There were twelve—that’s right, twelve!—brothers in the Acerra family, living in a small New Jersey town in the 1920s and 30s. “They had four sisters, too … And a white dog … named Pitch!” The dog’s name was no accident: The Acerra brothers loved to play baseball. In the late 1930s, the nine oldest brothers formed their own semi-professional baseball team. They took a break from playing during World War II, but resumed in 1946, even as they married and started their own families. The Acerras played their last game in 1952, and in 1997 they were honored at the Baseball Hall of Fame. On the way back from that ceremony, the family’s bus broke down, and three generations of Acerras—men and women, boys and girls—waited out the repair by doing what they loved: playing baseball. An engaging true story is given lively treatment by Audrey Vernick, with appealing period illustrations by Steve Salerno. Vernick talks about interviewing two of the surviving Acerra brothers in her author’s note. (Ages 5–8)

The Acerra family had sixteen children, including twelve ball-playing boys. It was the 1930s, and many families had lots of kids. But only one had enough to field a baseball team . . . with three on the bench! The Acerras were the longest-playing all-brother team in baseball history. They loved the game, but more important, they cared for and supported each other and stayed together as a team. Nothing life threw their way could stop them.

Full of action, drama, and excitement, this never-before-told true story is vividly brought to life by Audrey Vernick’s expert storytelling and Steven Salerno’s stunning vintage-style art.