(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Stacy Curtis. This light-reading volume will be snapped up by those wishing to spice up their baseball small-talk with amusing, strange, or downright gross trivia. The stories of twelve-fingered pitchers, amputated ears, and arachnophobic shortstops are treated only briefly, but there's enough information to entertain teammates on the away-game bus--or bench-sitters. Pen-and-ink cartoons contribute to the zaniness.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) 4-6 This stand-alone sequel to Chief Sunrise, John McGraw, and Me combines baseball history and fictional characters to good effect. Hank, sixteen, works for the New York Giants during Babe Ruth's first season with the Yankees. The two teams share a ball field, and this gives Tocher the opportunity to contrast the personalities of the disciplined Giants manager, John McGraw, with the freewheeling Bambino.

Reviewer: Miriam Lang Budin

(3) 4-6 In this bittersweet novel set in 1919, fifteen-year-old Hank meets Chief Sunrise, a Seminole Indian who dreams of pitching for the major leagues. After a series of misadventures, Chief is signed by the New York Giants (with Hank serving as mascot and batboy) until it's discovered he's an African American hiding his race in order to play ball.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta