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CASEY AT THE BAT

A BALLAD OF THE REPUBLIC SUNG IN 1888

“The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville nine that day. . . .” But the outlook for the possibilities of digitally manipulated design in children’s books looks increasingly brilliant as evidenced by this rather amazing version of Thayer’s well-loved baseball poem, “Casey at the Bat.” In Bing’s debut, he has created a delightful oversized scrapbook version of the poem with double-page spreads making it appear to be authentic newspaper illustrations from the Mudville Monitor of June 3, 1888. Bing’s old-fashioned line drawings are done in the style of 19th-century engravings, complemented by thick, sepia-toned paper that appears to be faded at the edges. The scrapbook design continues throughout the book, with items relating to the poem (baseball tickets, medals, money, newspaper clippings, and advertisements) creatively interspersed throughout the text pages as though pasted there a century ago. The title page is set as the front page of the paper with an author’s note as newspaper column; a mock obituary on the inside back cover gives biographical information on Thayer; and an editor’s note set as a torn scrap of newspaper describes the complex computerized processes used to create the book. Teachers who want to introduce the poem to students will find all the information for an entire lesson in this one volume, including the price of a small-town paper in 1888 (two cents). A solid hit. (Poetry. 8+)

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2000

ISBN: 1-929766-00-9

Page Count: 32

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2000

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WAR GAMES

Fast-paced and plot-driven.

In his latest, prolific author Gratz takes on Hitler’s Olympic Games.

When 13-year-old American gymnast Evie Harris arrives in Berlin to compete in the 1936 Olympic Games, she has one goal: stardom. If she can bring home a gold medal like her friend, the famous equestrian-turned-Hollywood-star Mary Brooks, she might be able to lift her family out of their Dust Bowl poverty. But someone slips a strange note under Evie’s door, and soon she’s dodging Heinz Fischer, the Hitler Youth member assigned to host her, and meeting strangers who want to make use of her gymnastic skills—to rob a bank. As the games progress, Evie begins to see the moral issues behind their sparkling facade—the antisemitism and racism inherent in Nazi ideology and the way Hitler is using the competition to support and promote these beliefs. And she also agrees to rob the bank. Gratz goes big on the Mission Impossible–style heist, which takes center stage over the actual competitions, other than Jesse Owens’ famous long jump. A lengthy and detailed author’s note provides valuable historical context, including places where Gratz adapted the facts for storytelling purposes (although there’s no mention of the fact that before 1952, Olympic equestrian sports were limited to male military officers). With an emphasis on the plot, many of the characters feel defined primarily by how they’re suffering under the Nazis, such as the fictional diver Ursula Diop, who was involuntarily sterilized for being biracial.

Fast-paced and plot-driven. (Historical fiction. 9-12)

Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2025

ISBN: 9781338736106

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2025

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2025

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DRAMA

Brava!

From award winner Telgemeier (Smile, 2010), a pitch-perfect graphic novel portrayal of a middle school musical, adroitly capturing the drama both on and offstage.

Seventh-grader Callie Marin is over-the-moon to be on stage crew again this year for Eucalyptus Middle School’s production of Moon over Mississippi. Callie's just getting over popular baseball jock and eighth-grader Greg, who crushed her when he left Callie to return to his girlfriend, Bonnie, the stuck-up star of the play. Callie's healing heart is quickly captured by Justin and Jesse Mendocino, the two very cute twins who are working on the play with her. Equally determined to make the best sets possible with a shoestring budget and to get one of the Mendocino boys to notice her, the immensely likable Callie will find this to be an extremely drama-filled experience indeed. The palpably engaging and whip-smart characterization ensures that the charisma and camaraderie run high among those working on the production. When Greg snubs Callie in the halls and misses her reference to Guys and Dolls, one of her friends assuredly tells her, "Don't worry, Cal. We’re the cool kids….He's the dork." With the clear, stylish art, the strongly appealing characters and just the right pinch of drama, this book will undoubtedly make readers stand up and cheer.

Brava!  (Graphic fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012

ISBN: 978-0-545-32698-8

Page Count: 240

Publisher: Graphix/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: July 21, 2012

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2012

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