Cal Ripken, Jr.: Play Ball! (Easy-to-Read, Dial)

Aspiring ball players everywhere will be inspired by this adaptation of the baseball star's autobiography to an easy reading level, in a memoir that includes text, as well as photographs and action-packed art.

Grade 1-4This beginning chapter book about the Baltimore Orioles hero who broke the record for playing the most games in a row is sure to be a hit with young baseball fans, but its appeal will not be limited to them. Adapted from Ripkens autobiography, The Only Way I Know (Viking, 1997), the text is nicely balanced with portrayals of both slumps and streaks, anecdotes and statistics. The combination of first-person narration with full-color photographs and realistic paintings that depict both the drama of baseball and ordinary childhood moments will pull kids into the life and thoughts of this hardworking player. The books greatest strength is Ripkens unflappable persistence and philosophical approach to rough times, whether personal or professional. A one-page list of career highlights is included. Accessible to a slightly younger audience than Ripken and Doug Keiths Count Me In (Taylor, 1995), this title is a pro in a genre glutted with farm leaguers.Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA
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