  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 08/01/2014 Gr 3–5—Three 11-year-old boys, aka "the "Baseball Geeks," are the focus of this contemporary, baseball-themed series. They live in homes with varying levels of dysfunction, yet bond over their love of the game. When one of the boys is given a "priceless" baseball that his father boasts was switched with a fake, they have the task of returning the it to the Baseball Hall of Fame. They put together a plan that will take them from small-town Ohio all the way to Cooperstown, New York. While the baseball angle is a welcome touch, sadly, this slight story is filled with many unbelievable situations. The characters are one-dimensional; every adult is simple-minded and easily outwitted. The boys' cheat, lie, and steal to accomplish their mission. Readers will be better suited with realistic baseball stories such as Kathryn Fitzmaurice's Diamond in the Desert (Viking, 2012) or David A. Kelly's baseball/detective series, "The Ballpark Mysteries" (Random).—Sada Mozer, Los Angeles Public Library - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 09/01/2014 The leadoff volume in the Baseball Geeks Adventures series tells a story that relies less on play-by-play action and more on off-the-field adventures. Eleven-year-olds Joe, Kevin, and Omar proudly wear their identity as the Baseball Geeks. After Kevin’s unreliable father hands him a signed baseball that he claims to have stolen from the Baseball Hall of Fame, the conscientious Geeks plot to return the priceless “Glory Ball” to the museum. Unfortunately, their only route to the Baseball Hall of Fame involves their travel team winning a local tournament and advancing to the next round in Cooperstown. Even if they make it, can they manage to swap their ball for its replica in a locked case? Readers will be rooting all the way for this quirky but likable trio. Combining humor, suspense, and baseball history, Joe’s first-person narrative is a highlight of this engaging large-print chapter book. Three sequels, Bossing the Bronx Bombers at Yankee Stadium, The Treasure Hunt Stunt at Fenway Park, and Foul Ball Frame-up at Wrigley Field, are also available now. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. Loading...
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