Baseball Season Has Arrived!

Neither Chicago baseball team had a favorable beginning yesterday, but we can always hope that this was a slow start and a World Series trip is in one of the team's future. As annoyed as I was with the rain delay during the Cub game, it got me thinking that this would be a perfect opportunity to make a list of some books that celebrate baseball fever for all of you baseball fans.

The following titles can be found in our library. The short summary is taken from our online catalog.


The Boy Who Saved Baseball by John H. Ritter
The fate of a small California town rests on the outcome of one baseball game, and Tom Gallagher hopes to lead his team to victory with the secrets of the now disgraced player, Dante Del Gato.
You may also want to check out another John H. Ritter book called Over the Wall.


Heat by Mike Lupica
Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.






Summerland by Michael Chabon
Ethan Feld, the worst baseball player in the history of the game, finds himself recruited by a 100-year-old scout to help a band of fairies triumph over an ancient enemy.






My 13th Season by Kristi Roberts
Already downhearted due to the loss of her mother and her father's overwhelming grief, thirteen-year-old Fran decides to give up her dream of becoming the first female in professional baseball after a coach attacks her just for being a girl.






Any of Dan Gutman's books about baseball are also many students' favorites. Check out some of the following:
*Abner & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
*Babe & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
*Honus & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
*Jackie & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
*Mickie & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
*Satch & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
*Shoeless Joe & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure

We also own many nonfiction titles focused on baseball that may catch your interest.


Play Ball Like the Hall of Famers: The Inside Scoop from 19 Baseball Greats by Steven Krasner
Presents advice on how to play baseball like the pros from twenty big league stars such as Bobby Doerr, Johnny Bench, Tom Seaver, Whitey Ford, and others, and includes stories from their childhood and career, tips on making difficult plays, and player superstitions.





Baseball: Startling Stories Behind the Records by Jim Benagh
Relates the stories behind a number of record-setting feats in the history of baseball, in such categories as "Long-ball Sluggers," "Age Gaps, " and "Hitting Feats."

Belles of the Ballpark by Diana Star Helmer
Describes the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which gave women the opportunity to play professional baseball while America was involved in World War II.


Roberto Clemente: Baseball Player by Jerry Roberts
Presents a biography of Roberto Clemente, Latin American baseball player, providing information on his childhood, his education, and his achievements in Major League Baseball with the Pittsburgh Pirates.