It's the last inning of a high school baseball game between arch-rivals Oak Grove and Compton. Center fielder Luke "Wizard"…
Wallace steps up to the plate--and is hit by a beanball, a wild pitch that shatters his skull, destroys the vision in his left eye, and changes his life forever. In this riveting novel, the events surrounding this pivotal moment are recounted through free-verse monologues by 28 different voices, including those of Luke and his Oak Grove teammates; the pitcher, Kyle Dawkins, and other Compton players; the two coaches; Luke's family members and teachers; and Sarah Edgerton, a new classmate who seems more affected by Luke's injury than his girlfriend is. With its unusual format, gripping subject matter, and economy of language, Beanball is a thought-provoking, fast-paced read.
Through haiku, a young boy narrates his family&’s invigorating hike to the peak of Oregon&’s South Sister volcano.For centuries, haiku…
has offered meditation on the grace and majesty of nature. In Climbing the Volcano, old meets new as a young protagonist uses the poetic form to voice his wonder. Trekking uphill, the family encounters tiny toads, colorful butterflies, soaring birds of prey, and so much more to see, do, and feel. dormant volcano—but at sunrise each dayit blazesClimbing the Volcano is a call to adventure in the natural world, and a wonderful introduction to poetic forms. Young readers will be inspired to summit their own peaks and to find their own voices to share what they discover there. Whether you live in the shadow of a volcano, amid sprawling flatlands, or anywhere in between, Climbing the Volcano invites you to get out there and explore. Jennifer K. Mann&’s breezy, childlike artwork harmonizes with Curtis Manley&’s poetry to detail this mesmerizing Pacific Northwest journey.A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection