Batter Up!

Sitting in the back, Ryan soaked up their comments. He had just about given up hope that he could ever play the game the way he once had. In his current mood he could do nothing more than feel sorry for himself, and a little pity was just the thing to help him do it.

Book: Batter Up! By Nate Aaseng, Chariot Books, 1990

Genre: Sports Fiction

Target Audience: Boys 11-14

Subjects: Luck, Prayer, Friendship, Showing love to others

Summary: It’s hopeless. For some reason, everything is going wrong this year. The Cobras baseball tem is on a major losing streak and Ryan is a big part of that. He just can’t seem to hit anything anymore. He considers the possibility of having eye problems, of luck, of routine, even prayer, but nothing seems to work! If something doesn’t change this will be about the worst the Cobra could possibly do.

Notes: This book takes a look at prayer through the game of baseball. At one point, Ryan tells his coach that he has been asking God to make them win the game. The coach replies that he would not like to be God, because what if the other team was praying they would win. He teaches Ryan that God isn’t a vending machine you just put in a prayer and get the exact result you want, but rather it’s a matter of trusting God and doing what He says is right, even if that means your team has a better chance of losing. There is a boy on the time who has a disorder that makes it harder for him than the other kids and one of Ryan’s friends pays him to not even try to hit the ball, but rather just get a walk each time in order to increase the chances of winning, even though this kid has dreamed of playing baseball for some time. There’s a lot of baseball action, but also some good strong lessons within the midst of the action.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

James 4:7-8 – Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.