Sneak Peak of Blastin' the Blues
August 6, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · Comments
“In a few shorts months, Book #5 in my “Sluggers” chapter book series will be arriving in stores. Blastin’ the Blues (Sluggers)
As most of you should know by now, last year, Simon & Schuster, the publisher of the Sluggers series, decided to repackage the entire program. They changed the name from “Barnstormers” and gave the series a whole new look. They re-released the first three books in paperback form under the “Sluggers” name (same stories, different titles), and published the fourth book in the series “Water, Water Everywhere” in hardcover.
This seems to have been the right call. The series is performing much better under the new, baseball-friendly title. For the most part, the transition from “Barnstormers” to “Sluggers” didn’t cause as much confusion in the marketplace as some had feared. However, many booksellers, librarians, teachers, and readers expressed disappointment that the first three books in the “Sluggers” series were not produced in hardcover. They keep asking if they will be.
My answer: I don’t know. I hope so.
With the publication date for Book #5 rapidly approaching, a decision will have to be made shortly. Will hardcover versions of “Magic in the Outfield,” “Horsin’ Around,” and “Great Balls of Fire,” be produced? Is there going to be a box set?
Some claim “the numbers” aren’t there yet to support such books. Others counter the sales numbers clearly are. Some claim there is no longer enough time to put these books together. Others counter the book templates for these books already exist. In addition, when a publisher wants to “crash” a book, they almost always can find a way (e.g. see the numerous Barack Obama books that came out in a matter of weeks last winter).
Some claim the price point for the paperback version is better suited for these economic times. Others counter that the paperback versions will still be available. Consumers will now have the option.
For those of you who’ve heard me speak about Book #4 of “Sluggers” I always say it is the most beautifully packaged book I’ve ever been a part of. Of course, I’m biased, but it’s the truth (and wait until you see Book #5…wow!) But when lined up on a shelf alongside the first three soft cover books, it doesn’t even look like it’s part of the same series. Many others have shared this same sentiment.
So I’m asking for educators, booksellers, librarians, bibliophiles and fans to weigh in. Let’s see if we can make the case together. Let’s see if we can convince the publisher to give the people what they want.”
An All-Star children's author?
July 14, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · Comments
Tonight, the lights will shine brightly in St. Louis for the 80th installment of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game. A usual mainstay in the All-Star event, Alex Rodriguez, will not be appearing for the first time since 2000. Perhaps this 11 time All-Star will use his 3-day vacation to work on his next children’s book. That’s right–you heard correctly. Alex Rodriguez, the New York Yankee, is also a children’s author.
To read the rest of this article, please visit Examiner.com
Water Water Everywhere
June 19, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · Comments
The Travelin’ Nine have just beat the Chicago Nine and things are heating up more than ever as we’ve reached the fourth book in The Sluggers! Series, Water, Water Everywhere (Sluggers)
The year is 1899 and the Travelin’ Nine continue to barnstorm their way across the good ole’ U.S. of A., trying to raise money to pay off the Payne family’s big-league debt. The book starts off strong as we learn about Ruby’s mysterious disappearance and the team must come together to determine the future of the team.
In this installment, the Travelin’ Nine are set to take on the Minneapolis Millers, but as they prepare for battle, they realize the chancellor has stacked the odds against them. They’ll now face a team of professional ballists, the Minneapolis Lakers. As the Lakers lay out the terms, Ruby, Graham, and Griffith learn they’re not permitted in the dugout. After all, if they’re separated from the adults, the chancellor has a better chance of getting the magic baseball and whatever else he wants.
In Water, Water Everywhere, not only does the action heat up on the field, but it heats up off the field as Ruby, Graham, and Griffith roam the stadium, trying to avoid the chancellor’s men. They spot their bald eagle, and have an encounter with the man from the trolley and the park. He says he’s here to help them, but how do they know if they can trust him? The old man gives some sage advice, “One who is with you is not with you at all.”
