The Fenway Foul-up

February 14, 2011
Kelly kicks off his Ballpark Mysteries series of early readers by introducing cousins and budding sleuths Mike Walsh and Kate Hopkins, who are trying to figure out who has stolen the lucky bat of a star Boston Red Sox player. While few readers will doubt whether Mike and Kate will save the day, Kelly throws in plenty of behind-the-scenes Fenway Park trivia (both in the story and in an appendix) and keeps the story moving at a quick pace, which should easily hold baseball-lovers' attention. Meyers contributes b&w artwork not seen by PW. Also available: The Pinstriped Ghost. Ages 6–9.

January 1, 2011

A new series for emerging chapter-book readers combines the allure of baseball parks with the challenge of solving a mystery. Mike and Kate have tickets to a Red Sox game and an all-access pass to the park, courtesy of Kate's mom, a sportswriter. The pass comes in handy when it's reported that star player Big D's lucky bat has been stolen, as it allows them to help find the thief. Historical details about Fenway Park, including the secret code found on the manual scoreboard, a look at Wally the mascot and a peek into the gift shop, will keep the young baseball fan reading, even when the actual mystery of the missing bat falls a little flat. Writing mysteries for very young readers is a challenge—the puzzle has to be easy enough to solve while sustaining readers' interest. This slight adventure is more baseball-park travel pamphlet than mystery, a vehicle for providing interesting details about one of the hallowed halls of baseball. Not a homerun, but certainly a double for the young enthusiast. On deck? The Pinstripe Ghost, also out on Feb. 22, 2011. (historical notes) (Mystery. 6-9)

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February 15, 2011
Grades 2-4 Two nine-year-old sleuths bring sharp powers of observation and deduction into play when a Red Sox sluggers favorite bat disappears. Cousins Mike and Kate are thrilled when Kates sports-reporter mom brings them to a game, and they are up to the challenge when star player Big Ds bat goes missing after batting practice. Folding information about Fenway Park and its colorful history into the tale, Kelly also artfully slips in simple red herrings along with real clues to the thiefs identity and the bats whereabouts that sharper readers may pick up before the young detectives do. Game action takes a backseat to the investigation here, but Big D gets his bat back in time for some late-inning heroics against the Oakland As, and afterward presents his awed young fans with suitable rewards. Leading off a formulaic series that will take Mike and Kate to baseball parks around the major leagues, this book should draw baseball fans as well as budding whodunit aficionados.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)