Vendor
	Mohrbooks Literary Agency Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
Categories
Children’s, Teenage & Educational
Weblink
joanbauer.com

SOAR

Joan Bauer

Newbery Honor–winner Joan Bauer's newest protagonist always sees the positive side of any situation—and readers will cheer him on!

Jeremiah is the world’s biggest baseball fan. He really loves baseball and he knows just about everything there is to know about his favorite sport. So when he’s told he can’t play baseball following an operation on his heart, Jeremiah decides he’ll do the next best thing and become a coach.

Hillcrest, where Jeremiah and his father Walt have just moved, is a town known for its championship baseball team. But Jeremiah finds the town caught up in a scandal and about ready to give up on baseball. It’s up to Jeremiah and his can-do spirit to get the town – and the team – back in the game.

Full of humor, heart, and baseball lore, Soar is Joan Bauer at her best.

Joan Bauer is the author of thirteen books for young readers. She received a Newbery Honor Medal for Hope Was Here, and the L.A. Times Book Prize for Rules of the Road. The Christopher Award was given to both Hope was Here and Close to Famous, which also received the Schneider Family Book Award. Joan is the recipient of numerous state awards voted by readers. Joan Bauer lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at www.joanbauer.com.

Available products
Book Published 2016-01-05 by Viking books for Young Readers
Book Published 2016-01-05 by Viking books for Young Readers

Comments

Jeremiah's voice is perfect: plucky, vulnerable, pragmatic, smart, and immensely endearing. Bauer masterfully manages the various plotlines. . . An outstanding, tender exploration of courage and the true nature of heroism and, for good measure, a fine homage to America's game, as well.

This is not the predictable baseball-as-metaphor-for-life offering it seems but rather a character study in resilience and a tender evocation of a father-son relationship. 'Tender,' however, is not code for 'slow' or 'dull'; Jeremiah is a wry and witty narrator, and his take-charge (but sensible) approach to life impels the story along at a brisk clip.

Bauer’s latest feel-good novel is distinguished by a largehearted warmth, its able characterizations, a page-turning plot, and winning humor.

Jeremiah's enthusiasm for baseball is infectious, and he plays a major role in rebuilding and coaching a team at the middle school while lifting the sagging spirits of community members. . . Readers will feel that Jeremiah's victories are well earned and deserved.

Sports, friendship, tragedy, and a love connection are all wrapped up in one heartwarming, page-turning story. . .This coming-of-age tale features a boy who is courageous and witty; readers—baseball fans or otherwise—will cheer on Jeremiah and this team. The latest middle grade novel from this award-winning author is triumphant and moving.

This book is perfect for middle school students and would make a great read-aloud. Highly Recommended.