The Lucky Baseball Bat

When Martin, the Tigers' newest slugger, loses his lucky baseball bat, he fears that he has also lost his ability to play baseball. By the author of The Hit-Away Kid. Reprint.

This Matt Christopher classic story of a boy and his lucky baseball bat will capture readers' imaginations while teaching them vital lessons about the importance of friendship, teamwork, and believing in themselves. When Martin moves to a new neighborhood, he wants nothing more than to make a good impression on his new teammates. After all, Martin loves baseball more than anything, and all he wants is to prove he's worth his spot on the team. And with his lucky baseball bat in hand, what could go wrong? But when that same lucky baseball bat goes missing, Martin completely loses his ability to play baseball. But even though he's lost his talent, Martin might just find something else: the value of friendship, his own confidence, and maybe, just maybe, a place on the team. Celebrating over six decades on bookshelves, this classic, timeless story of baseball, friendship, and confidence continues to captivate and delight new generations of readers.

Marty loses his lucky baseball bat, and his confidence along with it, and wonders if he will recover both in time to help the Tigers win the championship.

Louis isn’t very good at playing baseball, but he knows and loves the game more than anybody. He loves the purity of the sport, the sound of the crack of a bat, and the smell of freshly cut grass in the stadium. And more than anything, he loves the New York Yankees. So when he becomes a bat boy for the team during the summer of 1961, it is a dream come true. Lucky gives readers baseline box seats to one of the most memorable seasons in sports history, and as Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris compete in their legendary home-run race, Louis learns that the heroes he looks up to can teach him life lessons that will change him forever.

Why do modern-day sluggers like Aaron Judge prefer maple bats over the traditional ash bats swung by Ted Williams and others? Why did the surge of broken bats in the early 21st century create a crisis for Major League Baseball and what steps were taken to address the issue? Are different woods being considered by players and manufacturers? Do insects, disease and climate change pose a problem long-term? These and other questions are answered in this exhaustive examination of the history and future of wooden bats, written for both lifelong baseball fans and curious newcomers.

Chico, a native of Puerto Rico and an excellent swimmer, joins the Royals baseball team but has trouble making friends with String, the most popular member of the team.

Luke is not very good at baseball, but his grandmother and sports star Jackie Robinson encourage him to keep trying.