Tag archives for Sports
Posted by BOOK NAME: Mason Dixon: Basketball Disasters
AUTHOR: Claudia Mills
This book is about a fourth-grader named Mason Dixon who never wants to try anything new, and
describes himself as someone who “isn’t really a sports type of person.” It sounds like the only time he
tries something new is when his best friend Brody talks him into doing it.
Well, this time Brody talks Mason into playing basketball. You would think that since Mason is tall, that
would be easy, but he has no basketball skills of any kind, or at least he keeps telling himself that. The
thing is, Brody is the complete opposite, trying everything he can.
Overall, I didn’t exactly like this book because it keeps switching between basketball and what Mason
is learning about in school, as if all readers care about his fourth-grade social studies class. It also talks
too much about the old lady who lives next door to Mason and how she hates dogs. The book’s title and
cover would make you think it’s all about basketball, but it is only around 60 percent about the sport.
Depending on your age, you might think this book is better than I do. I’m in sixth grade and I found it off
topic at times, but it actually might be much more interesting to fourth graders or younger readers. My
favorite parts of the book were when it was about Mason and Brody playing basketball.
Posted by BOOK NAME: Hothead
AUTHOR: Cal Ripken, Jr.
Do you play baseball? If you do, you probably know how important sportsmanship is during any athletic competition. Even so, sometimes it’s hard to be a good sport. Have you or anyone you know ever thrown a tantrum about missing a catch, striking out, or making a bad throw?
12-year-old Connor Sullivan is the last person anyone expects to lose his cool during a game. He is usually a very humble but extremely talented shortstop for the Babe Ruth League Orioles. In fact, he is the star player on the team. He has helped the Orioles achieve a perfect season so far, and now he has his sights set on the league pennant. Connor is also normally a good-natured guy who is good friends with everyone on the team.
Lately, however, Connor has been acting very strange. A recent event has greatly affected his family, and Connor’s attitude is taking a turn for the worst. Whenever he misses a catch or strikes out on an important play, he freaks out. His temper tantrums usually involve nasty, condescending remarks to his teammates and kicking and throwing his glove and other baseball equipment. Other players in the league nickname him “Psycho Sully” because of his wild fits of rage. No one else knows why Connor has suddenly started letting his temper get the best of him, but Connor’s coach wants it to stop, immediately! He just might end up forcing Connor off the team, even though he is their best player. A fellow classmate and reporter for Connor’s school’s newspaper plans to do a headline story on Connor’s sudden outbursts. Connor better shape up and get his act together, or his future as a baseball player could be in jeopardy!
I’ve played baseball before, so I can relate to the events that take place in this book. Even though I was a good sport, one of my teammates often went on a ranting rampage whenever he struck out or missed a catch. He yelled at me and the other members of the team whenever we made an error. No one wanted to be his friend because of his foul temper and the way he made us feel about being member of the team. The author of the book, Cal Ripken Jr., also had many of the same experiences as his fictional character. That was the most interesting aspect of the book, both the author and myself could relate to some of the events that occurred in the story. Maybe you will have a similar connection. I could empathize with Connor because of my own personal experiences. Definitely read this “grand slam” of a baseball book!
Posted by BOOK NAME: Last Shot
AUTHOR: John Feinstein
Eighth grader Stevie Thomas is super-psyched when he finds out that he won the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s writing contest! As his prize, he gets to be a junior journalist at the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament! He is not so excited to find out that he’ll be joining another winner, Susan Carol Anderson. He doesn’t let that ruin his excitement, though, and counts down the days for he and his father to go to New Orleans for the tournament.
The big day comes, and Stevie soon arrives in New Orleans. He gets to meet many basketball reporters, and even staff from the different colleges participating in the Final Four. He meets Susan Carol, and as time passes by, he realizes that she’s not that bad. Both of them get to tour the Superdome, where the court, team locker rooms, and reporter rooms are located. They even get press credentials, which allow them to get anywhere.
As they are exploring the Superdome, they overhear someone blackmailing Chip Graber, the star player of Minnesota State University, saying that he had to lose the final game, or else… Who is the man? Why would he threaten a player? Stevie and Susan Carol are determined to solve the mystery! Through lies and even danger, they try their hardest to put the pieces together. Will they be successful?
I loved this book! I was glued to the pages from the day I started it, to the day I finished! I am not really interested in sports, but the author made everything easy to understand. This book is long and has some parts that may be scary for some people. Be sure to ask your parents before reading it. I fell in love with this book, and I hope you will, too!
