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Set aside a regular time for reading in your family, independent of schoolwork, the 20 minutes before lights out, just... More
Summary: It’s the fall of 2004, and 12-year-old Oscar Egg is being sent to live with his father while his parents try to resolve their problems. Oscar’s father lives in a community of bizarre characters under Boston’s Fenway Park. Oscar joined the zany group of fairies, banshees, and weird ducks to help break the 86-year-old curse that has prevented the Boston Red Sox from winning a World Series Championship. Oscar, his dad, and their jolly band of friends expect to break the curse. The challenge is awesome and the reward, if achieved, will be one of the great baseball stories of all times. This is a middle-grade novel for baseball lovers.
Type of Reading: bedtime story, family reading, anytime reading, independent reading, read aloud book, reluctant reader
Recommended Age: read together: 8 to 13; read yourself: 9 and up
Interest Level: 9 and up
Little Kid Reaction: Review pending.
Big Kid Reaction: The author has provided a story and characters that will tickle the reader’s funny bone. The story is enjoyable and fun to read. It is bound to be a big hit with little league baseball players. There are lots of laughs and bizarre characters lurking inside the covers of this book. Keep a light on if you’re reading alone! The story's sub-plot (how an adolescent copes with life as his or her parents are having marital problems) "grounds" the story.
Pros: This is an excellent adolescent mystery/adventure story which hooks the reader immediately.
Cons: None.
Borrow or Buy: Buy. The story grabs the readers attention on several levels and will keep them turning pages.
Educational Themes: This is a story that's meant to be enjoyed. There is plenty of baseball history and tradition for the fan, too. It is an enjoyable read and offers students, teachers, counselors, and parents a chance to discuss topics, such as, orphans, mixed racial marriage, single parenting etc.
Notes: The publisher/author donated a copy of this book to the Reading Tub, Inc. This is an unsolicited donation.
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