Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid [Paperback]

Walter Dean Myers (Author)

Book Description

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

An ALA Notable Children's Book.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Myers combines wit, sensitivity and insight to create this funny, fast-paced story about three orphaned children and the Elks, a Little League baseball team. T.J., his brother Moondance and their best friend Mop had all lived with the nuns in the Dominican Academy until the two brothers were adopted. Now Mop is convinced that the coaches of their baseball team, Marla and Jim Kennedy, want to adopt her, provided that she is a worthy child. What better way to prove her worth than to be the star of the Elks? But she has to work fast, because the Academy is being closed. Carmelita, an accident-prone nun, Taffy the llama and a killer cat are among the humorous characters that complicate the children's lives. While T.J. and Moondance are adapting to their new home, the excitement of the baseball season is mounting, as are Mop's hopes to be adopted. Myers's keen sense of humor, quick, natural dialogue and irresistible protagonists make this novel a winner. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6 Eleven-year-old T. J. and his younger brother Billy, a.k.a. the Moondance Kid, have been living with their adoptive parents for about six months, and are settling in well. They are worried that their friend Mop, a girl who has not yet been adopted, may be transferred to an orphanage some distance away. Mop decides to join T. J.'s little league team in order to get close to the coach and his wife, whom she suspects are interested in adopting her. Subplots abound: there are rumors that the old orphanage may be closed, the orphans' pet llama is missing when threatened with zoo life, an aging wino finds redemption in helping the children improve their ball playing, an unscrupulous and bullying rival coach gets his comeuppance, Mop is adopted, and all ends happily. These side elements detract from the central issues of T. J.'s relationship with his adoptive father and Mop's attempt to ensure her own adoption. The whole becomes more a series of isolated incidents than a smoothly flowing storyline. Interesting characters are introduced, but there simply isn't room to flesh them out into rounded personalities. Undemanding readers will probably be pulled along by the game action, but only libraries with a very heavy demand for sports fiction will want this title. Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, Mass.
Copyright 1988 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: 160 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (December 2, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440403960
• ISBN-13: 978-0440403968
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #586,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Walter Dean Myers is a New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed author who has garnered much respect and admiration for his fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for young people. Winner of the first Michael L. Printz Award, he is considered one of the preeminent writers for children. He lives in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Courntey Harder's Review, February 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid (Paperback)

I would rate Me, Mop, And The Moondance Kid with 3 out of 5 stars. I liked this book because it had a good theme. It was also interesting, creative, exciting, and always kept me on the edge of my seat. I never wanted to put the book down. There are many other books similar to this book. You need to get this book and read it as soon as you can. If you enjoy reading books that have some mystery in them and are exciting this would be perfect for you. This book is about three kids named Mop, T.J., and The Moondance Kid. They all grew up together as orphans, but just recently T.J. and Moondance were adopted by the Jacksons. The academy that Mop is still at is closing down so if she doesn't get adopted before the Dominican Academy closes down she will have to move. In order to spend more time with Marla, who she wants to be adopted by, she joins the Elks. The Elks is a little league baseball team that T.J., Moondance, and some other kids play on, and guess who the coach is. Marla! Besides that problem they have to worry about beating the Eagles in the play-offs. Will Mop get adopted? Will the Elks beat the Eagles in the play-offs? To find out go and check out Me, Mop, and The Moondance Kid.

3.0 out of 5 stars Just another sport story, December 6, 2005

By 

Mrs. D's Reading Class "Mrs. Dolezal" (Nixon-Smiley, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid (Paperback)

If you like sports stories, then Me Mop and the Moondance Kid is the book for you. We did not think that the book was interesting because it repeated itself over and over. It was not what we expected it to be. We would not recommend this book to our classmates. This book was mainly about a group of kids playing baseball and trying to win a tournament. Will they win or lose? You will have to read it to find out. We give the book three stars.
Book review by: Alex H. and Jaime M.

4.0 out of 5 stars Me,Mop,And The Moondance Kid, March 1, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid (Paperback)

T.J. and his older brother new each other there hole life and they grow up in Dominican Academy it is a home for the orphans Moondance was adapted when he was 10 years old and Moondance cam play baseball and so he try's out for a team and he is so good that he makes the team.

I like the book because it is about orphans and how they can be good at something in life and people just think that they are no good and they can not do anything in life and this book tells you that orphans are good at some things.