Zero's Slider (Peach Street Mudders Series)

by Matt Christopher, Molly Delaney (Illustrator)

Overview

The Peach Street Mudders are in trouble: they need to find a substitute coach quick. Pitcher Zero Ford would love to ask his uncle Pete to step in, but after his poor performance on the mound, he doubts his uncle would be interested. Then Zero injures his finger -- and finds he can throw an amazing pitch that stumps every batter he faces! The question is, When the bandage comes off, will the slider -- and Uncle Pete -- disappear?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781599533230
Publisher:	Norwood House Press
Publication date:	08/01/2009
Series:	Peach Street Mudders Series
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	6.76(w) x 8.64(h) x 0.18(d)
Age Range:	7 - 9 Years

About the Author

Matt Christopher (1917-1997) was an American writer of children's books. He wrote more than 400 novels and short stories, mainly featuring sports. After his death, his family has overseen the production of ghost written books under his name. Born in Bath, Pennsylvania, Christopher was a gifted athlete as a child, which influenced his primary topic of writing. In addition to sports books, he also enjoyed writing detective fiction; his first published novel before the successful The Lucky Baseball Bat was Look for the Body, a murder mystery written for adults.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 2-4-In this beginning chapter book, Christopher has not wavered from his proven formula of a sports story with a young protagonist who must overcome some adversity to triumph. In this case, Zero Ford wants to be an exceptional pitcher but it is not until he injures his hand that he discovers he can now throw a ``slider''-a pitch guaranteed to strike out any batter. But can he duplicate his success when the bandage is removed from his hand? And, will the Peach Street Mudders be able to play if the coach is unable to find a substitute for himself while he is on vacation? Zero finally musters up enough courage to try pitching without the bandage and to ask his uncle to take over coaching the team and all works out well in the end. An average sports story that will find a ready audience with the author's many fans.-Jan Shepherd Ross, Dixie Elementary Magnet School, Lexington, KY

School Library Journal

Christopher's latest in the Springboard Books series is sure to interest both baseball fans and children ready for chapter books. Zero, whose pitching is frequently erratic, develops the ability to throw perfect sliders after he accidentally injures his throwing hand. The question is, What will happen when he's healed? There's also the problem of finding a substitute coach. Zero would like to ask Uncle Pete to coach the team but worries that Pete won't be interested unless Zero continues to throw great pitches. The tension builds to a believable ending, and because the black-and-white illustrations are more cartoonish than realistic (Zero's age could be anywhere from 8 to 12), the book will please teachers needing high-interest materials for middle-school readers.

Chris Sherman