Barnstormers, Game One by Phil Bildner and Loren Long

Three kids, a mystery and a magic baseball…..that is the cover of Barnstormers, Game 1. Set in the late 1800’s this is the first book in a series, each book detailing one game of the Travelin’ Nine baseball team. Griffith, Ruby, and Graham Payne travel with the team that is made up of their father’s war buddies. Their father was catcher for the Travelin’ Nine, but he was killed in the war. The team is now traveling across the country to help their buddy’s family raise money. The Payne’s mother is now the catcher for the team, but no one can know she is playing, women are not allowed to play baseball. To help disguise this, she goes by her husband’s name, Guy.

Strange things happen during their first game. There is a train signal that keeps popping up on the field; fog, tracks and a locomotive appear and disappear. As if this isn’t strange enough, the opposing team and fans do not see any of it! The Travelin’ Nine try to play the game, but with all the distractions can they win? Griffith feels responsible because the night of his father’s funeral his uncle gave him some advice and a warning. Can Griffith, figure out what is going on, can his siblings help and what does their father’s beat up baseball have to do with the mysterious happenings? We get a few clues, in Game 1 of the series. The biggest problem for the reader is Game 2 does not come out until May!

Throughout the book the author uses baseball phrases from the late 1800's. To help the reader understand, he gives definitions in the margins. Loren Long's illustrations help bring the story to life. If you love baseball or mysteries, this series could be for you!

Grady the Goose by Denise Brennan-Nelson

Poor Grady. He was the last gosling born of twelve and has been a bit behind the rest ever since. He also loves to wander off on his own adventures causing Momma and Papa to stop and count their babies often. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11... Where is Grady? When he wanders too far while the family is flying south, Grady luckily is found by a caring farmer. Grady learns the lesson that the family needs to stick together always. That's one reason why geese fly in a V formation - to stick together!

You can spot Grady among the other goslings because he has a very cute tuft of feathers on the top of his head. In each illustration the eyes of the geese seem to be looking right at you. The lake water has ripples and reflects the shore nearby. You can thank Mr. Michael Glenn Monroe for his beautiful artwork. He grew up and lives right here in Brighton and it's very likely you've had a visit by him at your school. His paintings in Grady the Goose were one of the favorites of the first and second graders at Hornung and Lindbom elementary schools during their Mock Caldecott Vote this year. Thank you Mr. Monroe!

Who Were The Beatles? by Geoff Edgers

Depending on how old you are, you might not know who the Beatles were. Or you might know about the Beatles because you hear their music on the radio or when your parents play Beatles CDs. If you're really lucky, you remember when the Beatles were very popular musicians, you are still a HUGE Beatles fan, and you own many of their albums - records, tapes and CDs! It was called Beatlemania and they were the Fab Four - John, Paul, George and Ringo. When they appeared on TV or a live performance, the audience screamed with excitement! They produced hundreds of songs most of them written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Who Were The Beatles? by Geoff Edgers covers their start as a band to when they broke up. A brief biography of each individual Beatle is also included. The information is accurate but there are no actual photographs of the Beatles, only illustrations by Jeremy Tugeau.

There are other titles in this series of biographies. Search our library catalog for the series title, Who Was, to find them all.

Hey Batta Batta Swing! by Sally Cook & James Charlton

Spring training has just started and soon the Detroit Tigers will be taking the field again at Comerica Park. It's an exciting time!
Get in the mood by reading this fun baseball book. Hey Batta Batta shares the history of baseball, interesting facts, and clever vocabulary. Learn how Babe Ruth got his nickname, why Brooklyn's team was called the Dodgers, and what Roger Clemens had to give up to keep his lucky number 21 when he traded teams.
The colorful text and illustrations make this book even more enjoyable. This is one for true baseball fans!