As Graham makes a heartfelt birthday wish, he gets exactly what he asks for. But questions still remain: Was it real? Can it possibly be true? Or is it all just a dream?
And if you don’t think that’s enough, we’re left hanging as an intruder storms the Travelin’ Nine’s train at the end of the book. Will the chancellor’s men finally get what they want, or does another adventure await?
Water, Water Everywhere is a suspense-filled, non-stop adventure. This is by far, my favorite book in the series, yet (and definitely has my vote in the June Book Brawl). The first three books have set the story up so well, that Water, Water Everywhere is full of drama. You’re so drawn to the characters by this book, that you can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen next, and just when you think you’re about to find out the truth, you’re pulled in again to another adventure. Superb writing weaves you from one mystery to the next and all I have to say is…Bring on Sluggers! 5!!!
Additional Information:
Authors: Phil Bildner, Loren Long
Illustrator: Loren Long
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing; 1 edition (April 14, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1416918663
ISBN-13: 978-1416918660
Great Balls of Fire
June 18, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · Comments
Every pitcher who’s ever hurled one over the plate has wished they were firing a missile–or better yet, a fireball. In Great Balls of Fire (Sluggers)
There are many questions that need answers as The Travelin’ Nine are still barnstorming their way across the good ol’ U. S. of A. to help pay off a substantial debt incurred by Uncle Owen. This time, the team heads to Chicago with a 1-1 record.
In Sluggers! 2, the team managed to spit out a win as the kids began to learn that the baseball their Uncle Owen had given to them on the night of their father’s funeral was magical. Doc and Woody came through with timely fielding, Crazy Feet and Tales smacked clutch hits, and champion horses provided that extra kick, helping the barnstormers to their come-from-behind victory.
In this installment,Griffith is convinced more than ever that Uncle Owen owes money to the Chancellor and has a run-in with one of his men on the train, who states that the Chancellor “wants what you have.”
Ruby also has an encounter with a mysterious stranger, and even though she doesn’t know why, she knows that he will change the Travelin’ Nine.
And Graham launches a towering shot out of the park when he thinks no one is looking. Unfortunately, the wrong eyes may have seen what the youngest Payne can do with a baseball.
As the Travelin’ Nine take the field, the kids know it’s time for all of them to place their hands on the magic ball. Their fears and worries continue to grow, wondering who’s watching. But because of the baseball, this time, strange things begin to happen on the field that reference the Great Chicago Fire. Even a gigantic cow appears on the field–could they use it to their advantage?
The mystery deepens at the end of the book when Griffith has an encounter with the Chancellor who confirms that he wants something and also has something Griffith wants. What could they possibly be?
Bildner and Long have done it again with another mysterious, fun, and action-packed book! Out of the first three books of the series, this is my favorite because, as answers begin to unfold, the action reaches an escalated level. My heart was pounding as Griffith came face to face with the Chancellor and I’m dying to find out what the Chancellor has that Griffith wants. I thought the references to the Great Chicago Fire were phenomenal along with the old baseball lingo that continues to inform us in the margins.
Read my reviews of:
Magic in the Outfield (Sluggers 1) and
Horsin’ Around (Sluggers 2)
Additional Information:
Author: Phil Bildner
Author/ Illustrator: Loren Long
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing (April 14, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1416918892
ISBN-13: 978-1416918899
Horsin' Around
June 17, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · Comments
At my other blog, Get in the Game–Read!, all month I’ve been celebrating an amazing middle-grade series–Sluggers! In this month’s Book Brawl, the competitors are none other than the 4 books in the series. If you haven’t already, please visit and cast your vote for your favorite book in the series. I just finished reading all four and can’t say enough positive things about them. I’ve already cast my vote and can’t wait to hear what you liked best!
If you love baseball and horse racing, then this is the story for you. Horsin’ Around (Sluggers)
The Travelin’ Nine are barnstorming their way across the good ole U.S. of A., trying to raise money to pay off the Payne family’s big-league debt. As the team heads into the River City, the kids have even more questions than ever.
