Becoming Babe Ruth

Matt Tavares’s striking homage to one of baseball’s legends offers a rare view into Babe Ruth’s formative years in “the House that built Ruth.” Before he is known as the Babe, George Herman Ruth is just a boy who lives in Baltimore and gets into a lot of trouble. But when he turns seven, his father brings him to the gates of Saint Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, and his life is changed forever. At Saint Mary’s, he’s expected to study hard and follow a lot of rules. But there is one good thing about Saint Mary’s: almost every day, George gets to play baseball. Here, under the watchful eye of Brother Matthias, George evolves as a player and as a man, and when he sets off into the wild world of big-league baseball, the school, the boys, and Brother Matthias are never far from his heart. With vivid illustrations and clear affection for his subject, Matt Tavares sheds light on an icon who learned early that life is what you make of it — and sends home a message about honoring the place from which you came. Back matter includes an author’s note, Babe Ruth’s career statistics, and a bibliography.

Traces his mischievous childhood in Baltimore before his life-changing enrollment in Saint Mary's Industrial School for Boys, where a strict code of conduct and his introduction to baseball inspired his historic career.

Before he is known as the Babe, George Herman Ruth is just a boy who lives in Baltimore and gets into a lot of trouble. But when he turns seven, his father brings him to the gates of Saint Mary's Industrial School for Boys, and his life is changed forever. At Saint Mary's, he's expected to study hard and follow a lot of rules. But there is one good thing about Saint Mary's: almost every day, George gets to play baseball. Here, under the watchful eye of Brother Matthias, George evolves as a player and as a man, and when he sets off into the wild world of big-league baseball, the school, the boys, and Brother Matthias are never far from his heart. With vivid illustrations and clear affection for his subject, Matt Tavares sheds light on an icon who learned early that life is what you make of it and sends home a message about honoring the place from which you came.

“This exceptionally engaging chronicle recounts Ruth’s amazing rags-to-riches story. . . . Equally important, the art captures Ruth’s irrepressible personality and joy in playing baseball.” — Booklist (starred review) Before he becomes known as the Babe, George Herman Ruth is just a boy who lives in Baltimore and has a knack for getting into trouble. But when he turns seven, his father takes him to Saint Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, and his life is changed. Here, under the watchful eye of Brother Matthias, George evolves as an athlete and a man. With vivid illustrations and clear affection for his subject, Matt Tavares sheds light on an icon who learned early that life is what you make of it — and sends home a message about honoring the place you come from. Back matter includes an author’s note, Babe Ruth’s career statistics, and a bibliography.

Matt Tavares's striking homage to one of baseball's legends offers a rare view into Babe Ruth's formative years in the House that built Ruth. Before he is known as the Babe, George Herman Ruth is just a boy who lives in Baltimore and gets into a lo

Just in time for baseball season! Babe Ruth came from a poor Baltimore family and, as a kid, he was a handful. It was at a reform school that Babe discovered his talent for baseball, and by the age of nineteen, he was on his way to becoming a sports legend. Babe was often out of shape and even more often out on the town, but he had a big heart and an even bigger swing! Kids will learn all about the Home Run King in this rags-to- riches sports biography. With black-and-white illustrations throughout, a true sports legend is brought to life.

A poetic account of the legendary Babe Ruth as he prepares to make a home run.

A biography of the baseball player who became famous as a home run hitter for the New York Yankees.