Baseball’s Best: Five True Stories

Step into Reading 5

by Andrew Gutelle

AR Test

At A Glance

Interest Level

7+

Entertainment
Score

Reading Level
4.4

Number of Pages
48

Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, and Hank Aaron—five amazing baseball legends. From the first black man to play major league ball to the longest hitting streak ever, these are some of the game’s most inspiring stories. Find out what unforgettable feats won each player a place in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Baseball fans who want to meet some of the players who helped shape baseball should put Baseball’s Best: Five True Stories on their must-read list. Each chapter focuses on one player’s career, his accomplishments, and how the player changed baseball. The stories are motivational and most of them show how a player had to overcome obstacles along the way. While the book has a lot of baseball statistics, they are balanced with personal stories about the players. Some readers might be surprised by the pressure each player faced. For example, when Henry Aaron became the home run champion, he said, “I just thank God it’s over. I feel I can relax now. I just want to have a great season.”

As part of the Step Into Reading 5 books, Baseball’s Best: Five True Stories is intended for readers in grades 2 – 4 who are proficient readers. The book includes large black-and-white pictures of the players as well as full-color illustrations that show the players in action. Illustrations appear every 1 to 3 pages and some pictures fill an entire page. The book’s oversized text, large illustrations, and short chapters will appeal to younger readers.

Baseball’s Best: Five True Stories brings baseball history to life in an appealing format. Since the non-fiction book is all about baseball, it is best suited for readers who already know and love the sport. One chapter focuses on Babe Ruth; readers can learn more about him by also reading Babe Ruth and the Baseball Curse by David A. Kelly. Readers curious about Jackie Robinson should also read Play Ball, Jackie! by Stephen Krensky and Miss Mary Reporting: The True Story of Sportswriter Mary Garber  by Sue Macy.

Sexual Content 

None

Violence 

During a game, Babe Ruth “trots out to the left field to warm up, the fans hurl lemons at him. ‘Get off the field, old-timer!’ they shout.”
When Jackie Robinson played baseball, he had to deal with prejudice. “Some opposing players shout curses at him from the bench, while others threaten to strike if Jackie takes the field. . . Pitchers hurl fastballs dangerously close to his head. Runners slide with the spikes of their shoes aimed at his legs.”
Jackie also had to deal with segregation and “hate mail. Some letters even threaten his life.”
After an earthquake struck Nicaragua, Roberto Clemente got on an airplane heading to Nicaragua to distribute supplies. “Clemente’s plane takes off. Moments later one of the engines explodes and catches fire. The plane plunges into the ocean.” Roberto’s body is never found.