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list price: $24.95
edition:Hardcover
also available: eBook Paperback
category: Children's Nonfiction
published: Apr 2015
ISBN:9781554517084
publisher: Annick Press

Baseballogy

Supercool Facts You Never Knew

by Kevin Sylvester

tagged: baseball & softball, business & economics
Description

The most unusual baseball facts you’ll ever find!

Referred to as “America’s National Pastime,” and “The Greatest Sport on Earth,” baseball has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of people.

Behind the game lies a wealth of science, folklore, mathematics, psychology—and a very colorful past. Whether they are die-hard fans or casual spectators, readers will be captivated by this collection of fascinating, little-known facts. For example did you know that the yarn in a single baseball is long enough to reach from the street to the top of the Empire State Building or that in the old days playoff tickets were sold for people to stand in the outfield: fans might move to help the home team but not budge an inch for opposing players.

With lots of humorous, colorful illustrations, charts, and graphs, Baseballogy explores such diverse topics as the materials used to make the balls (including fish eyes, once used for the core!), freak injuries (one player was stabbed by a bat!), and the chances of making it to “the show” (1 in about 14,000 baseball playing kids will get to the big leagues).

For real baseball aficionados, there’s a section on the physics of hitting the ball, a look at some long-standing records they might not have known about, and explanations of the numbers on baseball cards, play-by-plays, and even the players’ shirts. A Baseball Trivia Quiz at the end of the book lets kids test their knowledge with questions like, “What does OPS mean?” and “What are the seven ways a hitter can make it to home base?”

Entertaining, informative, and highly visual, Baseballogy is the perfect sports book for all kids—especially reluctant boy readers.

About the Author
Kevin Sylvester is an award-winning writer, illustrator and broadcaster. His book Gold Medal for Weird won the Silver Birch Award for non-fiction in 2009. It was also named a Junior Library Guild Premier selection in 2008 and was a finalist for the Willow Award. His previous book Sports Hall of Weird was a Silver Birch Honour Book in 2006. It was also a finalist for the Rocky Mountain Book Award. Sylvester’s book for adults, Shadrin has Scored for Russia was nominated for the Leacock Award for Humour in 2002. His illustrations have been seen in The Toronto Star, the Literary Review of Canada and on cbc.ca. Kevin is often heard on CBC Radio. He was the sportscaster for CBC morning shows for 9 years. He is a regular fill-in on the shows The Sunday Edition, Here and Now, Metro Morning, Ideas and Tapestry. He and Teddy Katz won the B’nai B’rith Human Rights Award for their documentary on racism in hockey, Black Ice. Neil Flambé and the Case of the Caustic Cumin was first broadcast as a radio drama serial in the summer of 2007. It was the foundation for the first book in the series—Neil Flambé and the Marco Polo Murders. Book Two in the series is Neil Flambé and the Aztec Abduction.
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
Age:
9 to 12
Grade:
4 to 7
Reading age:
9 to 12
Awards
  • Short-listed, Red Cedar Award finalist, B.C.’s Young Readers’ Choice Awards
  • , Best Bets List, Top Ten, Ontario Library Association
Editorial Reviews

“Baseball fans will welcome this relevant, well-done title, and the whimsical graphics will broaden the audience.”

— School Library Journal, 06/15

“This super-fun book is packed full of information presented in a light-hearted format that is sure to engage young readers.”

— National Reading Campaign, 06/19/15

“You cannot go wrong with this book.”

— Sal’s Fiction Addiction, 05/11/15

“A browser’s delight.”

— Kirkus Reviews, 04/15/15

“Will give young baseball enthusiasts hours of entertainment.”

— Literacy Daily, International Literacy Association, 07/27/15

“A hit for sports enthusiasts and STEM collections alike.”

— Booklist, 07/08/15

Out of print

This edition is not currently available in bookstores. Check your local library or search for used copies at Abebooks.

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