Books and Baseball

My inaugural blog post as the new publicity coordinator for Kar-Ben is inspired by the people I’ve seen in the neighborhood where our building is located. Kar-Ben’s office is located just a couple blocks away from where the Minnesota Twins play Major League baseball, Target field. Each afternoon as I’ve made my way home, hordes of ardent baseball fans have been swarming off the light rail trains as I’m stepping on virtually empty trains to go the opposite direction. These must be some loyal and dedicated fans, since lately here in the Midwest we’ve had the most oppressive heat and humidity that this area has seen in decades. Heat and baseball do share summer in common, as does an important activity: keeping kids reading during summer break.  

Keeping children actively engaged in reading helps avoid the summer slide and keeps up important skills like reading comprehension and building vocabulary. Some children see summer as a time free from academic demands and haven’t yet realized that reading can be pleasurable. Have a reluctant reader but an avid sports fan? Encourage your child to read books about subjects—like baseball—about which he or she truly cares. You (and they) may be surprised by how they devour books on these topics.

All-Star Season by T.S. Yavin is a book about baseball that will appeal to readers ages 10 and up. Brothers Reuven and Avi have two strong bonds – the solidity of their Jewish family life and their passionate love of baseball. Reuven, a pitcher, is desperately working for a spot on the end-of-season All-Star team and is willing to ignore the advice of his parents and even involve his younger brother in his campaign to succeed. The tensions leading to the big game and its surprise outcome will satisfy all young baseball fans.

Do you have a favorite book about sports?

Try these:
Jewish Sports Stars
Sasha Cohen