May 2016: Soar by Joan Bauer - a great sports read for middle school kids, whether they like sports or not!
“Tomorrow it begins.
10 players. 7 innings.
Be there with your best and stop the Tornadoes.
Pass it on.”
Jeremiah pg. 136 Soar by Joan Bauer
Jeremiah has been through a lot in his first twelve years, or maybe it’s thirteen years, no one is really sure. When Jeremiah was about nine months old, Walt Lopper found him next to the coffee pot in his office’s snack room with a note that said “pleez tek car of him Bcaz he my best boy I no yur good!” pg. 2 After a few years of paperwork, training and certifications, Walt was able to adopt Jeremiah. Everything was great until Jeremiah got sick in third grade and his heart started to weaken, two years later he had a heart transplant. Now twelve-ish, Jeremiah is healthier and can do most things other kids his age are able to do, but he still can’t run without getting really tired, so he can’t play baseball … and he loves baseball. But Jeremiah’s got heart, of course he’s got a heart, but he’s also got courage, character, passion and the drive to not only do his best, but to help others do their best. So when Walt gets a job in a small town outside of Cincinnati that is going through a big baseball scandal, Jeremiah decides it’s up to him to prove that not everyone is a cheater. But will Jeremiah’s efforts be enough to convince the whole town, and everyone around them, that not everyone cheats and that you don’t have to win to be a winner.
Soar by Joan Bauer isn’t just a baseball story, it’s a story of courage, a story of right and wrong, a story of friendship and a story of heart. Even if you don’t love baseball like Jeremiah does, I think you will still love this story about Jeremiah. Don’t believe me, check out this review of Soar by 11 year old Sports Illustrated KIDS, kid reporter Riley Neubauer.
If you like Soar, then check out these other great Sports fiction books, that also are about so much more than just sports:
Travel Team & Summer Ball by Mike Lupica
Million Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica
Peak by Roland Smith
Football Genius series & Baseball Great series by Tim Green
The Crossover & Booked by Kwame Alexander
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
The Swap by Megan Shull
Free Baseball by Sue Corbett
Yours Truly, Skye O’Shea by Megan Shull
Mack McGinn’s Big Win by Coleen Paratore
The Million Dollar Putt by Dan Gutman
Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time by Lisa Yee
A Diamond in the Desert by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
Tackling Dad by Elizabeth Levy
10 players. 7 innings.
Be there with your best and stop the Tornadoes.
Pass it on.”
Jeremiah pg. 136 Soar by Joan Bauer
Jeremiah has been through a lot in his first twelve years, or maybe it’s thirteen years, no one is really sure. When Jeremiah was about nine months old, Walt Lopper found him next to the coffee pot in his office’s snack room with a note that said “pleez tek car of him Bcaz he my best boy I no yur good!” pg. 2 After a few years of paperwork, training and certifications, Walt was able to adopt Jeremiah. Everything was great until Jeremiah got sick in third grade and his heart started to weaken, two years later he had a heart transplant. Now twelve-ish, Jeremiah is healthier and can do most things other kids his age are able to do, but he still can’t run without getting really tired, so he can’t play baseball … and he loves baseball. But Jeremiah’s got heart, of course he’s got a heart, but he’s also got courage, character, passion and the drive to not only do his best, but to help others do their best. So when Walt gets a job in a small town outside of Cincinnati that is going through a big baseball scandal, Jeremiah decides it’s up to him to prove that not everyone is a cheater. But will Jeremiah’s efforts be enough to convince the whole town, and everyone around them, that not everyone cheats and that you don’t have to win to be a winner.
Soar by Joan Bauer isn’t just a baseball story, it’s a story of courage, a story of right and wrong, a story of friendship and a story of heart. Even if you don’t love baseball like Jeremiah does, I think you will still love this story about Jeremiah. Don’t believe me, check out this review of Soar by 11 year old Sports Illustrated KIDS, kid reporter Riley Neubauer.
If you like Soar, then check out these other great Sports fiction books, that also are about so much more than just sports:
Travel Team & Summer Ball by Mike Lupica
Million Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica
Peak by Roland Smith
Football Genius series & Baseball Great series by Tim Green
The Crossover & Booked by Kwame Alexander
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
The Swap by Megan Shull
Free Baseball by Sue Corbett
Yours Truly, Skye O’Shea by Megan Shull
Mack McGinn’s Big Win by Coleen Paratore
The Million Dollar Putt by Dan Gutman
Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time by Lisa Yee
A Diamond in the Desert by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
Tackling Dad by Elizabeth Levy