Customer Reviews

The Brooklyn Nine

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For a non-baseball fan, I sure do read a lot of baseball books. The latest of these is Alan Gratz's The Brooklyn Nine. In 1845 Felix Schneider is a ten-year-old immigrant from Germany. While working to bring the rest of his family over from Germany, he cheers on the NY Knickerbockers. Over 150 years later his great-great-great-great-great grandson, Snider Flint, tracks down the history of a strange baseball bat that belonged to one of Brooklyn's greatest players. Over the 150 years in between we meet nine generations of the Schneider/Snider family, all connected by their love of baseball. The stories are a pleasant mix of history and sport, touching on historical moments like the Civil War, the 1920's mob, the All-American Girls Baseball League, the Cold War, and more. But regardless of the setting, this is a story about baseball and how it connects a family.

Each story stands alone as a single thread that is woven into the family story. I loved every story and my only complaint is that I could read an entire novel about each character. I wanted to know even more about them! But Gratz does a great job of telling each individual's story and pulling you into their life. Baseball is a part of each character's life whether they are a spectator or player. I love that Gratz includes female fans and players as some of the main characters because I have a hard time finding sports books for girls sometimes. I think that The Brooklyn Nine will appeal to boys and girls alike for this reason.

The Brooklyn Nine also appealed to the inner history buff in me. It was fascinating to view some of America's major historical events through the eyes of the Schneider/Snider family. Even better was seeing everyday life through their eyes. I would love to have a whole book about Frankie, the numbers whiz who runs the numbers game in her Brooklyn neighborhood in 1928. She's smart, funny, and a math whiz. A female math whiz in a book is a rare occurrence. Plus, she is the world's biggest Dodgers fan. My female sports fans need a book with a spunky heroine like Frankie. And the setting, with NY's mob bosses and underground gambling rings? Fascinating.

I am looking forward to booktalking this one to my class. It's got everything- sports, history, humor, adventure, strong characters, and Brooklyn. I have a class this year that is full of Brooklyn pride, so this will definitely appeal to them. I have a feeling more than a few of them will be buying their own copy, so that they don't have to wait to read mine.
If you haven't read The Brooklyn Nine yet, be sure to pick it up in your local bookstore. It's just that good!

I have to admit that one of the only things I know about baseball is that there is no better hot dog on Earth than one eaten in the sunny bleachers of Wrigley Field. But even with my limited knowledge of the sport, I can appreciate the nine stories ("innings") of "The Brooklyn Nine." This novel has it all - humorous stories, like the feisty girl who takes on the local mafioso; heart-wrenching moments, like the boy who realizes his hero isn't what he thought he was; and a sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat story following a pitcher as he attempts to throw a perfect game. The historical details are the icing on the cake. A wonderful read!

. . . although if you love baseball, you will find an added dimension to this original book. The author calls it a novel and it can read that way, or you can see it as nine linked novellas, or as a history of the United States hung on the peg of baseball, or as a history of baseball, or as the story of an American family. I'm sure other readers can think of even more angles from which to view this touching, humorous, thought-provoking work.

Alan Gratz's clear authorial voice comes through strongly in each section, yet each has a different tone. He has a remarkable ability to develop his characters in a short space, and each of them is utterly engaging. The depth of his knowledge of and research about baseball is staggering, yet the reader never feels as though the author is teaching a lesson. Highly recommended.

This book is amazing - it's a novel told in nine short stories, and the coolest part is that the main kid in each story is the son or daughter of the kid from the story before! It starts in 1845 and goes to 2002 - nine generations of one family. Lots of really great baseball and American history told in a very fun way. A must-read.

Summary: This book is written in the third person and follows a Brooklyn family's love of baseball through nine generations. Each of the nine innings represents a generation and captures the historical issues of that time period. From Felix Schneider arriving in New York as an immigrant from Germany in 1845 to Snider Flint tracking down the history of a bat belonging to a baseball great in 2002, the reader is taken on a wonderful ride through time. The book touches on a variety of historical events such as the Civil War, the All-American Girls Baseball League, and Sputnik. Themes such as prejudice and poverty are threaded throughout the book as well.

My Reaction: I absolutely loved the format of this book! It was so creative to make each chapter a new generation! The characters in each inning varied from a 10 year old boy, to a Union soldier, to a female baseball star...to many more! I really enjoyed the unique perspective each character brought to the story. The author was able to connect significant events from beginning to end, making this novel a creative masterpiece! Great for both girls and boys! This is one of my favorite books of all time!

My son is required to read this book for school. We received it quickly and it was in good shape as promised.

I read this on my sons insistence.
This book weaves the history of the country through different eyes, mostly through baseball. This is not a baseball book, yet it is there for the taking. This was one of the most fun books I have read in a long time.
A baseball fan would love how the game weaves through the lives of all the characters with enough non baseball life in the story to keep the non-fan engaged.
The 2 nd through the 4th inning is by far my favorite sections, but overall this is a great summer read for anyone aged 10-95. While not a scholar the language used seemed period accurate and the story never lost its flow.
Need something light that will take you deeper, take a swing with this one.

The history of American life and the love of baseball told through nine different stories centering on the Schneider family who come to America in 1845 to young Snider Flint in 2002. As Gratz points out, baseball was not invented in America but it has become a vital part of American culture. The characters in this book are not just baseball players but baseball lovers. By tracing American history through one family, readers understand the power of generations on our identity as a family. Perhaps the inclusion of many pivotal points in baseball history witnessed by one family is stretching reality but the characters are engaging especially Walter Snider, his daughter Frankie and his great-grandson Jimmy who are the focus of stories in the 20th century. Gratz provides a short explanation of the historical figures and events featured in the story and what aspects of his own family history inspired the stories. I am utterly useless regarding any sports and I read it happily in one go.

This book is awesome. I loved the characters but most especially the history of baseball. A good read for any age boy or girl.

My 10-year son old reads lots of books. Once in awhile, he says "Dad, you have to read this." You should read it, too.

The Brooklyn Nine takes you through 9 generations of an american family and their experiences with immigration, war, racism, and emotions from loss to feeling perfect.

Baseball is throughout the book but I don't think you'd have to be a fan to enjoy reading it. Sometimes it only has a bit part. Only 1 chapter gets into play-by-play scenarios.

The writer does a great job of introducing history without turning anything into a history lesson - there are no Michael Chriton-type cutouts that explain more detail. The curious reader will have to do their own research, and one of the characters actually does this towards the end.

The storytelling is fast-paced and engaging. You could read it as 9 separate short-stories, but if you're like me or my son, you'll probably read it all the way through!