Bull Catcher

In his diary, high-school baseball player Neil "Bull" Larsen re-evaluates his friendships, takes a close look at his family and girlfriend, and considers if there is anything more to life than baseball.

Grade 7 Up. "On the seventh day God made baseball." For Neil "Bull" Larsen and his best friend, Jeff Hanson, baseball has been their life for as long as they can remember, hence their pet saying. For his senior project, Bull decides to chronicle his high school baseball career by filling in the details of the diary he has been keeping. The teen, by choice, lives with his widowed grandfather while his business-executive single mom imparts advice from her home in California. While baseball is the major focus of this story, Bull also faces the challenges common to adolescents including dealings with family, friends, the opposite sex, and school. He comes to grips with the death of a friend who became a rival due to their interest in the same girl, and with the fact that despite his talent, a life-long dream of professional baseball might be in reach for Jeff but not for him. Carter pens a sure hit for baseball fans as plenty of riveting game action is detailed. Though a few fairly mild curse words are present, all-in-all this is a gentle coming-of-age story that, while not a gripping page-turner, results in an enjoyable read.?Tom S. Hurlburt, La Crosse Public Library, WI
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The rise of Neil ``Bull'' Larsen, from fledgling freshman ballplayer to starting catcher on his senior championship team, is captured against a background of adolescent love, sweaty afternoons on the baseball diamond, and nights of summer-camp fun: in other words, a soap opera for pre-teen boys and a fantasy for budding baseball players. Bull is a burly guy who can't clear the bases as fast as he'd like, but his smarts, wry sense of humor, and commendable devotion quickly dispel the dumb-jock stereotype. As Bull recounts for a senior project, baseball is all that he and his best friend, Jeff Hanson, ever think about. Carter (Between a Rock and a Hard Place, 1995, etc.) packs his narrative with action on the field and also shows the young athletes off-season: lifting weights, running sprints, and dreaming about spring training. Off the field, Bull and Jeff bridge cultural differences when they transform a Vietnamese transfer student into a star pitcher; moon over pretty, unattainable girls; and help their teammate Billy escape from an abusive father. At the end of senior year, Bull is unchanged by Billy's accidental death, his break-up with a girlfriend, and the realization that he will never play pro ball. In fact, the story ends without any sign that he's going to take even tentative steps toward maturity. Good as far as it goes, but incomplete. (Fiction. 12+) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 7^-10. Unlike many sports novels, Bull Catcher does more than pump up its readers for a do-or-die game against the crosstown rivals. Carter takes a deeper look at sports, competition, and what it takes to succeed. Neil "Bull" Larsen and his best friend, Jeff Hanson, see everything through the prism of baseball. They play the game almost year-round, constantly pushing themselves to play at a higher level. In high school, Jeff single-mindedly pursues the college scholarship he hopes will lead to a pro career, while Bull begins to realize the game doesn't give him everything he wants and starts to explore life off the field. In the end, although Jeff wins a scholarship and Bull doesn't, it is clear which boy has the brighter future. Jeff's characterization is a little flat and the author's hand is a bit heavy when it comes to describing Jeff's passion for baseball. But in Bull, Carter has created a likable (though far from perfect) young man whose experiences on and off the field have readied him for the real world. Randy Meyer