From Publishers Weekly
T.J., his younger brother Moondance and their best friend Mop are together again in a sequel to Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid. This time their baseball team is participating in a tournament with two other American teams and three foreign teams. T.J. and Moondance are confused: their father says the most critical thing is to win, but their coach believes that friendship and goodwill are more important. To complicate matters, Mom tells T.J. and Moondance she is going to have a baby, and the boys discover a teammate is homeless. Through honest, perceptive narration, T.J. reflects upon the events which take place during the tournament--both on and off the field. Myers's droll, skillful characterizations dominate this entertaining story, which adroitly explores the significance of communication between friends, family and community members, and considers both the serious and humorous consequences of a breakdown in communication. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6-- The characters from Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid (Delacorte, 1988) return in another novel of baseball and friendship. Again, the best part of the book is the first-person narration from T. J., a cheerful, funny, and appealing protagonist. Myers beautifully captures the boy's sometimes confused view of the world. Yet through all of his troubles, T. J. maintains his positive attitude. The novel is set against the backdrop of an international baseball tournament featuring T. J.'s team, along with teams from Japan, Mexico, and France. The French players are definitely the coolest. Although they know little about baseball, they carry everything off with a certain humorous savoir-faire . More serious is T. J.'s discovery that a teammate is homeless. It's refreshing in a novel dealing with sports to find a main character who is a mediocre player. And, in general, the level of play described is closer to what actually happens at a Little League game than in some other books. In all, it's nice to see this cast again. --Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Pub . Lib . , IL
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
