How magical is the experience of attending your very first baseball game and hearing the crack of the bat resound throughout the stadium? What’s more terrifying than being out in left field praying the ball doesn’t come your way? Who better are the friends you make while playing out on that diamond?Here are ten new fictional stories that celebrate all aspects of the game of baseball. And what a starting lineup! From John H. Ritter, author of The Boy Who Saved Baseball, to Newbery Award–winning Jerry Spinelli, this is a gathering of ten great authors for children, some of whom are specifically known for their writing about baseball. Featuring a story told in poems and another in a play format, Baseball Crazyis a truly diverse collection that will appeal to fanatics of the sport as well as those sitting hesitantly out on the bench. Batter up! Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

There's no shortage of great writing in this collection of 10 stories. Baseball unifies the entries, but there the similarities end. From Jerry Spinelli's offbeat story about a "wiseacre wet-the-bed stinky-footed " orphan experiencing his first-ever major league game to Frank Portman's amusing two-and-a-half second journey inside the mind of ill-fated fielder Mark Pang, these entries present an impressive array of voices and styles, not to mention memorable young characters. John H. Ritter introduces Frankie Alvarez, a larger-than-life pitcher who saves his team's championship victory, a sharp contrast to Paul Acampora's Jeffrey, who earns his mother's disgust when he fails to strike out a crucial batter; meanwhile, Sue Corbett's Kirby, neither the worst nor the best, learns from the only girl on the team: "Don't think. Just react." Whether "baseball born and baseball raised" or tepid fans of America's pastime, readers will be drawn in by the masterful storytelling. Ages 8-up. (Mar.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr 4-8-These stories range from lighthearted to serious, with some focused more on character and family drama than sports action. Though the selections are brief, each one is characterized by a distinct perspective. In Jerry Spinelli's "The Great Gus Zernial and Me," an orphan is awestruck during his first visit to a big league ballgame. Frank Portman microscopically details the frantic internal monologue of a hapless outfielder in "Mark Pang and the Impossible Square." Ron Koertge's two-person play, "Riding the Pine," is compelling, while Sue Corbett's "Fall Ball" and John H. Ritter's "Baseball Crazy" delightfully blend sports action and insight. The collection includes both well-known writers (such as Joseph Bruchac) and lesser-known names (including Paul Acampora and David Rice); teachers and librarians can use these excellent stories as a lead-in to the authors' longer works. This enjoyable collection should appeal to a wide audience, including reluctant readers, and could also be an excellent read-aloud.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Editor Mercado offers an anthology of baseball-themed entries by such authors as Jerry Spinelli, Joseph Bruchac, and Sue Corbett. Not all of the writers have chosen traditional short story formats. Ron Koertge's selection is a short play; Maria Testa's is a series of poems that form a narrative. Many of the authors use baseball as a starting point to explore such issues as family or peer relationships or even to look at the game as a source of childhood terror, as in Frank Portman's funny description of an unathletic kid who prefers chess to baseball facing a pop fly in short right center. The lack of sports action may prove disappointing to some kids, who will pick up the book expecting more baseball and fewer reflections on the larger world. Fortunately, John Ritter's submission features game descriptions and frequent doses of adolescent humor. Taken as a whole, the collection adds up to an interesting assortment of stories with perhaps limited appeal to actual baseball fans.--Morning, Todd Copyright 2008 Booklist From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.