testa paints a portrait of a boy, his grandfather, and the iconic baseball player that had a generation cheering. This would be a wonderful basis for classroom discussions/writing assignments on dreams, family, how poetry can evoke emotions with so few words. It can even be used to tie in math (baseball statistics, prompted by the poem "The Streak"), social studies (World War II), and even moral issues (the bombing of Hiroshima, domestic abuse). I recommend this highly for any student or teacher from fourth through 8th grade, and possibly even into high school.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A not-to-be-missed diamond, September 10, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Becoming Joe DiMaggio (Hardcover)

With a spare, beautiful text, Testa creates poignant characters and a passionate story. Every word counts here. "Becoming Joe DiMaggio" is a story for all generations. This book would be a lovely, thoughtful gift for all ages.

5.0 out of 5 stars Short and excellent., March 7, 2011

By 

Lori Katz "Librarylady" (CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Becoming Joe Dimaggio (Hardcover)

Just found a journal I kept back in 2002 for books that I read! In it I wrote that BECOMING JOE DIMAGGIO is in poetry form. It's short and excellent. Brooklyn. Italian. Recommended for grades 4 and up and for fans of historical fiction and baseball.