Out of the Ballpark [Hardcover]

Alex Rodriguez (Author), Frank Morrison (Illustrator)

Book Description

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

Before he hit 400 home runs...
Before he was named
American League MVP...
Before he was AROD to
millions of fans...
He was Alex.

Just a kid who wanted to play baseball more than anything else in the world.

Baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez has drawn on his own childhood experiences to create this exciting picture book. It's the story of a boy named Alex who knows what it's like to swing at a wild pitch or have a ball bounce right between his legs. Alex is determined not to let his mistakes set him back—even if it means getting up at the crack of dawn to work on his hitting and fielding before school each day!

Full of the spirit of determination and joy in the game that put AROD in a league of his own, Out of the Ballpark is a gift from a great sports hero to every young player who dreams of becoming a star.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3–This picture book by a New York Yankees' star features the familiar story of a young boy who achieves his ballpark dreams through hard work and determination. His team is in the playoffs, but he is having a terrible game. The Caribes win, nonetheless, and they're on their way to the championship. Alex, however, wants to improve, and practices constantly with a friend (even going so far as to get up at 5:00 a.m. to practice before school). Young Alex is a likable protagonist who's also playing for his friends and family in the stands. Morrison's action-packed illustrations, in vivid hues, help keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Rodriguez concludes with a note that includes his credo for success: No matter what your dreams and goals, you can never go wrong if you give them all you've got. The scrapbook of photos from his youth, including pictures of his family and friends, is nicely done. This book's appeal will lie mainly with young fans of the Yankee athlete.–Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Writing without (credited) assistance, the Yankees' renowned third baseman looks back to his childhood for this inspirational but not heavily moralistic tale. Bouncing back from a playoff game that his team wins despite his own poor performance, young Alex works hard on his skills all week, aces a math test, and then goes on to win the championship game with a grand slam in the bottom of the final inning. Morrison illustrates with paintings of big-headed, sinuous-limbed figures in high-energy poses, and an album of engaging family photos is appended. A better-than-average celebrity product, this promotes both directly and indirectly the customary possibility of achieving dreams through relentless effort and family support. John Peters
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (February 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061151947
• ISBN-13: 978-0061151941
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 10.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #792,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story to ispire young children., March 1, 2007

By 

Yankee Fan (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of the Ballpark (Hardcover)

For a Yankees fan like me, and for someone who works in an elementary school- this book was a great find! Alex Rodriguez shares a fictional story based on his life, teaching children the importance of working hard to achieve their dreams. Young sports fans will relate to the early morning practices, the times where your game is 'off', but best of all- to the spirit of teamwork and how it feels to finally reach your goal! The book also includes photos of Alex growing up, and his own personal message to the reading audience. Colorful illustrations, and a quick dialogue keep the children interested throughout the story. Great resource for an elementary school teacher, counselor, or librarian.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A little disappointing -- consider Jorge Posada's "Play Ball!" instead, June 7, 2007

By 

Patrick M. Byers (Issaquah, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Out of the Ballpark (Hardcover)

After reading Jorge Posada's excellent children's book, "Play Ball!" at least a dozen times at my four-year-old son's request, I was excited to see "Out of the Ballpark" by Alex Rodriguez, one of the great players of our time.

Although other reviewers seem to love the book, my son can barely tolerate it and will pick any other baseball book before this one. He doesn't light up like he does with Posada's book, or any of his baseball books, for that matter.

His favorites are the amazing Casey At the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888 (Caldecott Honor Book), the entertaining Casey Back at Bat, the beautifully illustrated Home Run: The Story of Babe Ruth and a book that features his favorite player, Dear Ichiro.

The story felt like it was trying too hard to me and never really developed the great rhythm good children's book authors seem to find. Take note: this is a fictional story loosely based on events in A-Rod's life...a fact that isn't revealed until you've completed the story. I probably wouldn't have purchased the book had I known it was fiction.

When it comes to children's books, Posada hit a homerun. A-Rod, well, I'll give him a bloop single...and I'm giving him that for picking a decent illustrator!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good baseball story for the younger set., June 21, 2008

By 

Deborah Sandford "Marian the Librarian" (Madison, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of the Ballpark (Hardcover)

A delightful book by Yankee superstar Alex Rodriguez. Who does not know the legend call AROD? Bright illustrations by Frank Morrison tell the story. What mother of a baseball enthusiast does not know the sound of a tennis ball bouncing against the indoor wall of the house? The story is good--our beloved Alex can write as well as play ball! It's inspirational, but not overly done--Alex touts sustainable effort to achieve goals. Post-story includes four pages of personal notes and a timeline of photographs. A must-have for young fans, but a genuinely good baseball story, even without knowing who the main character is.