Finding Buck McHenry - Hardcover

Slote, Alfred

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060216522 ISBN 13: 9780060216528

Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books, 1991

Synopsis

Eleven-year-old Jason, believing the school custodian Mack Henry to be Buck McHenry, a famous pitcher from the old Negro League, tries to enlist him as a coach for his Little League team by revealing his identity to the world.

About this title

About the Author:

Alfred Slote is the author of over thirty books, most of them for young people.He lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-6-- Jason Ross, a mediocre Little League catcher but avid baseball card collector, is convinced that a local school janitor named Mack Henry is actually a famous pitcher from the Negro Leagues. Jason pressures Mr. Henry into admitting that he is indeed Buck McHenry and talks him into coaching a newly formed team. Things start to unravel, however, when a television sportscaster gets wind of the story, and Jason learns that Mr. Henry has been lying. The novel suffers from some slowness of plot and drawn-out scenes. (It takes approximately 200 pages to describe about 10 hours of action.) And Mr. Henry's false admission to being Buck McHenry is never satisfactorily explained. However, Jason's discovery of the Negro Leagues may lead readers to learn more about the shameful long-term segregation of baseball. This element gives the book a thoughtful perspective that many sports books never achieve--or even attempt, for that matter. So, despite a loosely constructed, improbable plot, this novel does have some likable characters, a bit of a mystery, and an element of seriousness. These features combine to make the book a welcome addition to sports fiction collections. --Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0060216522
• ISBN 13: 9780060216528
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 250