Roy Morelli is used to being the star on the baseball team, and starting on the travel team. It's spring of 8th grade, and he's counting on having an amazing season in order to impress the gruff high school coach, and earn a spot on next year's varsity team. Unfortunately, Roy's been paying more attention to how he's planning on looking in a varsity jacket, and not enough attention to his grades. When his mother steps in and announces that there will be no baseball until his grades come up, Roy is horrified. As a compromise, they agree that he will have a tutor and she will allow him to play on the rec center team. This is the team that has fooled around and lost every game for the last several years, and Roy decides he's going to shape them up, so he can still shine and earn his high school spot. There's a big difference between being a bossy showoff and being a team leader though. Roy has a lot to learn, on the field and off! Good realistic sports writing, and lots of great characters. 6th grade and up. ( )

Good sports book with good insight into baseball and also a good messge about applying that sports ethic, do your best, to other areas of your life like school.

Roy has been playing baseball on the All-Star team and he is very excited about this year as the high school coach starts recruiting the upcoming freshman. But when Roy can't make the grade in history, his parents tell him it's the rec league or no ball at all. And boy is this a lesson in humilty as his former teammates harrass him, his new teammates aren't so kind to the kid who thinks he's too good to play with them, and Roy thinks he's too good for the poor treatment he is receiving from all. He also believes that he has nothing to learn from the poorly coached rec team and Coach Darby. To make matters worse, he must start attending tutoring sessions with his dad's girlfriend who happens to teach history at the high school. The few times Coach Harden shows up to recruit, Roy thinks he must play the superstar and he shames his teammates. He learns that Coach Darby knows a thing or two, the rec team boys do care about winning, and he willingly sacrifices making himself look good for the team via a bunt and getting himself out but letting teammates cross the line to win. He also works hard and pulls up his grade in history, so Roy learns much about himself and improving himself via the rec team. This story is a great read for lessons on humility and not thinking you are perfect. ( )