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bak8382's review
4.0
House Jackson just wants to play baseball, but a broken elbow put him out of commission for last year's big game. He's determined that nothing will stand in his way this year, but when the town pageant, that every kid is required by their mamas to participate in, is scheduled for the same day he fears that he might never be able to play.
I hesitate to even describe the book at all because the baseball game barely scratches the surface of this story, and readers shouldn't write it off as just another sports story. Suffice to say that readers should just give the story a chance, and it may surprise them. The audio is especially a treat as Kate Jackson does a lovely job portraying the eccentric but lovable characters.
I hesitate to even describe the book at all because the baseball game barely scratches the surface of this story, and readers shouldn't write it off as just another sports story. Suffice to say that readers should just give the story a chance, and it may surprise them. The audio is especially a treat as Kate Jackson does a lovely job portraying the eccentric but lovable characters.
ancientdebra's review
3.0
House Jackson has a secret. After breaking his arm before the one and only Aurora County All-Stars aseball game last summer, he began visiting Old Man Boyd - a friend of the family - every evening. One morning Mr. Boyd dies and the truth about Mr. Boyd and his relationship to House's family and baseball.
Aurora County is all set to celebrate the one and only baseball game of the summer - but it is now complicated by the Aurora County pageant for the same day. House and Finesse, with her own relationship to Mr. Boyd, become unlikely allies and combine the baseball game and the pageant together as a tribute to Mr. Boyd.
I did not enjoy this as much as the other Aurora County books (Each Little Bird that Sings and Love, Ruby Lavender). House is injured in practicing for the big game and told by his doctor that he shouldn't play - but does anyway and no adults step in to stop him until the last inning of the game.
Kate Jackson did a fine job with the audio performance, except I had trouble adjusting to the grown up voice used for Finesse. Also, the beginnig and end of the discs were not announced, leading me to "loop" several discs as the last track seamlessly led back into the first.
That being said, Deborah Wiles, as usual, creates a beautiful piece of the world with her rich and textured language and quirky, touching characters. I enjoyed seeing characters from her previous books, as well!
Aurora County is all set to celebrate the one and only baseball game of the summer - but it is now complicated by the Aurora County pageant for the same day. House and Finesse, with her own relationship to Mr. Boyd, become unlikely allies and combine the baseball game and the pageant together as a tribute to Mr. Boyd.
I did not enjoy this as much as the other Aurora County books (Each Little Bird that Sings and Love, Ruby Lavender). House is injured in practicing for the big game and told by his doctor that he shouldn't play - but does anyway and no adults step in to stop him until the last inning of the game.
Kate Jackson did a fine job with the audio performance, except I had trouble adjusting to the grown up voice used for Finesse. Also, the beginnig and end of the discs were not announced, leading me to "loop" several discs as the last track seamlessly led back into the first.
That being said, Deborah Wiles, as usual, creates a beautiful piece of the world with her rich and textured language and quirky, touching characters. I enjoyed seeing characters from her previous books, as well!
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