I Revisit The Line Up (Loaded From Top - Bottom)

Since baseball season is quickly approaching, I decided to rerun a feature I did last year. Originally it ran in late March but I am hoping to do something new to open the season and I didn't want the two things to collide. I am still working out what I might do though I know this Line Up can not be topped so this is a one time thing.

This is still one of my favorite features. Again much thanks to the author's for their time and wonderful answers.


The Line Up

1 Change-up: Baseball Poems by Gene Fehler SS -
This was my 2009 Cybils choice for poetry. Check out this nice review at My World - Mi Mundo. Baseball fans will love this collection of poems.


2. Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park 1st
In this novel there is talk of the classic 1951 pennant race between the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. For baseball fans that should be more than enough reason to pick up this wonderful book. Reviews via author's site


3 Mudville by Kurtis Scaletta 2nd
12 yr old Roy was one of my favorite male protagonist of 2009. I loved that he read Their Eyes Where Watching God to impress a girl. Named a top 10 sports books for youth in 2009 by Booklist. More honors and reviews via author's site


4 The Brooklyn Nine by Alan Gratz CF
I had picked this novel to get a shiny Newbery sticker and I wasn't the only one. Named a top 10 sports books for youth in 2009 by Booklist Reviews via the author's site


5 The Prince of Fenway Park by Julianna Baggott RF
This was my Cybils choice MG Fantasy for 2009 and a Cybils finalist. Reviews via author's site. For all the baseball fans who love the history of the game the author mentions Curt Flood. Curt Flood named in a middle grade novel, I was like WOW


6 Six Innings by James Preller 3rd
Preller doesn't waste time with the regular season. He goes straight to the Little League championship game. Named a top 10 sports book in 2008 by Booklist . Also in 2008 made New York Public Library Top 100 Best Books for Reading and Sharing List. 2009 ALA Children's Notable Book


7 The Comeback Season by Jennifer E. Smith LF
I couldn't find contact info on Smith but I wasn't going to give up. If you've read this book you know why. Praise via publishers site. I have author James Kennedy to thank for getting me in touch with Smith.


8 Painting the Black by Carl Deuker C
I find it very fitting that Deuker the veteran for sports novels for young readers is behind the plate. He has won six state awards. If you are in need of a great sport novel check out Deuker's site


9 The Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mick Cochrane P
Reviews via author's site. One of four spring books recommended for young readers by USA Today in 2009. I still remember the beautiful Haiku in this novel.


Here's how its going to work. I asked the authors 12 questions. The first nine questions are inspired by their books. The final three wrap up questions I thought of tie it all together. It will be broken up into 4 days, 3 questions a day.

I love the gender balance amongst the authors and within the stories themselves. This is more so for baseball fans but I do hope everyone gets something out of it. I hope that non baseball fans will have a better appreciation and respect for novels centered around sports after reading all the answers.

If you know any baseball fan please let them know about this. It's rated PG and appropriate for young baseball fans who may get a kick out of finding out the favorite teams of nine authors and other baseball related tidbits

Older fans will love the talk of the game and being able to a find few great books to share with young baseball fans.


Questions 1 -3
Questions 4-6
Questions 7-9
Questions 10-12

A Long Walk to Water - Linda Sue Park

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

This novel is based on the true story of Salva Dut . At 11 yrs old Salva was one of many Sudanese to lose his family, and home because of the religious conflict between North and South Sudan. Salva is in school when the villages are attacked. All the boys are told to run into the bush and far from home. Salva finds himself walking with strangers. He doesn't know where his family is or if they are alive.

Before Salva was one of 3,000 Sudanese young men chosen to come to America, he lived in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya. The author succeeds in the telling of Salva's journey.

The novel alternates between Salva's journey beginning in 1985 and Nya, a fictional Sudanese character in 2008. Nya's job is to collect water for her family. I believe approaching the story in this matter was a trade off.

With Nya's story readers can see what Salva's foundation Water for Sudan, means for the people of that country. The author could have simply mentioned Water for Sudan in the Afterword but incorporating it in the story will have a great impact on the reader.

I know in some countries getting clean water is not easy but I still have a hard time believing this sad truth. Before a new well is unearthed in Nya's village. she spends hours getting water, that's not always clean. Though Nya is a fictional character hearing her story will make what many go through that much more real.

Now, the trade off, going back and forth between the two stories, kept me from truly connecting with Salve or Nya. I still enjoyed A Long Water to Water. I like that Park doesn't assume readers will have prior knowledge of the religious conflict that lead to the Lost Boys of Sudan. Park also explains were the name Lost Boys of Sudan came from.

I have much respect for Park's straightforward telling. Sometimes with refugee stories authors are inclined to go with the more violence the better approach. I really liked that Park simply focused on Salva's journey.

In the back of A Long Walk to Water there's a message from Salva Dut. There are a lot of books on the Lost Boys of Sudan, though as far as I know this is the first one for middle graders.

This might go nicely with the picture book Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Mary Williams illus. by R. Greogry Christie

Linda Sue Park's Publishers Weekly Q&A