Henry loves playing basketball with his friends until Tough Guy arrives with his team and says, 'I could squash you like a bug.' Suddenly, Henry and his friends are in a match against the Tigers, a team that doesn't care about fair play. The only way Henry can win is by taking matters into his own hands. Then, his friends accuse him of being a ball hog. Is there a way to bring his team together again and outsmart the Tigers? This entertaining story is a great choice for readers new to chapter books.

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 9/29/2010

ISBN-10: 1596432438

ISBN-13: 9781596432437

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To Brian, baseball is his life. Not just playing the game, but watching it, analyzing it, and knowing baseball history and stats. He learned from his dad, an ex-major league pitcher who now works as a coach for a team in Japan. After his father left Brian and his mom, baseball is the only thing the two have in common. This summer, Brian lands a spot on a travel team and also his dream job as a batboy at Comerica Park for the Detroit Tigers. Icing on the cake comes when Hank Bishop, his all-time favorite player, rejoins the Tigers after serving a suspension for a steroid scandal. Despite Brian's best efforts though, heroes aren't always what they seem. Join Brian as he chronicles his baseball summer in The Batboy by Mike Lupica.

Reviewed by: mec

Date read: 8/31/2010

ISBN-13: 9780399250002

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Baseball is Brian's life. Not just playing the game, but watching it, analyzing it, and knowing it down to history and stats. He learns from his dad, an ex-major league pitcher who now works as a coach for a team in Japan. After his father leaves Brian and his mom, baseball is the only thing the two have in common. This summer, Brian lands a spot on a travel team and also his dream job as a batboy at Comerica Park for the Detroit Tigers. Icing on the cake comes when Hank Bishop, his all-time favorite player, rejoins the Tigers after serving a suspension for a steroid scandal. Despite Brian's best efforts though, heroes aren't always what they seem. Join Brian as he chronicles his baseball summer in The Batboy by Mike Lupica.

Reviewed by: mec

Date read: 6/1/2011

ISBN-10: 0375822577

ISBN-13: 9780375822575

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Commenter: Mggb, grade 5

Is it possible the only thing that can save a city is a little league baseball game? In the city of Dillontown, this is the case. Developers want the Dillontown land, so the valley towns can expand into the beautiful hill country. Standing in their way is Doc Altenheimer who owns the land, which includes Lucky Strike Field, the little league baseball field. Doc begins to think he wants to sell his land and the field, but his 12-year-old friend, Tom Gallagher, doesn't want him to sell. Tom plays on the Dillontown Wildcats at Lucky Strike Field and doesn't want the famous old field to become a lake. Doc decides to let the Wildcats decide the fate of Dillontown. If the Wildcats beat the team from the valley, the Vikings, Dillontown lives. Tom and his team, however, have never beaten the Vikings.

Similar books: The Desperado Who Stole Baseball Similar books: Shoeless Joe & Me: a Baseball Card Adventure by Dan Gutman; Stealing Home by Matt Christopher and Paul Mantell

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/28/2009

ISBN-10: 0399236228

ISBN-13: 9780399236228

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Commenter: St. Charles Reader, grade 0

Bright Path: Young Jim Thorpe by Don Brown is a picture book biography of, 'the greatest athlete in the world,' Jim Thorpe. Born in Oklahoma in 1888, Jim's real name was Wa-tho-huck meaning Bright Path. Each day, he worked hard tending the crops, feeding the livestock, and taming wild horses. He loved his life until he was sent away to a school that taught Indian children how to live in the white man's world. Jim hated being kept in a schoolroom instead of being able to run free in the open fields. Many times, Jim would run away only to be caught and brought right back to school. One day, Jim Thorpe's life changed dramatically. After watching many of the school athletes fail at making a high jump, he asked to try. Jim cleared the bar with room to spare. With the help of his school coach, Jim joined the school team and learned to play different types of sports. This eventually earned him a spot in the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm. At the Olympics, Jim Thorpe won the decathlon event and set a world's record that wasn't broken for 16 years. Read this amazing story of how Thorpe's life started down a rocky path but eventually led him to greatness.

Similar authors: Ron Knapp; Jack Kavanagh: Glen Macnow; George Sullivan

Similar books: Thorpe!: The Sports Career of James Thorpe by James Hahn; Jim Thorpe: Orginal All-American by Joseph Bruchac; Jim Thorpe's Bright Path by Joseph Bruchac; Sports Great by Nolan Ryan; Great Lives: Sports by George Sullivan

Reviewed by: mb

Date read: 7/12/2010

ISBN-10: 1596430419

ISBN-13: 9781596430419

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