Plunked by Michael Northrup Scholastic, 2012 247 pages
If you have ever played baseball (and everyone has) at some point you had some anxiety about getting hit by a pitch (everyone does) hurtling through space at you at what seems like a thousand miles an hour, you can relate to this story. Jack Mogens is a sixth grader vying for the starting left field job on his Little League team. What starts as a little anxiety about getting plunked (hit) gets worse when he actually does get hit (in the head) and then again (in the ribs). Some kids don’t experiences like these, but what about Jack? Will he be able to get back into the batter’s box and feel good about himself and the game he loves? The book is a smooth, interesting read despite the daily details that slow it down. But then again, baseball has those moments too.
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