Batting Order
by Mike Lupica (Author)
A New York Times bestseller From acclaimed author of the Home Team series comes a brand-new novel about the heart and soul of baseball.
On or off the field, Matt and Ben couldn't be more different. Ben Roberson is an all-or-nothing player: he's big, he's bold, and he's brash. Ben's swing can hit a ball right out of the park--but that's if he can get a hit at all. Matt Baker is small, and shy, and his stutter has him avoiding the spotlight--even if he's the best all-rounder on the team. But while Matt knows he's got the chops, a part of him has always envied "Big Ben" and his attention-grabbing charm. So it's a total shock when Ben asks Matt to help him work on his swing. Because Ben can't put the ball into play, and his showboating comes at the expense of the team. And even though Matt's trying to help, Ben doesn't seem to take him seriously, especially when it means toning things down.
The end of the season is fast approaching--is there enough time for Ben to realize bigger isn't always better? For Matt to understand that sometimes, being the bigger person means standing up for yourself? Or will they have to accept defeat?
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Publishers Weekly
Bestselling author Lupica has mastered the ingredients of a feel-good sports story: a likable athletic protagonist, play-by-play game scenes, and come-from-behind victories. And he sticks to that recipe in this leisurely story about small-for-his-age middle schooler Matt Baker, who's "always felt big on the baseball field" despite his size. The star second baseman on his summer All-Star Little League team, Matt lives with his single mother and has a stutter that shows up at the least opportune moments. But his mom and his speech therapist both provide ample support in life, as do his coach and friends. The story seems to center more at times around Matt's teammate Ben, who is bigger and flashier, and who, at his controlling father's urging, insists on swinging for the fences even when it costs his team the game. When Ben asks Matt for batting help, the two boys forge a tentative friendship--one that will be tested many times throughout the season. Sports fans will enjoy the baseball references and the easy camaraderie between Matt and his teammates. In the end, Lupica brings his message back to the merits of being a good teammate and never giving up, mantras that young sports fans never tire of seeing play out. Ages 8-12. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM. (May)
Copyright 2019 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
JUV032010 - Juvenile Fiction | Sports & Recreation | Baseball
Baseball
Parent and child
Stuttering
Single-parent families
Baseball stories
Self-confidence in adolescence
Stuttering in adolescence
