Book Giveaway: The Kid From Diamond Street: The Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton

 

I have THREE FREE copies of this great title up for grabs! For your chance to win, post a comment to the blog. Please include your first name, city, state and email contact. Deadline for posts is April 11, 2016, at noon MST. Winners are selected randomly by Randomizer. Winners will be notified via email on April 11. Please check your email on that date. Winners have 24 hours to respond to my email. Books will ship from New York. Good luck and start posting!

 

Here is a quote from my review:

 

Fascinating, full of facts, well researched, easy to read and understand, and entertaining, this story of a girl who dared to love the game of baseball and break that "grass ceiling" gaining access into an all male sport is an incredible read and fine addition to any sports section or women's section of your collection and is a must read for sports fans and all young girls.  

 

 

What Reviewers are Saying:

    "An engaging story that reminds readers that “baseball isn’t just numbers and statistics, men and boys. Baseball is also ten-year-old girls, marching across a city to try out for a team intended for players twice their age."
–Horn Book

"Salerno's illustrations, variously rendered in charcoal, ink, and gouache, as well as digital color, lovingly evoke the time period and the settings. Much fascinating information about Edith's long and adventurous life is added in an author's note. A forgotten star shines anew."
–Kirkus Reviews

"[The Kid from Diamond Street] should especially appeal to those who enjoyed Vernick and Salerno’s Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team. The compelling story and energetic illustrations make this an excellent addition."
–School Library Journal

"Salerno’s mixed-media illustrations are a lively amalgam of action and scenic panorama..."
–Bulletin

"Choice quotations from [Edith] Houghton bring her personality and love of baseball to vivid life, while Salerno’s mixed-media artwork channels the footloose energy of the Jazz Age..."
–Publishers Weekly

"This timely message about playing simply for the love of the game, as opposed to personal glory or celebrity, comes through loud and clear."
–Booklist

Baseball Pick: The Kid From Diamond Street: The Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton

The Kid From Diamond Street: The Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith Houghton
by Audrey Vernick
Illustrated by Steven Salerno
Clarion Books
2015
40 pages
ISBN: 9780544611634

What Reviewers are Saying:

    "An engaging story that reminds readers that “baseball isn’t just numbers and statistics, men and boys. Baseball is also ten-year-old girls, marching across a city to try out for a team intended for players twice their age."
–Horn Book

"Salerno's illustrations, variously rendered in charcoal, ink, and gouache, as well as digital color, lovingly evoke the time period and the settings. Much fascinating information about Edith's long and adventurous life is added in an author's note. A forgotten star shines anew."
–Kirkus Reviews

"[The Kid from Diamond Street] should especially appeal to those who enjoyed Vernick and Salerno’s Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team. The compelling story and energetic illustrations make this an excellent addition."
–School Library Journal

"Salerno’s mixed-media illustrations are a lively amalgam of action and scenic panorama..."
–Bulletin

"Choice quotations from [Edith] Houghton bring her personality and love of baseball to vivid life, while Salerno’s mixed-media artwork channels the footloose energy of the Jazz Age..."
–Publishers Weekly

"This timely message about playing simply for the love of the game, as opposed to personal glory or celebrity, comes through loud and clear."
–Booklist

My Review:

 

Fascinating, full of facts, well researched, easy to read and understand, and entertaining this story of a girl who dared to love the game of baseball and break that "grass" ceiling gaining access into an all male sport is an incredible read and fine addition to any sports section or women's section of your collection and is a must read for sports fans and all young girls.  

 

In the early 20th century, baseball was an all male sport, but that didn't stop ten year Edith from joining the neighborhood games with her brothers and loving the sport. Edith didn't care that girls weren't allowed to play, she loved the game and would do anything to play. When Edith heard that there was a professional women's team being formed in her hometown of Philadelphia, she tried out for the team. Although only ten years old, Edith outperformed other players. She was added to the team roster as shortstop and played with the Philadelphia Bobbies. The team played in Philadelphia and as far away as Virginia, but Edith didn't care where they played, as long as she could play.

