Books on the Mound and a few in the Circle

In honor of the last month of regular season play I complied a list of baseball and softball books. There is hardly any order to this list because that would've been too much like right and sometimes I just don't do right. Though I think I made up for that by adding link reviews to a few titles.

1.Hey Batta Batta Swing! The Wild Old Days of Baseball By Sally Cook and James Charlton Illustrated by Ross MacDonald
http://members.authorsguild.net/sallycook/work1.htm
2.We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball -Kadir, Nelson http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/120020412.html
3.Honus & Me by Dan Gutman
http://suzyred.com/honus.html
4.The Longest Season: The Story of the Orioles' 1988 Losing Streak- Ripken, Cal, Jr., Mazellan, Ron
5.Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow - Sturm, James Tommaso, Rich http://www.comicbookbin.com/satchelpaige001.html
6.Satchel Paige -Cline-Ransome, Lesa, Ransome, James
7.Heart of a Champion - Carl Deuker http://www.myshelf.com/teen/fiction/07/heartofachampion.htm
8.The Boyfriend League - Hawthorne, Rachel http://thehappynappybookseller.blogspot.com/2008/09/boyfriend-league-rachel-hawthorne.html
9.Safe at Home(Comeback Kids) - Lupica, Mike http://thehappynappybookseller.blogspot.com/2008/08/safe-at-home-comeback-kids-novel.html
10.Black Diamond: The Story of the Negro Baseball Leagues - McKissack, Patricia C., McKissack, Fredrick L
11.The Comeback Season - Jennifer E. Smith. http://thehappynappybookseller.blogspot.com/2008/06/comeback-season-jennifer-e-smith.html http://www.thestorysiren.com/2008/06/comeback-season.html
12. Six Innings: A Game in the Life - Preller, James http://thehappynappybookseller.blogspot.com/2008/05/six-inning-james-preller.html http://www.jamespreller.com/2008/08/28/ten-best-sports-books-of-the-year/
13.Keeping Score -Park, Linda Sue http://www.papertigers.org/reviews/USA/papertigers/KeepingScore.html
14.Home Run: The Story of Babe Ruth -Robert Burleigh
15.Stealing Home: Jackie Robinson: Against the Odds - Robert Burleigh
16. Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America - Robinson, Sharon
17. A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie "Peanut" Johnson - Green, Michelle Y., Johnson,Mamie
18.Safe at Home - Robinson, Sharon
19.Willie Mays: Art in the Outfield- Shannon, Mike This is not a children's book I put it on the list so I could share a Willie Mays story. It comes from another baseball book The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America - Posnanski, Joe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_O%27Neil, Posnanski travels around with Buck O'Neil, a Negro league baseball player and manager. In New York City they run into Satchel Paige's son. At one point they make a trip to the Negro League Baseball Museum in Kansas City http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negro_Leagues_Baseball_Museum Where they run into Willie Mays. Willie Mays and Buck O'Neil get to talking about old times and playing for the Kansas City Monarchs. Willie Mays ends up telling a story about seeing one of his Negro League Jersey sold on the Antique Roadshow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiques_Roadshow, Buck O'Neil tried to get Mays to remember the good things again. (thanks wikipedia)

I absolutely loved the following two titles and they both include some beautiful baseball so they made the list
20.The Wednesday Wars - Schmidt, Gary D http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/books/review/Stone-t.html
21.My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park - Kluger, Steve http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog/2007/12/my-most-excelle.html

IN THE CIRCLE
22. No Cream Puff - Day, Karen
http://blbooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/no-cream-puffs.html http://jkrbooks.typepad.com/blog/2008/07/no-cream-puffs.html
23.Throwing Like a Girl - Mackey, Weezie Kerr http://bookshelvesofdoom.blogs.com/bookshelves_of_doom/2007/07/throwing-like-a.html
24.Screwball: An Ashley Clarke Novel - Keri Mikulski http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com/2008/08/screwball-by-keri-mikulski.html

Doo-Wop Pop Roni Schotter

Doo-Wop Pop by Schotter, Roni, Collier, Bryan . When I first saw this picture book mention in Publisher Weekly children's fall releases it was a must read for me because I love Bryan Collier's illustrations. So thank you Lindsay from Harpers Collins for sending me an ARC

Mr Searle is a school janitor. In his younger days Mr Searle was a singer known as Snow Man. Now the kids call him Doo Wop Pop. Though he traded his mike for a broom Doo Wop Pop still has a few moves. While Doo Wop Pop is cleaning the gym one of the shy kids Elijah (Slipper) watches from the doorway captivated by the Sha-boom - Sha bop of the Doo Wop Pop. One of the things I loved about this picture book is it puts the shy kids front and center. Doo-Wop Pop teaches them how to shine. Schotter writing is smooth and rhythmic. Schotter manages to tell a story, pass along a few messages all the while keeping an easy jazzy tempo. Beautiful

"One day in the lunchroom, I'm sitting solo , eating my PB and J, when Doo Wop Pop comes over, smiles and says, "Hey", "I see you," he says "always hiding taking your notes. So take this down one of my favorite quotes It's no disgrace to show your face." I swallow some air, along with some fear

Doo Wop Pop meets a few of the shy kids after school, and tells them tales of his singing days. He encourges the kids to start a vocal group of there own. They are wary at first but soon begin to believe in each other and themselves, discovering their own sound.

There is alot to like about Doo Wop Pop. As always I am impressed by Bryan Collier's illustrations. http://www.bryancollier.com/ Doo Wop Pop reminds me of the importance of adults taking an interest in children's lives and music or the arts in general in school. If not for Doo Wop Pop and the music the kids would still be too shy to try.

Doo Wop Pop released date in early Nov.

