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Library | Call Number | Status |
|---|---|---|
Searching... R.H. Stafford Library (Woodbury) | EASY ROD | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Before he hit 400 home runs...
Before he was named
American League MVP...
Before he was AROD to
millions of fans...
He was Alex.
Just a kid who wanted to play baseball more than anything else in the world.
Baseball superstar Alex Rodriguez has drawn on his own childhood experiences to create this exciting picture book. It's the story of a boy named Alex who knows what it's like to swing at a wild pitch or have a ball bounce right between his legs. Alex is determined not to let his mistakes set him back--even if it means getting up at the crack of dawn to work on his hitting and fielding before school each day!
Full of the spirit of determination and joy in the game that put AROD in a league of his own, Out of the Ballpark is a gift from a great sports hero to every young player who dreams of becoming a star.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-This picture book by a New York Yankees' star features the familiar story of a young boy who achieves his ballpark dreams through hard work and determination. His team is in the playoffs, but he is having a terrible game. The Caribes win, nonetheless, and they're on their way to the championship. Alex, however, wants to improve, and practices constantly with a friend (even going so far as to get up at 5:00 a.m. to practice before school). Young Alex is a likable protagonist who's also playing for his friends and family in the stands. Morrison's action-packed illustrations, in vivid hues, help keep the story moving at a brisk pace. Rodriguez concludes with a note that includes his credo for success: "No matter what your dreams and goals, you can never go wrong if you give them all you've got." The scrapbook of photos from his youth, including pictures of his family and friends, is nicely done. This book's appeal will lie mainly with young fans of the Yankee athlete.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
New York Yankees third baseman Rodriguez dips into his childhood to field this buoyant tale of a ballplayer with an obvious passion for the game. Though young Alex desperately hopes to play well during the playoff game and make his family proud, the boy repeatedly botches plays ("I think I'm setting a record for errors and strikeouts in the same game"). Yet his team wins and progresses to the championships. The next morning, Alex wakes at dawn to practice (in an extraneous, odd scene, he and a teammate run past their teacher, who is holding her nose, and Alex says to his pal, "If we stink now, wait till after practice this afternoon"). Rodriguez sets up an expected but still satisfying climax: in the bottom of the last inning of the championship game, Alex bats with the bases loaded and, with two strikes, hits a grand slam to win the team's first championship. Morrison's (Jazzy Miz Mozetta) stylized paintings capture the story's energy and his playfully skewed perspectives keep things light. In a concluding note, Rodriguez shares his "recipe for success," which entails working hard on and off the field, staying away from drugs and showing respect for others. Baseball-loving kids will appreciate the message that even future MVPs can have an off day, and young Yankee fans will especially appreciate the photos of Rodriguez's boyhood plus a Topps baseball card with a photo of the young ballplayer (attached to the back endpapers). Ages 4-8. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Baseball superstar Rodriguez may be a great home-run hitter, but he's not a writer; this tale of hitting the game-winning run out of the park is not only cliched but also uninterestingly related. Morrison's dynamic paintings help punch up the story. The book includes a coda of ego-flattering family photos and a baseball card. Concurrently published in Spanish. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Another celebrity offering, but not nearly so bad as it might be. The New York Yankees' A-Rod tells a fictionalized story of a boy named Alex whose team, the Caribes, reaches the playoffs despite the fact that "the harder he tried, the worse he played." But he gets his friend J.D. up at 5 am to practice before school and plays catch against the bedroom wall--500 times, and if he misses, he starts over. With his family in the stands, Alex wins the next big game for the Caribes, owing it all to practice and teamwork. A note from Rodriguez and photos of the real J.D. and A-Rod's family, along with the standard exhortations, close it out. Morrison's rubbery, exaggerated figures with their vintage, old-fashioned picture book colors are a pleasure to look at and will engage youngsters who might chafe a bit when the story turns too preachy. Adult readers will find the insight into A-Rod's complex character rather more engaging. (author's note, photographs) (Picture book. 5-9) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Writing without (credited) assistance, the Yankees' renowned third baseman looks back to his childhood for this inspirational but not heavily moralistic tale. Bouncing back from a playoff game that his team wins despite his own poor performance, young Alex works hard on his skills all week, aces a math test, and then goes on to win the championship game with a grand slam in the bottom of the final inning. Morrison illustrates with paintings of big-headed, sinuous-limbed figures in high-energy poses, and an album of engaging family photos is appended. A better-than-average celebrity product, this promotes both directly and indirectly the customary possibility of achieving dreams through relentless effort and family support. --John Peters Copyright 2007 Booklist
