LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Thank you to all the kind Lm_Netters who responded to my request for
interesting baseball books at the middle school level. If you would like
a copy of the recommended reading list that I am constructing, just let me
know. It is still a work in progress at the moment.
With appreciation,
Tara Morissette
Middle/Upper School Assistant Librarian
tmorissette@francisparker.org
Here are the Lm_Net recommendations:
****
Choosing Up Sides is fabulous.
****
I really enjoyed Farm Team, Hard Ball, and Striking Out by Will Weaver.
****
Will Weaver and the late Matt Christopher.
****
How about Bobby Baseball by Robert Kimmel Smith for fiction?
****
The following authors write baseball books
Matt Christopher
Fred Bowen
C. Paul Jackson-older books but still read and for 7-8th graders
Alfred Slote (I know he has sports books, believe some were baseball)
Dean Hughes
These are the ones I can think of as I reply from home. I'm sure there
are more.
*****
Painting the Black by Carl Deuker is a great baseball book. While booklist
suggests Grades 8-12, this book is easily appropriate for most 6th and 7th
graders as well. Carl Deuker has a couple of great sports books in
addition to Painting the Black.
From Booklist
Gr. 8-12. After a disastrous fall from a tree, senior Ryan Ward wrote off
baseball. But he is swept back into the game when cocky, charismatic Josh
Daniels--a star quarterback with the perfect spiral pass as well as a
pitcher with a mean slider--moves into the neighborhood. Josh is adept at
placing his pitches on the line between fair and foul ("painting the
black"), and in his sweep to sports fame, he lives his life much the same
way. Ryan, whose spot on the team hinges on his ability to catch Josh's
pitches, soon learns that more than a team slot is at stake. The
well-written sports scenes--baseball and football--will draw reluctant
readers, but it is Ryan's moral courage that will linger when the reading
is
done. Candace Smith
****
Check out the books by Fred Bowen, see his site at
http://www.fredbowen.com, or on the Peachtree Publisher site. They will be
quick reads for many middle graders and will grab them and keep them
hooked. They are a very delightful mix of fiction; with a nugget of
non-fiction which is fully explained in an author's note at the end of the
fiction. Great selections. See article about him in the Jan/Feb. Library
Talk.
****
Fred Bowen writes the All Star Sports Series...give him a try ;-)
****
Will Weaver writes a whole series with baseball as a theme. They include
Farm Team, Hard Ball and Striking Out. I just bought them for my MS
library.
****
Honus and Me
The Trading Game
Sorry I don't remember the authors. Probably around 4-5 readability.
****
Hi,
One book that is very popular is Choosing Up Sides by John Ritter -
historical fiction, baseball.
****
Try Honus and Me and Babe and Me by Dan Gutman, books by Matt
Christopher. Bat 6 by Virginia E. Wolf.
****
We like:
Will Weaver---Farm Team, Striking Out
Thomas Dygard---The Rookie Arrives
****
What age does your middle school begin? Matt Christopher is a favorite of
my fifth and sixth graders.
****
There are a bunch of great baseball books both nonfic. and fic. Have you
read Doris Kearns Godwin's book - "Wait 'til next year"? Of course there
are the Matt Christopher series. The McKissack books about the negro
leagues are great.
Bruce Brooks has a new book out. "Throwing smoke"
****
2 baseball books come to mind immediately:
Finding Buck McHenry by Alfred Slote (a group of reject little leaguers
search for a coach for their team. They finally ask the custodian at
their school -- a player in the Negro Leagues of the '30s. Kids learn a
lot about that time, and it has a great connection to baseball card
collecting, if your student is in to that)
Haunting at Home Plate - David Patenaude (combination baseball and ghost
story)
Hope this helps.
****
The Carl Deuker books are great: Heart of a champion and Painting the
blackare his stories about baseball. On the Devil's Court is about
basketballbut I have kids who enjoyed that who have never read a book
before. I just read Choosing up sides by John H. Ritter and I think kids
would really like that one as well. A whole new ball game : the story of
the all-American girls professional baseball league by Sue Macy might
appeal to girls. Finding Buck McHenry by Alfred Slote is a great book.
There are also the Matt Christopher books. One of his that the kids
really seemed to enjoy was the Year Mom Won the Pennant. Skinnybones by
Barbara Park is an excellent one for high interest, low reading level. I
noticed Will Weaver has several baseball books also but I haven't read any
of his. Gosh, I hadn't realized how many baseball books I have read. My
daughter played softball for her university last year.
****
1. Deuker, Carl
Heart of a champion
2. Dygard, Thomas J
Infield hit
3. Dygard, Thomas J
The rookie arrives
4. Park, Barbara.
Skinnybones
5. Powell, Randy
Dean Duffy
6. Weaver, Will
Farm team /
7. Tunis, John R
Schoolboy Johnson
8. Armstrong, Jennifer
Patrick Doyle is full of blarney
9. Christopher, Matt
All-Star fever
10. Christopher, Matt
Zero's slider
11. Weaver, Will
Striking out
12. Hughes, Dean
Brad and Butter play ball
13. Walker, Paul Robert
The sluggers club : a sports mystery
14. Christopher, Matt
Baseball turnaround
15. Christopher, Matt
The hit-away kid
16. Christopher, Matt
Man out at first
17. Christopher, Matt
Pressure play
18. Christopher, Matt
The kid who only hit homers
19. Christopher, Matt
The year Mom won the pennant
Fiction:
Books by Matt Christopher and Thomas Dygard.
Deuker, Carl. Heart of a champion (My son said it was the best book he
read in middle school.)
Powell, Randy. Dean Duffy
Ritter, John H. Choosing up sides
Shea, George. Big bad Ernie
Slote, Alfred. Finding Buck McHenry
Slote, Alfred. Hang tough, Paul Mather
Slote, Alfred. Tony and me
Tunis, John R. Schoolboy Johnson
Weaver, Will. Farm Team
Weaver, Will. Striking out
****
Tara Morissette
Middle/Upper School Assistant Librarian
tmorissette@francisparker.org
Francis Parker School
6501 Linda Vista Road
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 569-7900
Fax: (858) 569-0621
www.francisparker.org/library/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST), send email to:
listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
4) SET LM_NET MAIL * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv.
For LM_NET Help see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
Archives: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.html
See also EL-Announce for announcements from library media vendors:
http://www.mindspring.com/~el-announce/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
LM_NET
Archive Home