 

Edith's father was so proud. The press was constantly writing about the Bobbies and the talented "kid." By 1925, the team had gained international attention and they were invited to play against a men's team in Japan--halfway around the world! The team set off by train from Philadelphia to Washington, playing men's teams along the way. They boarded a ship in Seattle and set off for Japan. Talk about culture shock! This was Japan in 1925. Kimonos were worn daily and people traveled by rickshaw. The Bobbies played teams all across Japan for two months, becoming quite famous.

 

They finally arrived home, and Edith continued her love of the game, playing for other teams and later becoming a major league scout for the Philadelphia Phillies, where owner Bob Carpenter was amazed by her encyclopedic knowledge of the game and players. Edith's jersey and cap from her Japan games are displayed in the Baseball Hall of Fame in the Diamond Dreams exhibit.

 

Mixed media art by Steven Salerno captures the era and the game. Ten year old Edith on the cover captivates  as she rests on the bat, glove in hand, suitcase with travel stickers at her feet. Edith has what my grandmother used to call, "gumption," and that's the finest compliment anyone can receive.

 

Highly, highly recommended for all collections, sports and otherwise. Early readers-grade 4 and up, and sports fans of all ages.

 

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

 

 

 

YA Pick: Dangerous Lies

Dangerous Lies
by Becca Fitzpatrick
Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
2014
384 pages
ISBN: 9781481424912


After last year's Black Ice, I was excited to get into Dangerous Lies. A word of warning: this is not as heart pounding and action packed as Black Ice. Dangerous Lies, is however, a good read of a different kind. Forced to leave her life and love behind, Stella Gordon is moved to Thunder Basin, Nebraska, as part of the witness protection program. Having witnessed a brutal murder, Stella is moved against her will. She's not a fan of the tiny town or her new living situation.

It is decided that she will live at a retired cop's house. Carmina's a tough old broad with a heart of gold. She won't put up with arguments, backtalk or laziness and makes Stella get a job right away. Stella works at a diner in town but plans to leave Thunder Basin in a few months when she turns eighteen--witness protection program or not. Stella secretly sends messages to her boyfriend Reed  in an account they set up to be "untraceable."  I just didn't buy the fact that Stella actually believed criminals and the government could not track her Internet use. Later Stella phones her estranged mother and thinks her actions are secret.

The ending made it all worth the read. Although the book dragged for me in the middle, it redeems itself at the end. Stella is a hard character to love. It's not her fault; she's had a hard life. Her mother is not Mother of the Year in anyone's mind. The lies Stella tells about the cartel crime end up coming back to haunt her. There are lies and half truths in Thunder Basin, too, and that makes the town more interesting. My favorite character is bad guy Trigger, a spoiled rich kid whose father seems to run the town. Trigger has is in for Stella, and when he finally puts the pieces together, it's exciting! I also loved Chet Falconer--I love his name, first of all! Then, he's a gentleman and a good guy. He's hard working, true to his word and a real catch--too bad he's fiction!

If your expecting an action packed blockbuster, this isn't the book for you. If you want a book about a tortured, tough, spunky girl who is  actually more afraid than she'll admit and a guy whose truly swoon worthy, this is a good read.

Recommended grade 9-up. No sex but we meet Stella in the first scene tangled up on a bed with Reed and the implication is that they have a history of this. Also, the drug angle and cartel angle has a mature vibe although it's no racier than anything on prime time television.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

HIgh School Pick: 100 Sideways Miles

100 Sideways Miles
by Andrew Smith
Simon and Schuster
2014
288 pages
ISBN: 9781442444959

Witty, irreverent and just plain fun! What else do  you expect from an Andrew Smith YA title? You know you will be entertained and amazed and spellbound. 100 Sideways Miles will make you laugh and entertain you. It will cause strange reactions and could cause hysteria in some people. Don't read this novel if you have no sense of humor. Don't read this book if profanity bothers you. Just get over it. Warning: Reading Andrew Smith could cause eruptions of laughter and leave the reader with  lasting feelings of happiness which may last days or even weeks.