They receive a letter from Uncle Owen that says, “Beware the Chancellor.” But what does it mean? Griffith learns that there’s much more at stake and his family can be in danger. He still has so much to ask his father and tell him. He doesn’t understand how his father was able to survive a war, but not a trip on the Chesapaeake Bay; and he also has a strange encounter with an eagle.
Ruby learns she must write everything down. She hopes it will help answer the mystery behind the magic ball and help her see things the others don’t. After what happened in Cincinati, they all know something is coming and boy does it ever! Horses and horses everywhere! Ghost horses storm the field, and the kids slowly begin to learn how to lead the Travelin’ Nine to victory.
To make us read on, Bildner wisely has Griffith confront his mother after the game. Griffith is convinced the Chancellor is involved, but his mom denies it. However she promises to answer all of Griffith’s questions on the train to Chicago. That’s right–you have to read Sluggers 3 to find out the rest!
As with much of Sluggers book one, a lot of questions remain unanswered. But I think you might experience a weird feeling at the end of this book–feeling as though you didn’t get enough answers, but not feeling disappointed because of it. Your appetite is still whet through the mystery of the ghost horses, and you’ll find yourself eager to pick up book three of the series. I know I was.
Check out my review of Magic in the Outfield (Sluggers 1)!
Magic in the Outfield (Sluggers 1)
June 16, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · Comments
At my other blog, Get in the Game–Read!, all month I’ve been celebrating an amazing middle-grade series–Sluggers! In this month’s Book Brawl, the competitors are none other than the 4 books in the series. If you haven’t already, please visit and cast your vote for your favorite book in the series. I just finished reading all four and can’t say enough positive things about them. I’ve already cast my vote and can’t wait to hear what you liked best!
Published as Barnstormers: Game 1, Magic in the Outfield (Sluggers)
The story begins as Griffith, Graham, and Ruby have just attended their father’s funeral, and the siblings are left with many questions.
“Mother said we’re going to be barnstormers. What does that mean?” Ruby asks. Uncle Owen explains that barnstorming is when folks travel around the country presenting plays, giving lectures, or performing exhibitions like dancing, tightrope walking, or baseball.
Turns out, barnstormers can make a lot of money which is why the kids must join their mother and their father’s wartime traveling baseball team, The Travelin’ Nine, on a tour of America. No one will tell the kids why the team needs money so badly. Their only clue is a baseball with a hole the size of an acorn in it that their Uncle Owen gives to them the night of their father’s funeral. They know very little about its significance except that their father made it with his own two hands and carried it with him throughout the war.
Uncle Owen not only entrusts them with the ball, but lets them know that great danger lies ahead and they need to be together, always.
In this first book in the series, the Travelin’ Nine head to Cincinnati to take on the local team. As the game progresses,the kids learn that when all three of them hold the ball, strange things happen. What would you think if a massive locomotive came thundering in the outfield during a baseball game? To make it even more mysterious, only the Travelin’ Nine and the kids are the ones to witness the marvel.
Since this is the first book in the series, many questions are left unanswered that make you want to pick up Sluggers 2. The story ends with the siblings and the team questioning the strange occurrences and preparing to board a steamboat that will take them to Louisville for their next game.
What I love about this book is the mystery involved. It’s enough to keep you satisfied, but also enough to make you want to read on. You get a feel for old-time baseball with baseball lingo defined in the margins, and you’re pulled into a magical world where strange things are abound. Loren Long’s illustrations are absolutely amazing and add to the allure and mystery. It’s a book that will appeal to any baseball lover, but also those interested in mystery and fantasy.
About the Authors
Loren Long has received two gold medals from the Society of Illustrators. His first picture book, Angela Johnson’s I Dream of Trains, won the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators’ Golden Kite Award for illustrations. His interpretation of Walt Whitman’s When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer won a Golden Kite Honor. He illustrated Madonna’s #1 New York Times bestseller Mr. Peabody’s Apples and a new edition of Watty Piper’s The Little Engine That Could. He is also the illustrator of the New York Times bestselling series, Sluggers! Loren lives in West Chester, Ohio, with his wife, Tracy, and two young sons, Griffith and Graham.
