Holy cow! It is high; it is far; it is gone! A game winner.
A home run is possibly the most exciting event in baseball.
The long ball in the modern era of baseball, from 1900 to the present, has had an uneven history. In the early days “small ball”—scoring by moving players one base at a time—was the norm, and home runs were a novelty. Babe Ruth’s mastery of the home run was unarguably the catalyst of today’s power game. Since then there have been many great players who have proven to be Ruth-ian in their home-run prowess, including some who were not given a fair chance due to the segregation of the leagues and, sadly, some who have broken the fans’ faith in the game. In five cogent chapters Doeden tells the home-run story from a historical perspective, dissecting its physical mechanics, celebrating and recording its heroes, and making predictions for the future. The players of the Negro Leagues who paved the way for Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron and so many more are not forgotten here. Doeden brings life to statistics and history, providing facts and debunking some myths in a straightforward, conversational tone that never condescends. Well-selected archival photos perfectly enhance and amplify the material. The author seems awed by the record-breaking number of home runs hit in 2019. Who could have known that the 2020 baseball season would be truncated, silent, and oh so strange? Young fans and their grown-ups will find much to admire and discuss.
Holy cow! It is high; it is far; it is gone! A game winner. (records, glossary, source notes, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: April 6, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-7284-1716-5
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Millbrook/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Feb. 8, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2021
Essential reading about Anne and her times.
With Holocaust denial spreading via the internet, it remains important for young people to learn about this period in a very concrete way.
This fact-filled biography, created by the Anne Frank House, tells the story of the girl who filled her diary with stories of the day-to-day lives of the eight Jews hiding for over two years within the “Secret Annex” and her own aspirations as a writer and as a person. The book alternates information about the Secret Annex inhabitants and Otto Frank’s loyal Dutch colleagues and employees with double-page spreads that highlight questions that young visitors ask at the Anne Frank House, from big topics like “Why did Hitler hate the Jews?” to practical concerns: “Did the people in hiding get bored?” and “How did the people in hiding get new clothes and other things?” There is contextual information about the Holocaust as well as quotes from some of Anne’s friends who survived the war. Due to the busy scrapbook layout of the book, Scarry’s color illustrations and diagrams do not always show to advantage. Moreover, perhaps because the book was produced in several languages, there are occasional awkward sentences. Despite these flaws, this book will reward its readers with an in-depth picture of the girl who became known the world over for her optimism despite her dire circumstances.
Essential reading about Anne and her times. (maps, sources) (Biography. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-77260-060-5
Page Count: 72
Publisher: Second Story Press
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
Just like Times Square itself, the pages are filled to the brim.
An unexpected history of a very famous intersection.
Millions of people begin each new year mesmerized by the ball drop atop One Times Square. But before all the glitz and flashing lights, Times Square was filled with carriages, livery stables and coal yards. It is a stark contrast that’s difficult to imagine. McKendry (Beneath the Streets of Boston: Building America’s First Subway, 2005) takes readers on a journey through 100 years of shifts and changes to this well-known New York City landscape. Beginning in 1904 when the New York Times headquarters was built and forever changed the name of this small plot of land, McKendry accompanies the text with a spectacular painting of the Square from a specific point of view. This same perspective is used repeatedly throughout the narrative, simultaneously grounding readers and letting them watch in awe as buildings and technology sprout and change. Interspersed with the Square’s history—during both thriving years and sordid ones—are fascinating tidbits such as the inner workings of billboards, the arrival of the Motograph News Bulletin (or the “Zipper”) and, of course, the exact number of light bulbs found in the 2000 Millennium ball. Cross sections, diagrams and stunning double-page spreads show how these few tiny streets have changed in very large ways.
Just like Times Square itself, the pages are filled to the brim. (sources) (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-56792-364-3
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Godine
Review Posted Online: July 17, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
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