Thumb on a Diamond

by Ken Roberts and Leanne Franson

The kids who live in New Aukland, British Columbia, population 138, have never played... read more

The kids who live in New Aukland, British Columbia, population 138, have never played baseball. Basketball in the gym, certainly, but baseball? Not likely, given that the only open playing area is on the shoreline, and the probability of wayward hits and wild throws being lost in the water seems inevitable. But when it appears that the only way to finagle a coveted school trip to Vancouver is to go as participants in a baseball tournament, the students decide to give it their best shot. This humorous short novel centers on their excursion as the children from a remote and isolated village make the most of the big city. Not only must they cope with escalators, restaurants, and multilevel buildings—all completely foreign to their existence—the team also has to bluff its way through their inaugural ballgame. These youngsters may be inexperienced, but they have no lack of creativity. Readers who first visited New Aukland in The Thumb in the Box (Groundwood / Douglas & McIntyre, 2001) will welcome a chance to return to the small Canadian village, while those new to the community should grab this opportunity to discover its charm. (Ages 7–10)

© Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2007

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