Jack Mogens is a sixth grade student at Tall Pines Elementary School. It’s late March when he begins his sixth season playing minor league baseball for the Tall Pines Braves.
Jack is “hit” on the side of his head while hitting on Opening Day. The blow shakes his confidence to the point where he is now afraid of inside pitches.
Compounding Jack’s defiance is the “revenge pitch” he takes during the team’s next practice. His nemesis, Kurt “Malfoy” Beacham, overheard him bad-mouthing him at school; and he throws a pitch, hitting him in the ribs.
Nightmares haunt Jack, where a faceless pitcher throws balls at him, while he is glued to the batter’s box. His anxiety mounts, forcing him to fake an injury to avoid playing next weekend’s game.
“Family emergency” is Jack’s excuse for why he missed Saturday’s competition. His teammates and friends don’t believe him in the cafeteria on Monday morning. Jack finds his disappointments getting harder to hide.
Depressed, Jack unexpectedly corners the phrase “open to mopin” when Andy Rossiter (his best friend since second grade) questions his attitude.
Andy helps Jack save face with his friends after missing Saturday’s game. His last connection occurs at the Tall Pines family pharmacy while they are flipping through comics.
In an awkward moment of silence and avoiding eye contact, Jack knows he owes Andy an explanation for why he missed Saturday’s game. When Andy asks, he emotionally exposes himself and admits his fear of being hit by the ball. Andy affirms his feelings by replying, “Everyone is a little scared of the ball sometimes.” It is a moving display of emotions between two children; It is not often encouraged in today’s society.
Northrop has a talent for crafting narratives involving high school kids: “But don’t even pretend you never pretended to have a fever or blamed the cat for breaking something or anything like that. Don’t even pretend to pretend.” He also refers to doing homework and riding the school bus: “Right on cue, the bus stops and its doors open. Shut up and get on, he says.”
Jack enjoys a loving relationship with his parents. They attend all of his games; and watch Major League Baseball together at home.
Still, she sometimes worries about her parents’ control. Regarding his computer access: “Mom and Dad have so many filters on this thing, it’s a wonder something happens. Like the apostle Saint Paul, he could send me a personal email telling me to study hard, and it would end up in the email not wanted”. binder.”
Collecting Major League Baseball cards with their father is one of the duo’s favorite pastimes. Seeing his father Cal Ripken, Jr.’s most-awarded rookie card, Jack realizes embarrassingly that Ripken Jr. would never fear inside pitches or let his team down. Baseball bobbleheads, a row of baseballs, and a large Baseball Hall of Fame sign in Jack’s bedroom also give him a moment of joy.
Jack’s emerging sexuality is evident in his acquaintance with the team’s shortstop, Katie Bowes: “She looks up and I quickly look down. I don’t think she saw it.”
What child doesn’t have a favorite pet that is part of their being? Jack has his in Nax, a black labrador retriever. Nax sleeps at the foot of Jack’s bed; and he knows when he is happy or upset.
Baseball Language Plugins sunkenincluding “ducks in the pond” (two men on base with two outs).
Well-written literature transcends time. the launch of sunken this March, however, complements the start of minor league and major league baseball, making it an ideal read for any sports-minded kid.
If you are an educator looking to assign or suggest a book for your middle school aged children, sunken It is. If you are a parent who anticipates your child’s summer reading homework, or supports reading in your children (especially boys), you will have success with sunken.
To view excellent literature written for grade-school children and young adults, including author interviews and giveaways, visit: http://www.scholastic.com/kids/stacks/?lnkid=stacks/nav/home/main.
