The Story of the Pittsburgh Pirates

September 1, 2011
Grades 5-8 This fluidly written overview of the ups and downs of one of the oldest teams in the major leagues earns flash points for its generous array of big, sharply reproduced photos. Among other highlights (and lowlights) from its storied past: the Pirates played in the first World Series; have fielded a dazzling squad of Hall of Famers, from Pud Galvin and Honus Wagner to Willie Stargel and Roberto Clemente; and own the longest streak of losing seasons in any major professional sport. In contrast to the roughly chronological main text, full-page tributes to many of the team's all-time stars are interleaved in random order, which gives the overall narrative a timeless feel. Closing with a reference to the 2010 season and dramatic in-game photos of prominent current players, this entry in the Baseball: The Great American Game series will be equally inviting to fans and nonfansthough the former, at least, may be disappointed by the lack of a table of team statistics, a time line, or other back matter beyond the index.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)