AUTHOR: Michael Teitelbaum
ILLUSTRATOR: Ron Zalme
ISBN#: 978-0448447117
PUBLISHER/YEAR: Grosset & Dunlap (May 1, 2008)
SUBJECTS: Baseball, Friendship, Sports, Feelings, Determination
READER LEVEL: READER, JR.
RATING: 

Review Highlights:
Laugh Meter | not a comedy | giggles | laugh out loud | can’t stop laughing |
Fear Factor | no fear | needs explanation | cover the eyes | bad dreams |
Subject Matter | light : “G” | mild concerns | caution ahead | needs supervision |
This is a perfect book for the young, newly independent, reluctant reader (probably boy, although if you have a baseball crazed girl...). This series is based on the popular Backyard Sports video games.
The writing is basic (boring), elementary prose. The story is also basic and elementary. It's plot involves a baseball team, The Backyard Bombers, who play pick-up games with other teams in the neighborhood. The story follows the game's play by play, ad nauseam. The author threw in a friendship story line, where Joey, the Bomber's manager it seems, gets a little too bossy. The team gets disgruntled with Joey and they start playing badly. Joey very simply realizes the error of his ways, and the team wins!
So, as you can see, a middle school student probably could have written this book. However, I did give it two stars for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I like the diversity on the baseball team. The Bombers are made up of girls and boys named Achmed, A.C. Chen, Pablo, Ernie, Vicki and Samantha, to name a few.
I also think if your young reader (Reader, Jr.) is starting to read chapter books, and cannot find a sports series, and he is not into fantasy (Magic Tree House, etc) then give this series a try. Or better yet, see below for Matt Christopher's young baseball series.
IF YOU LIKED THIS, TRY:
Peach Street Mudders Series, Matt Christopher
Jake Maddox Sports Stories, Jake Maddox, Bob Temple, and Sean Tiffany