Finn Easton tells the story of his childhood  accident--the time a dead horse fell on him and his real mother causing her death and Finn to suffer from epilepsy. Since the accident, Finn sees the passage of time not in hours and minutes but in miles that the earth travels. Finn tells the incident and it's believable and laughable--and after I read it,  I felt a bit guilty--I couldn't  believe I just laughed at a kid's dead mother and the fact he now has epilepsy--but only a little bit guilty. That's the fun in Smith's writing and characters--you laugh at things that are not funny--but actually, they are hysterically funny.

Finn's father is a novelist whose sci-fi novel about space aliens who arrive on Earth through "Lazarus doors" in the universe and appear as angels to humans is a hit. Because the humans welcome the "angels," they don't realize the angels came to feast on humans. The book becomes so popular that some people take it too seriously and have threatened his father. Because one of the aliens happens to be a boy named Finn, the real Finn is upset. He hates that he's part of his father's novel, even though his father insists that the alien is not based on him. The real Finn feels like he's trapped inside his father's book.

Finn's best friend is an all American, tobacco chewing, baseball playing jock with a potty mouth named Cade Hernandez. Not only is Cade Hernandez physically blessed, he's smart, popular and funny. Cade  Hernandez  is a class clown whose epic antics are loved by the entire school. Finn has a bro-mance with Cade Hernandez. Cade Hernandez can get people to do nearly anything he wants just by looking at them. Finn says, "It was a look particular to Cade Hernandez--a seducer's look. It was magical and unavoidable and caused women to willingly enslave themselves to him." Finn always refers to Cade Hernandez as Cade Hernandez--it's just one of his lovable quirks.

When a pretty, new girl shows up at school,  Finn is immediately smitten with her. He won't admit to Cade that he has feelings for Julia. He knows Cade will do anything for a laugh, and he's afraid his best friend  will ruin whatever chance he has with Julia.

Readers will love the  relationship between Finn and Cade; they are closer than blood and their banter is fresh and funny. The father/son relationship between Finn and his dad is sweet and timeless. Although Finn hates his father's book, he has a deep love and regard for his father. His father's parenting style is Yoda-like "Use the Force, Finn."  He tells it like it is and doesn't skirt tough issues. If Finn asks a question, he gets a truthful answer.

There is so much to love about 100 Sideways Miles: a father/son relationship worthy of "Leave It To Beaver" but so much better, a weird sci-fi novel where aliens eat humans and humans think the aliens are angels, a dog who loves to roll in dead animals' carcasses, a road trip, a best friend--part class clown and part Greek god, a cute girl, a dead horse that falls from the sky, and best of all an epileptic boy who will touch readers' hearts.

Don't pick up 100 Sideways Miles unless you're ready to finish it in one session. Be prepared to fall in love with Finn Easton, Cade Hernandez and Andrew Smith.

Highly, highly recommended grade 9-up. A MUST READ. Language, underage drinking and partying, bad boy behavior, sex.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Book Club Pick: Heading Out To Wonderful (now in paperback)

Heading Out to Wonderful
by Robert Goolrick
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
2013 (hardcover edition 2012)
292 pages

now in paperback

Poignant, passionate, and perfect, Heading Out to Wonderful weaves a cautionary tale for young men who dare to dream and young women who reach for the blazing stars.

Charlie Beale arrives in sleepy Brownsburg, Virginia, with a dream, a past, and a ton of money. He is a stranger to the people here, and they don't trust strangers. He buys land down near the river and keeps to himself. Charlie takes a job at the local butcher shop and becomes friendly with the butcher, his wife and young son. A single, good looking young man in a small town becomes fodder for the town's gossip mills; there are whispers about what Charlie does and what he really  wants.