The Boyfriend League Rachel Hawthorne

The Boyfriend League Rachel Hawthorne It's the summer before Dani's senior year and she is determined to have a boyfriend at last. Dani and her best friend, Bird play on the high school softball team but now that its summer its all about baseball and boys. Dani loves baseball and its big in her hometown of Ragland, Texas.

Dani and Bird convince their parents to house a Rattler for the summer. The Rattlers are Ragland's summer collegiate baseball team. Dani plans to use her Rattler, Jason has an in to meet the other players on the team in hopes of finding a boyfriend. Boyfriend League moves with ease, Dani and Bird are fun to follow.

Dani and Bird watch the boys practice

Bird tapped the roster she'd given me when she'd picked me up earlier to bring me to the field. She'd added a column: Hottie Score. Shortstop is cute, I said. I glanced at the lineup. Chase Parker. "I can't tell at this distance " Bird said, "I wish they had these guys pictures on the roster"

Boyfriend League was a fun, quick and enjoyable read. The perfect mix of baseball, boys, and romance. I highly recommend it for girls who play in or around the circle or a pitching mound.

Order of the Odd Fish James Kennedy

The Order of Odd-Fish by James Kennedy Let me begin by saying I love this cover. Its very odd, beautiful and perfect. It's the reason why I picked up the book. Normally I don't look up cover artist but this time I couldn't resist. It's like when I listen to a jazz song every once in a while one artist will stand out forcing me to check the liner notes. No liner notes this time but I did have Google. The cover illustration by John Myers and the book designer is Angela Carlino.

The Order of the Odd-Fish is a visual treat. 13 yr old Jo Larouche lives with her aunt Lily Larouche in California. As a baby Jo appeared out of the blue in Lily's washing machine with a warning attached- This is Jo, please take care of her. But beware this is a dangerous baby. Up until now Jo has been anything but, she is actually more responsible then Lily. Lily a former actress is very outgoing the novel opens with Lily's annual Christmas costume party.

"The party had moved inside and the dancing had begun. A squid glided across the dance floor, its tentacles wrapped around a dainty geisha. A table of centipedes in tuxedos played whist as a pack of witches and monkeys argued politics."

The party is crashed by Colonel Korsakov and his partner Sefino a 3 foot tall cockroach ( Sefino my have just been in my bathroom but he wasn't wearing a bowler hat and didn't contribute to the rent so I sprayed) The two were at the party because Korsakov digestion was telling him he needed protect Jo. A box falls from the sky for Jo from the order of the odd fish. Korsakov had stolen the box from Ken Kiang, an evil man in training.

Jo, Lily,Korsakov and Sefino are swallowed by a large fish and spit out in Eldritch City, home to the order of the odd fish. Lily and Korsakov are Knights, and Sefino like all cockroaches is a butler. The three had their memories removed when they where exiled from Eldritch City. When Jo was born the city the Silent Sister's threatened to destroy the city if they didn't get Jo. Now that Jo is back in Eldritich she can't tell anyone who she is or they may try to kill her.

Jo is a likeable and mature 13 yr old. The book is filled with some very interesting characters, I was partial to the cockroaches who loved to give grand speeches.

"An ugly and withered cockroach laid hold of Jo, causing her to yelp and step back. Do not fear I understand your cries of ecstasy , said the cockroach leaning forward. It is not often that I condescend to touch my admirers I am of course the great Benozzo. Jo's skin winced under the cockroaches slick hairy claw. Please take your hand off of me. Yes the thrill overwhelms you ? You wonder if you can bear the exaltation of my touch a moment longer"

The Order of the Odd Fish is hard to describe but it's a whole lot of fun to read. I laughed out loud many times. Kennedy's word choice is smart and witty. I love that Kennedy appreciates the sophistication of a teenage reader. This isn't the type of book you show to everyone it needs just the right reader. So I will probably leave it on a table allowing the cover and reader to find each other

Check out another The Order of the Odd Fish post by bookworm4life http://bookworm4life.wordpress.com/2008/08/30/the-order-of-odd-fish/

Safe at Home: A Comeback Kids Novel (Comeback Kids) Mike Lupica

I have one thing in common with Jenny from the Block, growing up in NY I rode the 6 train actually I still do when I go home to visit. The 2 and 5 make too many Bronx local stops. If I wanted to read the sports section I'd pick up the Daily News before I got on the train. The Daily News has a great sport section and that was when I first introduced to Mike Lupica. I read and loved his first children's book Travel Team a few years back. His second book Heat, was just okay for me. So its taken me awhile to read another Lupica book. Safe at Home was worth the trip back.

Nick Crandall is 12yrs old and attends Hayworth middle school. He was adopted when he was nine. He is the catcher on the JV team. In preseason the varsity catcher is injured. Nick is called up and now he is the youngest player on the varsity baseball team. His first few weeks on the varsity team are challenging. In Nick Crandall, Lupica has created a character many boys can relate to. He does so-so in school, loves comic books, worries his parents don't understand him and is trying to fit in. Safe at Home is a very enjoyable read, Lupica does a very fine job with it but sometimes he does tow the line of too much lesson and not enough story. As always Mike Lupica writes so you can see the field and the game. I loved the development of Nick Crandall

"Nick especially liked the mask and just that it made him feel a little bit like a superhero from one of his comic books. The mask made him feel as if he could hide in plain sight looking at everybody's else face on the field without them seeing his."

I was helping a customer a couple of weeks back, he was about 10 yrs old and knew who Lupica was. Safe at Home would make a great gateway book for young sports fans. They may see Lupica not has a writer but as a sports reporter/sports fan/the guy they saw on ESPN. With all those slashes a young sports fans/reluctant reader might be inclined to read one of Lupica's books