- Free Baseball
"Free Baseball" is a children's
novel bySue Corbett , first published in 2006.Plot summary
It is about a boy named Felix who wants to know any information about his dad so, he boards a bus (without his mom) full of a minor league baseball team from West Lauderdale. He then gets a job as batboy and, makes new friends, especially Homer, the mascot. Then, Mom finds him and gets a new job for the team and a new house with a garden.
Development
Corbett had the idea for the novel after an incident at a baseball game, when she became separated from her son and was unable to find him as all of the children were wearing identical team shirts. [cite web |url=http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2006/02/author-interview-sue-corbett-on-free.html |title=Author Interview: Sue Corbett on Free Baseball |accessdate=2008-06-17 |date=2006-02-06 |publisher=CynthiaLeitichSmith.BlogSpot.com]
Reception
"
School Library Journal " described the novel as an "engaging, well-written story with a satisfying ending." [cite web |url=http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6304145.html |title=Grades 5 & Up |accessdate=2008-06-17 |date=2006-02-01 |publisher=School Library Journal ] "The Topeka Capital-Journal " called it a "wonderful mix of self-discovery and baseball." [cite web |url=http://www.cjonline.com/stories/071106/boo_bleekers.shtml |title=Soothe baseball fever with words |accessdate=2008-06-17 |date=2006-07-11 |publisher=The Topeka Capital-Journal ] "Kids Reads" thought that Felix was a "richly drawn character". [cite web |url=http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/0525471200.asp |title=Free Baseball by Sue Corbett |accessdate=2008-06-17 |publisher=Kids Reads]Awards and nominations
*2006 Selected by the Junior Library Guild [ [http://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/ Junior Library Guild] ]
*2008 Nominated for the Rhode Island Children's Book Awards [ [http://www.ri.net/RIEMA/bookaward.html Rhode Island Children's Book Awards] ]
*2008 Nominated for the Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award [ [http://schools.fcps.org/whes/lmc/whatshappening.htm Maryland's Black-Eyed Susan Book Award] ]
*2008 Nominated for the Young Hoosier Book Award (final results not yet announced) [ [http://www.ilfonline.org/AIME/YHBA/YHBA.htm Young Hoosier Book Award] ]
*2008 Nominated for the Virginia Readers Choice Award (final results not yet announced) [ [http://www.vsra.org/VRCindex.html Virginia Readers Choice Award] ]
*2009 Nominated for the Nutmeg Book Award (final results not yet announced) [ [http://www.nutmegaward.org/ Nutmeg Book Award] ]
*2009 Nominated for the South Carolina Children's Book Award (final results not yet announced) [ [http://www.scasl.net/bookawards/ South Carolina Children's Book Award] ]References
External links
* [http://www.suecorbett.com/books/free.html Official site]
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