Rivals

March 1, 2010
Gr 5-8-In this sequel to the author's popular "Baseball Great" (HarperCollins, 2009), 12-year-old Josh LeBlanc has his hands full as he tries to lead his team to victory in the Hall of Fame National Championship Tournament. As a consequence of being purposely beaned in an early-round game, he has to have eye surgery; he is briefly detained after sneaking into the Hall of Fame with his buddy Benji; he thinks he's losing his sort-of girlfriend to the handsome son of a former major league star; and he is interviewed on national TV by legendary announcer Bob Costas. He uncovers a plot on the part of the former major leaguer to fix the games in the tournament and makes an escape by motorboat from a crooked, shotgun-wielding umpire, all the while performing on the field at a nearly superhuman level. There is certainly a lot going on, not all of it entirely plausible, but everything is handled with a light, deft touch. A highlight of the book is the banter between Josh and Benji, much of which is genuinely hilarious. Real baseball aficionados will appreciate the treatment of some of the more subtle nuances of the game. Enjoyable, unpretentious escapism for youngsters, especially reluctant readers."Richard Luzer, Fair Haven Union High School, VT"

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