January 1, 2011
Gr 4-6-The fourth installment (Little, Brown, 2010) in the Home Run Kids series of baseball stories by Matt Christopher continues the story of Sylvester Coddmyer III, slugger extraordinaire. Syl has a secret. For the past three seasons, he has been coached by what appears to be three of the most famous legends in baseball: Babe Ruth, Eddie Cicotte, and Mickey Mantle. Syl's friends are suspicious, because this year he's spending time practicing alone on a remote baseball field, talking to himself. Or so it seems. In reality, Syl is getting bunting and base-sliding lessons from another baseball great, "Mr. Teacey." (Spoiler alert: the name comes from the initials of a Baseball Hall of Famer, which is not revealed until the epilogue.) The mysterious stranger challenges Syl to grow as a player and expand his repertoire beyond homers. Joshua Swanson's young voice is fitting, providing variety in the character voices. Sound effects of cheering and cracking bats enliven the action, and even the cheesy baseball organ music adds to the atmosphere. The sub-theme of sportsmanship underlies the mystery, and the implied emphasis is on teamwork, not star power alone. Matt Christopher passed away in 1997, but his sons, Dale and Duane, continue writing the sports series. Similar to Dan Gutman's Baseball Card Adventure Series, which invokes ten famous baseball players from history using time travel, Christopher's books are designed for slightly younger readers. A solid bunt and base hit for sports fans.-Lonna Pierce, MacArthur Elementary School, Binghamton, NY
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