Baseball Genius

2017. 352pp. $16.99 hc. Aladdin (Simon & Schuster). 9781481468640. Grades 4-8

From the first page to the last, Jalen Deluca’s exploits with his friends will keep readers in suspense. Living with his dad in a run-down train station, Jalen helps his struggling father operate the Silver Liner Diner. More than anything, Jalen wants to get on a baseball travel team this summer, but he can’t afford the exorbitant fees. In a gambit to steal and sell signed baseballs from star Yankees player James Yager’s home batting cage, Jalen is caught by the player himself. In a panic, Jalen reveals his secret: he is a baseball genius, who just might revitalize Yager’s fading career. Jalen Deluca has a gifted math mind, with the ability to see, remember, and analyze a pitcher’s statistics with ease. Even better, using preternatural ability, he can predict the pitches with accuracy before they are thrown. This proves lucky for Yager, an aging future hall of famer who is in the crosshairs of the General Manager for his dismal batting average. Green and Jeter know how to grab readers and keep them hooked all the way through this middle grade sports fiction. It is a page turner for baseball fans who revel in realistic gamesmanship and play-by-play excitement. This is a winner! Lonna Pierce, School Librarian, MacArthur & Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools, Binghamton, New York

Highly Recommended