Phil Bildner is the author of the New York Times bestselling Sluggers! series, the Texas Bluebonnet Award-winning Shoeless Joe & Black Betsy and its companion, The Shot Heard ‘Round the World, both illustrated by C. F. Payne; and Twenty-One Elephants, illustrated by LeUyen Pham. His latest picture book is Turkey Bowl, illustrated by C.F Payne. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
Additional Information:
Author: Phil Bildner
Illustrator: Loren Long
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 160 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing (February 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416918841
ISBN-13: 978-1416918844
Hey Batta Batta Swing!
April 6, 2009 by Lori Calabrese · Comments
Today, we’re celebrating the launch of the Get in the Game–Read Blog! Make sure you run over to check out all the fun stuff that’s going on. You don’t want to be late for the Game and you don’t want to miss the popcorn, peanuts, and hot dogs!
For Nonfiction Monday, it just wouldn’t be right if we didn’t highlight a sports book to celebrate…
Author: Sally Cook
Author: James Charlton
Illustrator: Ross MacDonald
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 56 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (February 27, 2007)
ISBN-10: 141691207X
ISBN-13: 978-1416912071
Ever wonder what baseball was like back in the Golden Age of Baseball? Sally Cook, James Charlton and Ross MacDonald have hit it out of the ballpark with HEY BATTA BATTA SWING! It’s jam-packed with interesting baseball facts and history and will appeal to both young readers and adults. Discover what it was like before there was a pitching mound or players had numbers on their jerseys. Learn how Babe Ruth got his nickname, why Brooklyn’s team was called the Dodgers, and what Roger Clemens gave to keep his lucky number 21 when he switched teams. See what clever ways players have found to win — even ways to cheat! Sprinkled throughout are definitions of baseball’s weird and wacky vocabulary, from a meatball to Uncle Charlie.
Written in a fun, conversational style, you’ll discover some fascinating baseball lore, how baseball has changed over the years, and anecdotes and facts that will have you wanting to get out to the ballpark. MacDonald’s cartoon illustrations make the book a fun read and bring the wild ole’ days of baseball to life.
Nonfiction Monday takes place at various wonderful blogs throughout the Kidlitosphere! Today, you can check out the Roundup at the Scrub-A-Dub-Tub.
To see the blog schedule for Nonfiction Monday, please visit Anastasia Suen’s Picture Book of the Day.
Mighty Jackie: The Strike Out Queen
December 1, 2008 by Lori Calabrese · Comments
Mighty Jackie: The Strike-Out Queen
Author: Marissa Moss
Illustrator: C.F. Payne
Publisher: Simon and Schuster/ Paula Wiseman Books; 2004
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
For as long as she could remember, Jackie Mitchell’s father had told Jackie she could be good at whatever she wanted, as long as she worked at it. Jackie worked at baseball. She worked hard. And before long, Jackie could outplay anyone in her neighborhood- even the boys! She had one pitch- a wicked, dropping curve ball. But no 17-year-old girl could pitch against Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Then on April 2, 1931, the New York Yankees stopped in Tennessee for an exhibition game against the Chattanooga Lookouts. And on that day, Jackie Mitchell made baseball history.
Moss tells the inspiring story of Virne Beatrice “Jackie” Mitchell who was the second woman in history to sign a minor-league contract when Chattanooga Lookouts owner Joe Engel signed her to pitch for his team in 1931. Women had been paid to play baseball starting in the late 1800s, but on June 23, 1952, organized baseball formally banned women from the minor leagues. Jackie will forever be known for her mighty curve ball and as “The Girl Who Struck Out Babe Ruth.”
Hop over to Anastasia Suen’s picture book of the day blog for the Nonfiction Monday roundup!
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