Take me out to the ballgame! It's that time of year when the flowers and trees are blooming, the grass is turning green and the pitcher's mound has been dusted off. What a great time to take your family to a baseball game! And also, what a great time to read a great book about the sport.
I want to begin with a few books with a more serious theme. The Girl Who Threw Butterflies, by Mick Cochrane, takes eighth grader Molly into a world of hard throwing, fast pitching baseball dominated by boys. Through her eyes, you see a girl who is struggling with sadness in her life because of her father's recent death and because her mother seems to be drifting through life without feeling. She takes a portion of her father's love of the game by using the “knuckleball” pitch he taught her to get part of him back. Her unique and impressive ability lands her on the school team and also cinches up the happy past times of throwing balls to her dad. This is a memorable story that brings together the elements of importance of family, friends and open communication.
Keeping Score, by Linda Sue Park, was first published a year ago but I had to include this valuable book in my review because it's so well written and inspirational. Maggie's story is profiled from the ages of 9 through 13 and the events that befall her are gripping, humorous and stirring. The story takes place during the 1950's in her hometown of Brooklyn , where she passionately follows the Dodgers. Many other people in her city follow the Yankees or the Giants, but her devotion to her Dodgers seems difficult due to their lack of wins. She's made friends with her father's firefighter colleague, Jim, who ends up going to Korea to fight in that war. He gets down on his luck and through her letters, she helps him as she grows and learns important life lessons. One thing Jim teaches her is how to keep score meticulously during a baseball game. While he's serving in Korea , her letters to him include the scores of the Dodgers' games. Don't forget to check out the inside covers of this outstanding book!
On the Field With…Albert Pujols, by Matt Christopher, is a great look into one of today's best players and showcases some outstanding character traits that make him just as outstanding off the field. This quick-read book highlights his difficulty growing up in the Dominican Republic and in Missouri and overcoming language, change of weather and other difficulties. This remarkable athlete married the love of his life when she was a single mom and raising a youngster with down syndrome. He has now learned to love this child who he has since adopted. This is just the start as there are many more inspiring details to learn concerning this great athlete.
Mudville, by Kurtis Scaletta, is a fictitious story about the town of Moundville where it's been raining continuously for over 22 years. The rain started during a game against their archrivals years earlier. The rain suddenly stops about the same time that Roy comes home from baseball camp to find that his family has taken in a foster child. Could this be a coincidence and where does this all lead to when Moundville actually gets back together to finish the game started long ago?
There's a new Sluggers series by Loren Long and Phil Bildner. The first book in this fun and exciting new series is “Magic in the Outfield” and it sets the pace as three young siblings are about to join their recently diseased father's traveling baseball team. The year is 1899 as they journey throughout America to play ball. There is a touch of magic in this book as they begin to experience “strange” things as they touch a ball their father had made. The next three books continue with adventure and mystery as well as wonderful old fashioned illustrations sprinkled throughout by Long.
The Baseball Card Kid, by Adam Osterweil, and illustrated by Craig Smith, is a time-traveling story full of humor and fun as two friends go back in time to locate a replacement of a valuable baseball card of his father's that had been ruined.
