Change-Up: Mystery at the World Series

August 24, 2009
Feinstein's fourth mystery starring teen reporters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson veers into fantasy—the Washington Nationals (currently with the worst record in Major League Baseball) are in the 2009 World Series. As in the previous books, the play on the field serves as backdrop for Stevie and Susan's adventures in journalism. This time, they stumble into an investigation of a journeyman pitcher, Norbert Doyle, who is starting game two against the Red Sox without ever having recorded a major league win. Before his meteoric rise, the career minor leaguer sat for an interview with Stevie and Susan, during which he revealed a tragic incident from his past. But now that Doyle is the story, his version of events is falling apart. Relying more on luck than shoe leather, the junior sleuths unravel a convoluted tale involving charges of marital infidelity, drunk driving and corrupt police. Sports fans will enjoy all the trivia Feinstein works into the narrative, but his habit of having real-life sports stars make cameo appearances can be problematic—three of the Nats mentioned by Feinstein are already gone, including manager Manny Acta, who was fired in July. Ages 10–up.

September 1, 2009
Gr 6-9-In previous books, teenage sportswriters Stevie Thomas and Susan Carol Anderson exposed a scheme to throw a game in the NCAA basketball tournament, unraveled a kidnapping plot at the U.S. Tennis Open, and uncovered a steroid scandal at the Super Bowl. Now they are assigned to cover the World Series, where the underdog Washington Nationals are meeting the Boston Red Sox. While checking out the Cinderella story of the 38-year-old Nationals' rookie pitcher, Norbert Doyle, the friends discover a shadowy incident in the man's past. Although Doyle, his children, and especially his agent attempt to deceive, manipulate, and intimidate them, in the end the two reporters base their decision about running the story on the good it would do versus the harm it would cause. As in the other books in the series, Feinstein brings his insider's knowledge of sports to bear, with good effect. The inclusion of real-life sports and media figures along with fictional characters is likely to appeal to knowledgeable fans. For libraries in which the other books have proven popular."Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2009
Grades 5-8 An ethical dilemma tests the mettle of two teenage investigative reporters who uncover a tragic secret in a pitchers past. Thanks to lucky breaks, good connections, and notoriety earned in their previous outings (Last Shot, 2005; Vanishing Act, 2006; Cover-Up, 2007), Stevie and Susan Carol have front-row seats for a hard-fought series in which the Washington Nationals square off against the mighty Red Sox, and Nationals pitcher Norbert Doyle, a career minor leaguer, earns a last-minute spot in the starting rotation. The reporters suspicions are kindled when details in Doyles tearful tale of his wifes death years before dont jibe with facts learned elsewhere. Whats he hidingand is it a story that should be told? As before, sportswriter Feinstein fills the supporting cast with actual athletes, journalists, and sports executives and offers behind-the-scenes details of big-time sports. Stevie and Susan Carol are hardly even two-dimensional teenagers, but the decision they wrestle with as the truth comes out, plus healthy measures of exciting sports action, will keep readers involved.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)