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Casey Back At Bat, written by Dan Gutman, illus. by Steve
Johnson/Lou Fancher, (HarperCollins Children's Books, 2007 HC, 2009 PB),
32p, Ages 4-8. As the famous baseball saga continues, Casey comes to bat
with Mudville tied for first place. They were down three runs to one in
the final inning, with two men on and two out. "There seemed no hope of
winning. Yet they would not surrender. "Their motto-'Never Quit!' Mighty
Casey grabbed his bat. It was his turn to hit." Sure enough, Casey hits
a fly that soars out of the park across the Atlantic, encounters the tower
of Pisa, knocks the nose off the Sphinx in Egypt, races through time to
frighten the dinosaurs into extinction, out into space past the astronauts,
and finally back into the park into the glove of Moe, the shortstop. The
mighty Casey flies out, and Mudville must wait again for a win. This is
a great read-aloud, especially for baseball fans.
Heroes of Baseball: The Men Who Made It America's Favorite Game,
written by Robert Lipsyte, (Atheneum Books, 2006), 96p, Ages 9-12. For
those fans of the game, this is a comprehensive look at America's favorite
pastime and the men who lived it. Men like Ty Cobb, Shoeless Joe Jackson,
Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Willie
Mays, Hank Aaron and many more inspired generations to do their best and
never quit. The endpapers feature a time line of events from 1819 to 2004
and a glossary explains various terms of the sport.
Roasted Peanuts, written/illus. by Tim Egan, (Houghton
Mifflin, 2006) 32p, Ages 4-8.
Sam and Jackson are
good friends who love baseball. Sam is a great athlete and makes the team
tryouts, but Jackson, even with a terrific throwing arm, does not. Their
friendship is strained for a while, but when Jackson finds an advertisement
for a peanut vendor who can throw well, he realizes his calling. Friends
again, they both excel at throwing, one on the field with a ball and one
in the stadium with bags of peanuts.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game, written/illus by Jim Burke,
lyrics by Jack Norworth, introduction by Pete Hamill, (Little, Brown &
Co., 2006), 32p, Ages 4-7. The year is 1908. Baseball's most famous song
is popular, and the New York Giants battle the Chicago Cubs for the National
League pennant. On September 23, a young girl and her beau attend one
of the most controversial games ever played. As the lyrics unfold across
the pages, children will learn about Christy "Matty" Mathewson the famous
Giants pitcher, the ballpark, the pennant race, pitching terms, and how
crackerjacks came into being. Endpapers contain the music score and fascinating
events that occurred after the game.
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