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Overview
"You wanna know who threw the fastest pitch ever?"Many baseball players claim that Satchel Paige was the fastest pitcher in the history of the game. Stosh and his coach, Flip Valentini, are on a mission to find out. With radar gun in tow, they travel back to 1942 and watch Satch pitch to power hitter Josh Gibson in the Negro League World Series. They soon learn that everything about Satch is fast -- whether it's his talking, driving, or getaways. But is he really the fastest pitcher who ever lived?
Synopsis
"You wanna know who threw the fastest pitch ever?"
Many baseball players claim that Satchel Paige was the fastest pitcher in the history of the game. Stosh and his coach, Flip Valentini, are on a mission to find out. With radar gun in tow, they travel back to 1942 and watch Satch pitch to power hitter Josh Gibson in the Negro League World Series. They soon learn that everything about Satch is fast—whether it’s his talking, driving, or getaways. But is he really the fastest pitcher who ever lived?
This baseball card adventure is a whirlwind of excitement, drama, and curveballs—starring one of the liveliest athletes in the game!
Paula Rohrlick - KLIATT
In this seventh adventure featuring Stosh, a 13-year-old with the ability to travel back in time, he and his Little League baseball coach, Flip, try to find out who threw the fastest pitch ever. Legend has it that the great Satchel Paige was the fastest, but there are no baseball cards of Negro League players (there are some pointed comments on the cruelty and unfairness of Jim Crow in this novel)--and Stosh has always needed a player's baseball card in order to time travel. Luckily, Stosh finds an old photo postcard that does the trick, and he and Flip, armed with a radar gun, find themselves in Spartanburg, South Carolina, back in 1942. They get a ride with Satchel himself and watch him play in a baseball circus as well as pitch to Josh Gibson in a thrilling Negro League World Series game. Stosh also gets a chance to bring about an important change in his beloved coach's life. In an afterword, Gutman, the author of many popular books for young readers, explains what's fact and what's fiction in his tale, pointing out that much of the dialog in the book was actually spoken or written by Satchel Paige. The reader will get a good sense of this wry, articulate, and immensely talented player, and b/w photos and other illustrations are a nice addition. Baseball fans will enjoy this lively new entry in a deservedly popular series. (A Baseball Card Adventure). KLIATT Codes: J*--Exceptional book, recommended for junior high school students. 2006, HarperCollins, 192p. illus. bibliog., and Lib. bdg: Ages 12 to 15.
Editorials
Children's Literature
In this latest addition to the "Baseball Card Adventure" series, Stosh and his washed-up, lonely coach, Flip Valentini, go back in time with a rare, E-Bay-auctioned baseball card and a borrowed radar gun to determine once and for all whether or not Satchel Paige was really the fastest pitcher who ever lived. Gutmann manages to weave together abundant sports action with all the excitement of time travel. This book includes a serious and disturbing look at the entrenched racial prejudice of the 1940s, when some of the greatest players in the history of baseball were confined to the Negro League and denied service in whites-only restaurants. Stosh witnesses the painful ugliness of racism close up, gives Flip a chance to do his life over again with success in both sports and love (best not to think about how these "Back to the Future" scenarios are even conceivable, let alone possible!), and learns that "some legends ought to stay legends and some mysteries ought to stay mysteries." A warmhearted, fast-paced story that works on multiple levels to engage and satisfy even reluctant readers. 2006, Amistad Press/HarperCollins, Ages 8 to 12.—Claudia Mills, Ph.D.
VOYA
Flip Valentini, Joe Stoshack's Little League coach, has borrowed a radar gun to test the pitching speed of the players. Stosh has the ability to time travel with the help of baseball cards and postcards. Wouldn't it be cool to go back in time to see just who the fastest pitcher in baseball was and prove it with a radar gun? Deciding that there is a good likelihood that Satchel Paige had the fastest pitch, Stosh, with seventy-two-year-old Flip, time travel to 1942 in the hopes of meeting up with Satch. They find themselves in South Carolina, with Flip's wish to be eighteen again answered. They meet up with Satch who is driving to Pittsburgh for the Negro League World Series where he will pitch against Josh Gibson, one of the best hitters of all times. As with the other six book in the Baseball Card Adventure series, the flavor of the time visited comes through. Stosh and Flip witness the effect of the Jim Crow laws and the way that baseball was played in the Negro Leagues. There is humor when the shy, young Flip catches the eye of an attractive waitress and Satch gives him advice on women and baseball. This fast-moving adventure provides baseball lore, history, and a rollicking good time. The series remains fresh and enjoyable. VOYA CODES: 3Q 4P M (Readable without serious defects; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8). 2006, HarperCollins, 192p., and PLB Ages 11 to 14.—Susan H. Levine
KLIATT
In this seventh adventure featuring Stosh, a 13-year-old with the ability to travel back in time, he and his Little League baseball coach, Flip, try to find out who threw the fastest pitch ever. Legend has it that the great Satchel Paige was the fastest, but there are no baseball cards of Negro League players (there are some pointed comments on the cruelty and unfairness of Jim Crow in this novel)--and Stosh has always needed a player's baseball card in order to time travel. Luckily, Stosh finds an old photo postcard that does the trick, and he and Flip, armed with a radar gun, find themselves in Spartanburg, South Carolina, back in 1942. They get a ride with Satchel himself and watch him play in a baseball circus as well as pitch to Josh Gibson in a thrilling Negro League World Series game. Stosh also gets a chance to bring about an important change in his beloved coach's life. In an afterword, Gutman, the author of many popular books for young readers, explains what's fact and what's fiction in his tale, pointing out that much of the dialog in the book was actually spoken or written by Satchel Paige. The reader will get a good sense of this wry, articulate, and immensely talented player, and b/w photos and other illustrations are a nice addition. Baseball fans will enjoy this lively new entry in a deservedly popular series. (A Baseball Card Adventure). KLIATT Codes: J*--Exceptional book, recommended for junior high school students. 2006, HarperCollins, 192p. illus. bibliog., and Lib. bdg: Ages 12 to 15.—Paula Rohrlick