Posted by BOOK NAME: One-Handed Catch
AUTHOR: Jane Auch
Some of the best stories are the inspirational ones, and this book sure is one of them. One-Handed Catch is based on the true story of the author’s husband who learns to play baseball one-handed and learns to excel at not just baseball, but in life too. Norm is a 6th grader who has great struggles after he loses his hand in an accident. I can’t even imagine having that happen to me, but Norm thinks that it was really a blessing because it made him work hard to overcome new challenges that most people don’t have to deal with. And these challenges are even small things like learning to tie your shoes with just one hand. Norm thinks that he probably wouldn’t have made the baseball team if he hadn’t lost his hand because it actually forced him to practice harder and improve. Norm’s mom is the “tough love” type mother and tells all of his teachers that they shouldn’t go easy on him or else he would never be able to handle new problems. Fortunately, his friend Leon doesn’t treat him differently either, which I think helps Norm a lot.
This book reminds me of Shark Girl because they both lose part of their arm and must overcome adversity and adapt to their new reality. They are both unsure of themselves, but in the end they accomplish goals beyond their dreams and set a new standard of what it means to be normal. Boys, this one’s for you, but I think girls will enjoy it too!
BOOK NAME: Schoolboy Johnson
AUTHOR: John R. Tunis
“Strike three, batter out!” The Dodgers are second in their league and striving for the pennant. They have many wise veteran players. In the middle of the season, a new rookie nicknamed Schoolboy Johnson joins the team. He has a sizzling fast ball and, unlike most pitchers, loves to bat. This new rookie has a terrible temper. Veteran players such as Speedy Mason and Roy Tucker know that the Schoolboy will never reach his true pitching potential unless he controls his temper, and they try their best to help him control his anger. It seems like a hopeless cause. Schoolboy Johnson throws fits over a missed catch or a tough batter. He is also undisciplined and demonstrates a lack of focus in pitching. Can Schoolboy Johnson ever control his temper, win the pennant, and a girl’s heart?
This book was very interesting, even though I’m not a big baseball fan. I still thoroughly enjoyed it, and there were many valuable life lessons in this book. Managing your emotions, respecting your elders, and being a team player were all lessons that Schoolboy Johnson had to learn. I liked how this book told the story from several characters’ points of view. It really gave me insight into what each person was thinking. For example, Schoolboy Johnson talks about the veteran players and that he thinks they are “too old for their own good”. Roy Tucker, a veteran player, states that he thinks Schoolboy Johnson is too hot headed. The descriptions of the baseball games were so detailed that I felt I was actually on the field with the players. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a sports novel with a good moral lesson.
Posted by BOOK NAME: The Rivalry
AUTHOR: John Feinstein
Hey, I’m back. I’m writing about a mystery book. I liked this book because it also involves sports. It is a series of books; all have something to do with sports. It’s about two teenagers who are reporters for two different newspapers. Stevie and Susan Carol are their names.
They were both invited to the Army vs. Navy game, which is a big football rivalry. The game would take place in D.C. Each reporter would each be assigned a team to cover. Stevie went to West Point to check out Army and Susan Carol hade to go to Annapolis, Maryland to see the Naval Academy.
When the game day finally came the refs were not being fair and both coaches were REALLY mad. It turns out the same refs were at he previous game for both teams and weren’t being very fair in those either. Can Susan Carol and Stevie get to the bottom of this? I can’t tell you that. You are going to have to read the book to find out. I think that if you like mystery or sports or both then this is the book for you. I recommend this book for kids 10-13. It keeps you up all night because you just can’t put it down.
Thanks for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Until next time: Hasta la vista amigos.
BOOK NAME: Roy Morelli Steps Up to the Plate
AUTHOR: Thatcher Heldring
Roy Morelli is a youth baseball All-Star. He’s good at baseball, but not so good at history. Since he got a bad grade on a history test, he had to move from the All-Star baseball league to the Rec League so he could focus more on school. The team he joins is the worst ever, but his two best friends, Fish and Kenny, play on it. They’ve never beaten a team before-any team. The only “win” they’ve ever had was when a team didn’t show up for a game and had to forfeit.
This book is about the crazy happenings for Roy, an eighth-grader, in both baseball and school. I like how much Roy helps his team get better and, midway through the season, the team comes up with the motto: “Let’s Win One.” And that’s what happens. They win their last game of the season on a bunt that ends up being an inside-the-park home run.
I liked the book, but I also like baseball. I’m not sure someone who doesn’t like baseball would like it that much since the book is mostly about that sport.
BOOK NAME: Sports Camp
AUTHOR:
Rich Wallace
How was your summer? I know mine was great…especially with all of my books. This book is a great to read during the summer, especially if you’re at camp, because it’s about a summer camp.
If you like sports, then this is the perfect book for you. The kids Camp Olympia split into six cabins and those are the teams for the tournaments during the camp. The main events are Basketball, Softball and Water Polo. Riley’s an underdog and definitely not a star. But in one of the sports he comes up big.
The swimming and water polo events take place at Lake Surprise. It’s called Lake Surprise because Big Joe the snapping turtle lives there. There are rumors that Big Joe, has attacked and even killed people at the lake.
At the end of every chapter there’s a bulletin page for the camp, which is the daily news for the camp. It shows the results for the sports and the scores and a list of upcoming events and sometimes new rules.
