The Toilet Paper Tigers (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author) "Our coach had a great mind for science, but he was a total goose-egg when it came to baseball..." (more)
Key Phrases: old hidden ball trick, reality sandwich, Tuba Dave, New York, Bobby Ray (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When a motley crew of Little League baseball players acquires a coach "who had a great mind for science but was a total goose-egg when it came to baseball," it looks like the start of another deadbeat season. Things start to look up for the boys when their coach's fast-talking granddaughter Kristy breezes into town and proceeds to pummel the team into shape. Though narrated by the group's thwarted pitcher Corey, each chapter revolves around a single player and outlines Kristy's wacky plan to improve his playing. Whether it is a seaweed diet or a wild publicity scheme to end an older brother's bully tactics, Kristy finds a way to conquer each player's weakness and turns the former losers into champs. With their abundant quirks, the cartoonish characters are an engaging lot. Plenty of sports action, along with Korman's ( Son of Interflux ) trademark snappy dialogue, makes this peppy story an ideal choice for reluctant readers. Baseball fans will be sure to root for this lighthearted romp. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. The broad, almost cinematic situational comedy that has become Korman's trademark is fully in place in his newest novel, which uses a baseball backdrop to attract readers. According to Corey Johnson, being Little League leftovers and sporting uniforms with toilet paper logos (their team is sponsored by Feather-Soft Bathroom Tissue) is bad enough without having a bossy girl managing the team. But that's the deal for the summer when Kristy, Coach Pendergast's 12-year-old granddaughter (decked out in fatigue pants, a New York City T-shirt, and Day-Glo sunglasses), blows into Spooner, Texas, speaking what seems at first to be a foreign language: "Yo . . . 'Tsup? . . . Word . . . You should spend a few days in New York. Reality sandwich, man." It is definitely not love at first sight, but as it turns out, obnoxious Kristy's pushy management style is just what's needed to make a fat second baseman go on a diet, cure a catcher afraid to catch, wake up a fielder who sleeps on the job, and bring the team into the play-offs. With plenty of obvious misguided psychologizing and Three Stooges-style antics, this freewheeling baseball yarn is laugh-out-loud funny from first page to last. Stephanie Zvirin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks (March 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590462318
• ISBN-13: 978-0590462310
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #411,371 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I LUV THIS BOOK!, December 4, 1998

By A Customer

Gordon Korman is HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!! Another great piece of work by one of the funniest around.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So what if it's predictable? It's hilarious!, January 31, 2000

By A Customer

Yes, we all know how this is going to end, but don't let that stop you from reading this book! You don't have to be a sports fan at all to read this, but it is hilarious. This is one of the few books I've read where I have actually laughed out loud while reading. Also check out another one of Korman's that is equally funny, with a slightly more interesting, twisted plot- the Chicken Doesn't Skate.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Toilet Paper Tigers, December 1, 2001

By	A 10-year old reader (Luxemburg, Wisconsin USA) - See all my reviews

If you love baseball, or if you love to laugh, this is a great book for you. Gordon Korman's "Toilet Paper Tigers" is a great book. In the book a boy named Corey Johnson experiences what it's like to have a scientist for a coach, the coach's bossy granddaughter for assistant coach, a team full of bad baseball players, and a uniform with toilet paper on it.

As the season goes on, Kristy (the bossy granddaughter) finds a way to make every person a good player and gradually, the Tigers realize that if they try hard enough they can form a good team.

This book teaches a great lesson. The lesson is that it doesn't matter how bad you are at something, if you reach deep inside of yourself, you can find something that makes you a valuable team player.