Charlie just wants to buy land...a lot of it. He has a yearning to own property--a need so deep that even when he owns more land than anyone, he is not sated. Charlie doesn't have a name for what bothers him...until he sees...her. Sylvan Glass, the wife of the town's richest and most powerful man.

Sylvan is a country girl; she is a hillbilly with no education, but she has dreams. She always wanted to be a movie star or live like one. She is infatuated with movie star glamour and hires the best seamstress in town to sew her Hollywood style outfits. Sylvan dreams of money, glamour and romance. Through her rose colored glasses, anything is possible.  Charlie becomes her movie star and she becomes his muse.

It is only natural for masculine speciman Charlie and beautiful, dreamy Sylvan  to fall hopelessly in love. They share a bond so deep, so tangible, that it can only result in trouble. The duo is destined for tragedy from their first encounter.

Goolrick builds a great story layer upon layer, deftly telling the story of Charlie and Sylvan's star-crossed romance while he builds the back story of a young boy's coming of age story--where the boy has to accept that his hero is not perfect.

Heading Out to Wonderful will resonate with  readers. The setting of small town post-war Virginia harkens back to Mayberry RFD, and you expect Gomer or Andy to wave hello to you. This is Anywhere, USA--1948--and it couldn't be more nostalgic.

The novel has a tragic ending, of course, but one I wasn't prepared for. I loved the storytelling and I loved the love story, but it took me two weeks to digest this story. It is a beautiful story and it is a terrible story. There is much to discover here for book club members.

Highly, highly recommended for mature readers and book clubs. Grade 9-adult. Sex and mature situations.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Teen Pick: Okay For Now

Okay For Now
by Gary D. Schmidt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011.
page count of the galley is 371; book page count not yet determined
Available April 5, 2011

Touching, gritty, funny, compelling, and sweet, Okay For Now is a poignant coming of age story set in small town America during the 1960s. The novel is narrated by "skinny delivery boy" Doug who reminds this reader of a younger Holden Caulfield, although Doug is not quite the snarky misanthrope, he has his moments and considers almost everyone a "chump." Doug dreams of baseball and his hero Joe Pepitone who once gave him a signed baseball jacket.

Besides baseball, Doug discovers his love of art when he sees a beautiful book on display at the town's library--a large building with intimidating marble steps. The book is a set of prints by American artist John Audubon. Many of the prints are missing having been sold off by the town council or given as gifts to various political friends. Doug starts to sketch each bird under the tutelege of the cataloging librarian Mr. Powell. Doug begins to understand that art has the magic power of taking someone far away--if you can dream it, you can paint it.

Doug's family life is nothing short of dysfunctional. Mom and Dad don't have a real relationship; his dad is always mad and hangs out too late with loser friend Ernie and hates his loser job at the loser mill. Doug's oldest brother is off in Viet Nam fighting the war. His other brother Chris is a bully.

School is not easy either. It seems the gym teacher has it in for him. One day, Doug meets a quirky girl named Lil, and through this chance meeting, he is hired to deliver for her father's deli business. Doug loves his Saturday job and meets several "characters" who help shape his life.

When brother Lucas comes home from Viet Nam, everything changes. Lucas comes home a shell of a man; he is now a blind paraplegic and hates himself and his plight. In one of the most disturbing scenarios in the book, war protesters yell at Lucas in his wheelchair saying it served him right he lost his legs, that they are glad he's blind, and they spit in his face. It's hard to remember that Americans could harbor that kind of hatred toward one of our own.

Doug is also funny. His hatred of poetry is hysterical; readers are sure to smile when he says he wants to punch Percy Bysshe Shelley in the nose! Doug is one determined delivery boy--he gets all the Audobon prints back into the book, makes amends with the gym teacher, gets his handicapped brother a job he loves, and helps Lil through her illness.

Okay For Now is well-written with believable characters and the captivating love that grows between Doug and Lil is heartfelt.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up.
No language, some adult situations.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the galley from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.