I really hope you get this book and enjoy it. It took me less than two days to read, so it’s a good book if you’re looking for a quick read.
Posted by BOOK NAME: A Strong Right Arm: The Story of Mamie “Peanut” Johnson
AUTHOR: Michelle Y. Green
This is a biography about an African-American girl who wants to play baseball. Her name was Mamie “Peanut” Johnson. Mamie loved baseball so much that people think that she was born with one in her hand! She wanted to play in the higher leagues but they wouldn’t let her because she was African-American. They would yell at her if she tried to go in any training facilities because they are for Whites only. So Mamie tried out for the Negro League and made the team. She played hard with a winning record of 33-8 and a batting average of .284. Mamie is still alive and lives in the Washington D.C. area.
I read this book for a biography book report. I chose her because I was a softball pitcher so I thought that I would like to read a book related to that. Mamie is an awesome baseball player I found out. She even struck Babe Ruth out! I don’t read biographies often so it was cool to learn about someone I hadn’t ever heard of.
If you were to write a biography about yourself than what would you title it? EXAMPLE: Jordan; the Blog-Writer. Leave a comment with your answer.
Posted by BOOK NAME: Brady Brady and the Great Rink
AUTHOR: Mary Shaw and Chuck Temple
Brady Brady and the Great Rink is a book about a hockey player named Brady Brady. His name’s not actually Brady Brady. His name is Brady, but he never listens to anyone because he’s always thinking about hockey. So they call him Brady Brady because they’re trying to get his attention: “Brady BRADY!”
His championship game is coming up. And at his rink the lights go out and there’s no power. So Brady Brady makes a rink in his back yard. It takes him a long time to make it. After he makes the rink, he plays hockey with his dog. He gets out pucks and a net and his dog plays goalie. The dog’s name is Hat Trick.
The championship game was the coolest hockey game ever played. People in his town came from all over town. And nobody even care about the score!
I play hockey, but I’ve only played one season. I really like this book because they play hockey.
BOOK NAME: Honus & Me: A Baseball Card Adventure
AUTHOR: Dan Gutman
I don’t collect baseball cards, but I like baseball. This story is about a baseball card that’s worth much more than money. It can take you back in time.
It starts when 12-year-old baseball card collector Joe Stoshack helps his old neighbor clean out her attic. She tells him to throw everything in the garbage. While cleaning the attic, he finds an old baseball card for Honus Wagner, which is one of the rarest baseball cards in the world. Joe can’t figure out if he should tell his neighbor about it or not. He takes it home and it takes him back in time to when Honus played 100 years ago in the World Series. While back in time, Joe learns that his old neighbor was actually once a girlfriend of Honus Wagner.
The book tells what life and baseball was like a long time ago. I thought it was interesting how baseball players used to pay people to come to their games instead of the other way around. I didn’t know anything about Honus Wagner before reading this book, but now I know a lot more about him and the way baseball was played so long ago. If you like baseball, you’ll love this book.
Posted by Happy Opening Day! Have you ever wondered what it takes to be a
professional mascot? How about one of the running presidents for the
Washington Nationals?
Stephanie Montgomery, a National Geographic employee, tried out to be a racing president in February. During tryouts, the four “presidents” (Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt) had to run a race around the baseball diamond. in full costume while wearing a giant head! Montgomery says that the giant head “was not as heavy as I had feared, but it was very awkward. I had listened to some tips
from some of the other folks who had run already, and knew that you
should lean back for balance and comfort, but push your head forward
for vision. It also seemed that small choppy steps were the way to go.
Photograph courtesy Kate Baylor
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BOOK NAME: Two-Minute Drill, A Comeback Kids novel
AUTHOR: Mike Lupica
This time I’m writing about a sports book on football. Two-Minute Drill is about a kid named Scott that meets a kid named Chris, and they both love football.
Scott showed Chris his backyard football field that even had goalposts. They practice every day. They both try out for the Eagles and make the team. Chris is the quarterback and is one of the best players. Scott sits on the bench most of the game, but likes to practice drop-kicks in his backyard. A drop-kick is like a punt except it bounces before it’s kicked, and you can get three points or an extra point after a touchdown.
Scott is the brainiest kid in his sixth-grade class. Chris is the best football player in the school. Chris isn’t a very good reader, and Scott isn’t that good at football. So they made a deal. Scott would help Chris with his schoolwork and Chris would help Scott with football.
At the championship where the Eagles play the Lions, the Lions scored a safety to make the score 2-0. And that’s how it stayed until the 4th quarter. On third down Chris was sacked and got injured and the Eagles used their last timeout. The Eagles’ coach wanted to try and get a touchdown, but Chris told the coach that Scott could make a drop-kick. There were 2 seconds left in the game and Scott made the kick to make the score 3-2 – a baseball score! The Eagles won the Championship.
I liked the book because it was all about sports and I like sports too. Look in stores, because Mike Lupica has other books like Miracle on 49th Street and Hot Hands. I’m reading Hot Hands next. It’s about basketball.
