A compelling sports story told in stark, powerful free verse.It's the worst sound I've ever heardin all my years of umping.Oh, I've heard pleanty of pitches hit a helmet.But this...this fastball, up and in.This one hit bone, right in the face.Not even a scream or grunt from the kid.He went down like he was shot.--Tim Burchard, umpireIt's the last inning of a high school baseball game between archrivals Oak Grove and Compton. Center fielder Luke "Wizard" Wallace steps up to the plate-and is hit by a beanball, a wild pitch that shatters his skull, destroys the vision in his left eye, and changes his life forever. In this riveting novel, the events surrounding this pivotal moment are recounted through free-verse monologues by 28 different voices, including those of Luke and his Oak Grove team-mates; the pitcher, Kyle Dawkins, and other Compton players; the two coaches; Luke's family members and teachers; and Sarah Edgerton, a new classmate who seems more affected by Luke's injury than his girlfriend is.With its unusual format, gripping subject matter, and economy of language, "Beanball" is a thought-provoking, fast-paced read. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Poet and baseball enthusiast Fehler should attract a crowd with his first YA novel, related by 28 narrators in free-verse monologues. When high school star athlete Luke "Wizard" Wallace gets hit in the head by a wild pitch, he falls into a three-day coma, from which he emerges blind in one eye. The author raises the stakes for the other characters, sometimes a little too much: the rival team's pitcher hangs up his uniform (even though he's being scouted by the major leagues), infuriating his unrepentant coach (who ends up blaming Luke: "If he'd just gotten out of the way..../ he ruined our whole damn season"). Luke's selfish semi-girlfriend visits him only once ("When I saw his face.../ I thought I'd barf right there"). What makes this brief novel believable and rewarding are Fehler's clear grasp of the dedicated athlete's mind and his ability to imagine what it feels like to be suddenly and seemingly permanently sidelined. Fehler does an excellent job in pacing his shifts of perspective, and the central story, of Luke's friendships and eventual recovery, comes through with drama and clarity. Ages 12-up. (Feb.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 5-9-A high school athlete is seriously injured by a wild pitch, and he, his family and friends, teachers, coaches, and eyewitnesses share their reactions and feelings about the incident in free-verse monologues. Luke "Wizard" Wallace is a determined, talented player, and a leader on the field and off. Then, in a game versus their archrivals, he leans into a fastball thrown by Kyle Dawkins and is hit by a pitch that leaves him blind in one eye. This plot-driven, brief novel is a page-turner, though its protagonist and supporting characters are one-dimensional. Most are defined chiefly by their relation to Luke: the sympathetic coach; the "win at all costs" coach; his loyal friends and family. Fehler's straightforward story may appeal to die-hard sports fans, but Scott Johnson's Safe at Second (Philomel, 1999) and Carl Deuker's High Heat (Houghton, 2003), two novels that also deal with sports accidents and their aftermath, offer both compelling story lines and memorable characters.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

High-school center fielder Luke Wizard Wallace seems to have it all natural athletic ability, good grades, and a beautiful girlfriend. When a high and tight fastball crushes him right in the face, however, his life and relationships undergo radical change. Told in free verse by a full cast of narrators who either know Luke or saw the devastating pitch, the story is a patchwork of observation, perspective, and opinion. A few characters, such as the win-at-all-cost coach and the vapid ex-girlfriend, rely on stereotype, but Luke's frustrations and fears are palpably real and believable. Although this lacks the precision of poetry, the short, terse narrative will attract reluctant readers, and Luke's nightmarish ordeal will keep them turning the pages.--Perkins, Linda Copyright 2008 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.