Batting Order

March 1, 2019
Matt loves everything about baseball.He is an excellent player on his Little League team in the summer All-Stars League. It doesn't matter that he's the shortest kid on the team, because baseball makes him feel "like his very best self." He studies every aspect of the game and takes extra practices with his teammate José. His mom is his special personal coach, enthusiastically practicing hitting and fielding with him, always encouraging, not just about baseball, but also about his severe stutter. His speech pathologist is another support, eliciting his feelings when he is "blocked" or "stuck" and finding ways to help. Ben, another teammate, is having his own difficulties. He hits towering homers but strikes out more often. His father insists on a big swing and yells loudly at him to hit home runs. Matt and his mom try to coach him in ways to get more base hits, but his dad proves to be a negative force. Lupica keeps the focus on Matt's struggles, his determination, and his genuine kindness, braiding it with action-packed play-by-play baseball and lots of references to current major league players. José is Puerto Rican, and there's delightful Spanish-English wordplay in their banter. Matt and most of the other characters present white, though there are naming conventions that indicate some diversity.For baseball lovers, it's a winner. (Fiction. 8-12)

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April 1, 2019
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.