Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 4^-6. Fourteen-year-old Sandy makes a big mistake, and it almost costs him the love of his life--baseball. Because Sandy has a brush with the law, his parents make him quit his team. He and his family move to a nearby town, where he joins the Raptors, and Sandy feels life and baseball are starting anew until he meets up with the boy who knows his secret past. Fearing exposure and rejection, Sandy must decide how much to tell to whom. Good advice from a probation officer helps Sandy decide what to do, and the absence of stress now improves his ball game. Christopher combines these struggles with descriptions of action-packed ball games that convey a feeling of being in the bleachers. Young fans will warm to Sandy's successes on all levels. --Susan DeRonne
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7After Sandy Comstock goes to juvenile court for some minor offenses, his understanding probation officer lines him up for community-service work as an assistant coach for a Police Athletic League team. This is just the ticket for Sandy, who loves baseball and believes himself to be an excellent center fielder. However, he is humiliated when news of his crime reaches his teammates. Fortunately, his family is moving to a new town and he has a chance to start again. Unfortunately, Sandy is so preoccupied with the fear that his new teammates will discover his secret that he fails to make friends. It's only after he learns to relax and be honest that he's accepted by his team, and his skills on the field can be appreciated. Despite the obvious message, this novel is not so heavy-handed that it gets in the way of the story. The action moves along at a good clip with plenty of stuff about baseball to balance out the accounts of Sandy's inner turmoil. The writing is always clear and the descriptions are accurate. This is a good, serviceable story for kids who enjoy sports fiction.Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Although his involvement in a shoplifting incident was accidental, Sandy is required to perform community service. A sympathetic probation officer assigns the young centerfielder to coach a baseball team of underprivileged kids. When Sandy moves to a new town, he fears his criminal past will be revealed to the baseball team he joins. The mildly written problem novel contains enough baseball action to satisfy fans. From HORN BOOK 1997, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
