Synopses & Reviews
Its the worst sound Ive ever heard in all my years of umping.Oh, Ive heard plenty 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. In the bottom of the last inning against their biggest rival, Oak Grove High has two men on base and the score is tied. Luke “Wizard” Wallace is at bat, and he knows what he needs to do: drive in the winning run, save the game, and be a hero.
Luke has everything under control, except the pitch.
Review
The story is well paced, quite satisfying, and will appeal to the reluctant reader.
VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)
In his debut novel, Fehler succeeds at every level.
Kirkus Reviews
Poet and baseball enthusiast Fehler should attract a crowd with his first YA novel, narrated by 28 narrators in free-verse monlogues. . . . 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.
Publishers Weekly
The short, terse narrative will attract reluctant readers, and Luke's nightmarish ordeal will keep them turning the pages.
Booklist, ALA
Synopsis
As the star closer for his high school baseball team, Shane Hunter is untouchable. Firing fastballs at ninety miles per hour, he loves being a winner. But when his father is accused of a crime, Shane's charmed world is turned upside down. Nothing is the way it once was, and Shane's not sure he wants to -- or even can -- pitch ever again. But like baseball, life sometimes throws you curves, and Shane discovers it's how you play the game that counts most of all.
Synopsis
It's the last inning of a high school baseball game between arch-rivals 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 teammates; 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.
About the Author
Carl Deuker is described as “a rising young star in psychological sports fiction” by Jim Trelease in The Read-Aloud Handbook. He is the author of three sports novels, On the Devil's Court, Heart of a Champion, and Painting the Black, all of which were selected as ALA Best Books for Young Adults.