Baseball season is in full swing and we wanted to highlight some of our favorite teen baseball titles!
Soar by Joan Bauer– Moving to Hillcrest, Ohio, when his adoptive father accepts a temporary job, twelve-year-old Jeremiah, a heart transplant recipient, has sixty days to find a baseball team to coach.
Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena- Sixteen-year-old Danny searches for his identity amidst the confusion of being half-Mexican and half-white while spending a summer with his cousin and new friends on the baseball fields and back alleys of San Diego County, California.
See No Color by Shannon Gibney- Alex has always identified herself as a baseball player, the daughter of a winning coach, but when she realizes that is not enough she begins to come to terms with her adoption and her race.
The Big Field by Mike Lupica- For Hutch, shortstop has always been home. It’s where his father once played professionally, before injuries relegated him to watching games on TV instead of playing them. And it’s where Hutch himself has always played and starred. Until now. The arrival of Darryl “D-Will” Williams, the top shortstop prospect from Florida since A-Rod, means Hutch is displaced, in more ways than one. Second base feels like second fiddle, and when he sees his father giving fielding tips to D-Will?t he same father who can’t be bothered to show up to watch his son play? Hutch feels betrayed. With the summer league championship on the line, just how far is Hutch willing to bend to be a good teammate?
Game Seven by Paul Volponi- Julio Ramirez Jr. lives in the shadow of his famous father. Not just because Julio Senior is a pitcher for the Miami Marlins and famous for his scorching fastball, but because he defected from Cuba, leaving Julio and his sister and mother branded as the family of a traitor. Now sixteen, Julio has dreams of playing shortstop for Cuba’s national team–until he’s given the opportunity to sail to the U.S. Can he abandon his family, just like his Papi did? Is freedom worth the perilous journey and risking prison if he’s caught? Will his Papi be waiting for him on the other shore–or, with the Marlins in the World Series against the Yankees, has Julio Senior forgotten all about his son?
New Kid by Tim Green- Tommy’s father has a secret that keeps the two of them moving from town to town under different names. The new kid, again, with a new identity, “Brock Nickerson” is also an exceptionally talented pitcher. Can he pursue his love of baseball at his new school, or will that jeopardize their safety? The suspense story line isn’t as developed as Green’s signature sports action.
Pinch Hit by Tim Green- When movie star Trevor and regular Little League player Sam discover that they are identical twins who were separated at birth, they decide to trade places for a while so that Sam can live the Hollywood life and Trevor can play baseball.
All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg- Vietnamese American seventh grader Matt has two passions–piano and baseball–and one secret: he feels responsible for horrific injuries his little brother sustained in Vietnam during the war. Matt’s painful memories are adeptly captured by the fleeting but powerful images of Burg’s free verse. Working through his past, Matt comes to understand that remembering can open the door to hope. (Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Sliding Home by Joyce Grant- Miguel hasn’t missed his native El Salvador since arriving in Canada with his mother and sister. But with his father still in El Salvador running their bakery, and gangs shaking down the old neighborhood, life still isn’t easy for Miguel. Holding down multiple jobs leaves him with little time for his beloved game of baseball – while happy-go-lucky Sebastian, Miguel’s teammate on the Blues of Toronto’s Christie Pits Park, spends his free time becoming a faster and better player.
When his father’s situation becomes critical, Miguel becomes desperate to bring him to Canada. But he can’t even afford to join the Blues on a road game — how can his family possibly pay his father’s way? A solution comes from Sebastian, who proposes a big baseball fundraiser. As the Blues learn about the hard realities some new Canadian kids face, Miguel and his family learn to trust their neighbours and teammates.