Batting order : every place in the lineup counts

Format:

Audio disc

Title:

Batting order : every place in the lineup counts

Author:

Lupica, Mike author

ISBN:

9781508283447

9781508283454

Edition:

Unabridged.

Publication:

New York, NY : Simon & Schuster Audio, [2019]

Physical Description:

5 audio discs (5.5 hr.) : CD audio, digital ; 4 3/4 in.

General Note:

Compact discs.

Summary:

Small, shy Matt Baker, who has been marginalized because of a speech disorder, and big, bold, and brash Ben Roberson become unlikely practice partners as their baseball team navigates the rapidly approaching end of their season.

Subject(s):

Baseball stories.

Stuttering -- Juvenile fiction.

Self-confidence -- Juvenile fiction.

Parent and child -- Juvenile fiction.

Single-parent families -- Juvenile fiction.

Baseball -- Fiction.

Stuttering -- Fiction.

Self-confidence -- Fiction.

Parent and child -- Fiction.

Single-parent families -- Fiction.

Size -- Juvenile fiction.

Genre:

Baseball stories.

Baseball stories

Audiobooks

Children's audiobooks

Children's audiobooks.

Audiobooks.

Added Author:

Ali, Ali Andre

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Dallas Public Library	+ BCD Lupica, M. Batting	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

From acclaimed author of the Home Team Mike Lupica comes a brand-new novel about the heart and soul of baseball. On or off the field, Matt and Ben couldn't be more different. Ben Roberson is an all-or-nothing player: he's big, he's bold, and he's brash. Ben's swing can hit a ball right out of the park--but that's if he can get a hit at all. Matt Baker is small, and shy, and his stutter has him avoiding the spotlight--even if he's the best all-rounder on the team. But while Matt knows he's got the chops, a part of him has always envied "Big Ben" and his attention-grabbing charm. So it's a total shock when Ben asks Matt to help him work on his swing. Because Ben can't put the ball into play, and his showboating comes at the expense of the team. And even though Matt's trying to help, Ben doesn't seem to take him seriously, especially when it means toning things down. The end of the season is fast approaching--is there enough time for Ben to realize bigger isn't always better? For Matt to understand that sometimes, being the bigger person means standing up for yourself? Or will they have to accept defeat?

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Bestselling author Lupica has mastered the ingredients of a feel-good sports story: a likable athletic protagonist, play-by-play game scenes, and come-from-behind victories. And he sticks to that recipe in this leisurely story about small-for-his-age middle schooler Matt Baker, who's "always felt big on the baseball field" despite his size. The star second baseman on his summer All-Star Little League team, Matt lives with his single mother and has a stutter that shows up at the least opportune moments. But his mom and his speech therapist both provide ample support in life, as do his coach and friends. The story seems to center more at times around Matt's teammate Ben, who is bigger and flashier, and who, at his controlling father's urging, insists on swinging for the fences even when it costs his team the game. When Ben asks Matt for batting help, the two boys forge a tentative friendship-one that will be tested many times throughout the season. Sports fans will enjoy the baseball references and the easy camaraderie between Matt and his teammates. In the end, Lupica brings his message back to the merits of being a good teammate and never giving up, mantras that young sports fans never tire of seeing play out. Ages 8-12. Agent: Esther Newberg, ICM. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Kirkus Review

Matt loves everything about baseball.He is an excellent player on his Little League team in the summer All-Stars League. It doesn't matter that he's the shortest kid on the team, because baseball makes him feel "like his very best self." He studies every aspect of the game and takes extra practices with his teammate Jos. His mom is his special personal coach, enthusiastically practicing hitting and fielding with him, always encouraging, not just about baseball, but also about his severe stutter. His speech pathologist is another support, eliciting his feelings when he is "blocked" or "stuck" and finding ways to help. Ben, another teammate, is having his own difficulties. He hits towering homers but strikes out more often. His father insists on a big swing and yells loudly at him to hit home runs. Matt and his mom try to coach him in ways to get more base hits, but his dad proves to be a negative force. Lupica keeps the focus on Matt's struggles, his determination, and his genuine kindness, braiding it with action-packed play-by-play baseball and lots of references to current major league players. Jos is Puerto Rican, and there's delightful Spanish-English wordplay in their banter. Matt and most of the other characters present white, though there are naming conventions that indicate some diversity.For baseball lovers, it's a winner. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.