Plunked

Northrop, Michael       Plunked     

 Scholastic/Grolier/Childrens Press/Watts 2012 246p    16.99 978-0-545-29714-1       ms            Realistic fiction, Conflict  

Jack has lived and breathed baseball since he was a young child.  His father and he share an enthusiasm for collecting baseball cards.  Even Jack’s mother shares the family’s passion for baseball.  Jack’s baseball skills are good enough to land him a permanent Little League starter position in left field with a team in contention for a title. There is plenty of play action with the personality quirks of the team members and coaches deftly intertwined in the sports action.  Practice drills, competition for starting positions, favoritism toward a coach’s son and past friendships and rivalries are all present.  When Jack is plunked in the head by a wicked, out of control, inside fastball pitch, his world turns upside down.  Although he is physically okay, Jack now has an aversion, even fear, when up at the plate and when he is fielding a ball hit to him in left field.  The lies he tells to his parents, coaches and teammates to avoid talking about his fears make him feel even worse.  The resolution is believable and may even help readers who face a sudden drop-off in sporting ability or know of someone going through a slump.  Northrop has written a high-quality sports story that deals with a topic not often covered in upper elementary and middle-school fiction. The graphics of pin stripes and "diamond" shapes used at the start of each chapter extend the sports motif.     This is a good one for grades 5-10.

VG-BN       Lois McNicol(3)   Baseball, Sports, Anxiety