Throwing Smoke [Hardcover]

Bruce Brooks (Author)

Book Description

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

Whiz loves playing baseball, but his team, the Breadhurst Newts, just isn't up to snuff. Something has to change, especially after they lose a game to the Mudcats, the worst team around. That's when Whiz gets an idea. It's far-fetched, its wild--but it just might get the team what it needs. Why not create a character in the dark, dusty print shop where he works after school?

Letter by letter, Whiz drops the metal type into place, then inks the press, lays down the parchment, and rolls the press.

The next day Whiz heads for practice early, before anyone else is there--yet he senses he is not alone....

Children's Pick of the List 2000 (ABA)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Baseball fans may appreciate the message of Brooks's latest, but the author's followers may be disappointed at the sketchy characterizations here. As the novel opens, pitcher Vincent CaryAaka "Whiz"Aand his shortstop pal Eddie "E6" Marchant take the baseball field to practice before the opening game for the Breadhurst Newts, after last season's 0-10 record. While E6 is satisfied with the team's original goal of getting together to simply play ball (all but two players had been cut from other teams), Whiz fantasizes about a winning season. After practice, Whiz heads to his part-time job at a printing shop to make baseball cards with each teammate's statistics, and Brooks foreshadows the connection between Whiz's vocation and avocation: "Sometimes, when Whiz encountered one of the players in the flesh soon after reading his or her card, he let himself feel for a moment that the words had created a player to match them." As the urge to win gradually overtakes Whiz, he begins printing up baseball cards for fictional players with dream statsAand they begin to materialize, bringing with them a winning streak for the team. Brooks convincingly demonstrates the fallout when players become more focused on winning than on loving the game for its own sake. However, aside from the relationship between E6 and Whiz, the dynamics between individual playersAeven twin sisters Phoebe and WrenAare not developed. The immediacy and involvement that goes along with team sports, conveyed so compellingly in Brooks's Wolfbay Wings series goes missing here. Ages 9-up. (June)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-With poor facilities, no coaching, and little talent, the Breadhurst Newts, who attend a small private school, find themselves slaughtered in every game they play in their "town's otherwise snazzy Little League." Yet, they bring to their games a certain joie de vivre. Then Whiz, one of the cocaptains, finds a way to have a winning team. He helps out at a print shop after school and entertains himself by creating personalized baseball cards for each of his teammates. Late one night, he sneaks into the shop and prints a card for an ideal pitcher. The next day, a boy fitting the description magically appears as the Newts' new hurler. As the season progresses, Whiz creates a girl who is a powerhouse hitter and a pair of ace fielding brothers to shore up the team's infield. Soon, the Newts are contending for the league championship, but before the season's finale, Whiz recognizes that his ringers have taken the fun out of the game. Afraid to destroy the cards, he rewrites them, trading the players to teams in faraway places. The novel ends with the Newts taking the field, ready to do battle and have fun at the same time. Brooks obviously had fun himself, creating the dead-on parodies of the language of baseball cards and using obscure words of the printing trade such as brayer, platen, and quoins. It adds up to a lighthearted blend of sports and magic.
Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (May 31, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060289724
• ISBN-13: 978-0060289720
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,208,124 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Genre Confusion, July 27, 2000

By 

Gillian M. Kendall (Leeds, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Throwing Smoke (Library Binding)

"Did you like *Throwing Smoke*?" I asked my ten year old son.

"Yeah," he said.

"Were the characters convincing?" I asked.

"Yeah," he said.

"What about the dialogue?" I asked.

"It was great. But there was too much baseball. Or something."

The baseball, of course, was why I bought the book, and it seemed an odd statement coming from a child who wouldn't put down Will Weaver's baseball trilogy even to eat. Then I read the book.

The dialogue *is* funny; the book, well written, but the author places *Throwing Smoke* in a limbo of genre. When Whiz starts printing up baseball cards for fictional team players who mysteriously come to life, the book (*strongly* rooted in baseball and baseball terminology) turns towards the gothic. These players, all ace at what they do, are zombie like. Where do they go at night? What do they secretly talk about together? Why does nothing more interesting happen with them? Where the heck is this plot going?

*Thowing Smoke* raises more questions about its tepid supernatural effects than the baseball frame of the story can contain. I will avoid details, but when a story enters the world of the supernatural, rules must be followed, expectations must be met. In *Throwing Smoke*, they aren't. As for the baseball team-comraderie part of the book, well, that's not very compelling either -- the supernatural material is too distracting. *Throwing Smoke*, much as I wanted to like it, pulls in two direction and can't come up with a reconciliation between the two. The book needs a fast ball, but it just can't deliver.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Book Review:Throwing Smoke, March 6, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Throwing Smoke (Paperback)

Do you like books that are exciting and have to do a lot with sports? If so then the realistic fiction book,Throwing Smoke, by Bruce Brooks is a great read for you. Throwing Smoke is about young boys and girls on the Bredhurst Newts baseball team. The baseball team hasn't won a game in five years but they think they have a chance this coming up baseball season because everyone has been practicing super hard and they got a new pitcher from out of state and yes, he throws smoke. If you want to find out if the Bredhurst Newts will win their first game in five years I suggest you read this awesome, heart pumping, tear dropping, mind racing, extraordinary book by Bruce Brooks, it will be the best book you've ever read, trust me.

Vincent Cary (aka) Whiz is the primary, dynamic, and the antagonist character in the story. Whiz has many traits which include, he's very athletic, kind, caring, responsible, honest, respectful, dedicated, quiet, superb, captain and pitcher of his baseball team. Whiz is a good pitcher but he's let his team down and lead them to a lot of loses. The Bredhusrt Newts haven't won a game in five years. Whiz pitches are accurate but very slow. The hitters always crush the ball when they are up to bat. Whiz still pitches cause the Bredhurst Newts play for fun, they don't care if they lose. It's about team work.Things twist around in the story when Ace Jones transferred from out of state to the small town of Bredhusrt. Ace Jones has been playing baseball for along time and he also pitches. He throws smoke, i mean you can't even see his pitches there so fast. Some of the players on the Bredhust Newts see Ace practicing his pitches and ask him to pitch for the team. Whiz gets super jealous but thinks he will lead the team to there first win. Ace Jones has many traits which include, he's very athletic, smart, kind, caring, respectful, responsible, and dedicated. He puts his heart into baseball, and is the secondary character, static character, and the protagonist of the story. Will Whiz let Ace pitch? If Ace does pitch will the Bredhurst Newts win their first game? If you want to find out I suggest you read this amazing book.

Throwing Smoke by Bruce Brooks is a great fantasy book that every child should get a chance to read. On a scale from one to ten I would rate this book an eight. I really enjoyed how the theme was baseball because I play baseball and i have experience. I also enjoyed how I have a lot of connections with the characters in the story, for example me and Delancy Brunet both play 2nd base. If you are a reader that is interested in baseball and interested in action filled books I suggest you read this awesome book by Bruce Brooks. It's an awesome book for all ages.

3.0 out of 5 stars Great book for good readers, October 2, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Throwing Smoke (Paperback)

I liked this book but it made no sense to me at times. I had to read sentences over and over to understand what was going on .The book was really good when I understood what was going on and the book was funny most of the time and always fast paced "that's why I kept reading". I thought the author used great detail and grammer. I thought I wouldn't like the book but I was wrong. I recommend this book for ages 9-15