Haunting at home plate

by David Patneaude

Book Review

School Library Journal :
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Gr 3-7-After Gannon Conger's father, the coach of the Dodgers, is suspended from the Southshore Little League for unsportsmanlike behavior, Nelson talks his college-aged cousin Mike (short for Michele) into taking over the team. However, the one bad thing about losing abusive Mr. Conger is losing the team's best player and their friend, Gannon, who has been forced by his dad to switch to a new team. Mike tells the Dodgers about Andy Kirk, who, more than 50 years ago, died when he fell out of a giant cedar tree where he sat perched watching his older brother hit in the winning run. Soon cryptic messages initialed AK crop up around the baseball diamond. Whoever is leaving them loves baseball and has some very definite and good advice, and everyone wonders if they've been left by Andy's ghost. It doesn't take long for the team to play like a well-oiled machine and ultimately the Dodgers take on Gannon's team in the championship game. This story is packed with action and suspense. The characters seem real and have a certain depth. Young readers who are interested in baseball and like a good mystery will find this title hard to beat.-Barb Lawler, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA